Good free email?

[grumpyduck]

I like to get my ducks lined up way ahead of time, so here goes.

Got a notice from Gmail this morning that starting Dec 8 they'll go to two-step authentication. "Watch your cell phone for a code after you enter your password." Didn't say anything about it being an option. So, if it turns out it's not an option, I'm going to drop Gmail.

So I'm shopping around for ideas. I already use Outlook for a volunteer org I belong to, so that's a possibility. But I'd appreciate any leads.

Thanks.

[USALiberal]

1. Why does that bother you?? Much safer! Nt

[Thtwudbeme]

8. Because many do not have a cell phone

Particularly the homeless, or just plain money insecure folks.

I am a librarian. This is going to hit the segment of the population that uses technology in the media center to search for jobs/ rental houses/ public services.

It's a horrible idea.

[LChaney]

34. I completely agree

As a homeless person living in my van with my girlfriend and 3 kids for the last few months (no judgment, thanks, we get plenty of that already, and are more aware of our situation than you are) and looking for a job, I regularly use the library and random other computers and phones, and 1) have enough barriers to employment without this 2) already have a hard enough time with 2-factor authentication, trying to use bank accounts or prepaid cards or PayPal to try to receive small amounts of money from family for food and gas. Someone sent me $100 once on PayPal and I could never access it because I had to have a real home address for them to mail a verification code to. Also, I actually have the fortitude and mental capacity to wait on the phone for an hour for customer service and answer their questions correctly to access my accounts. I'm guessing most people in my situation can't do that, and none of these companies seem to understand that people lose or change phone numbers occasionally/often.

[eShirl]

2. I don't even bother having a cellphone because we have such crappy reception where I live

I can't be running to the land line and back every time I want to check my email
This mermaid's too old for that ship, lol

[Celerity]

10. After setting up two-step verification on your computer, you can choose not to use it again on that

particular device, and go back to using just your password when you sign in. It's only when someone else tries to sign in to your account from another computer that users will still have to go through the two-step verification process.

https://fortune.com/2021/10/19/google-two-step-verification-authentication-mandatory/

[grumpyduck]

14. I will check that out, and thank you.

[Celerity]

11. a land line will not work, btw, as it cannot receive a text message for the code

[TeslaNova]

19. Yes it will

It sends a voice code.

[Celerity]

22. ah, oki, good (and technically I did say text message, lol, but was wrong on a LL not working)

[cbabe]

3. What if you don't have a cellphone? Librarians say this is

a big ongoing problem, especially with homeless patrons. Can’t access gmail without code sent to a cellphone which many don’t have.

Email services to check out: proton, hotmail…?

[grumpyduck]

6. Yeah, that's one of my issues with this.

It probably hasn't occurred to Google's twenty-something computer nerds who grew up with computers and cellphones stuck to their heads that there are still a lot of people who don't have cell phones because they've never needed them and don't want them.

Fuck them.

[USALiberal]

17. Lighten up.....

[Thtwudbeme]

27. I'll NEVER "lighten up" on issues that the homeless

deal with every day.

I gave my impression of the "cute blond girl" video below.

[SKKY]

4. Any good, free email service worth their weight will offer 2FA...

...I have GMail as my 'throw away', and Outlook as my real account. I employ 2FA in both, as I do in any account, of any sort, that I value (i.e. Bank, Job Hunting Site, etc.)

[grumpyduck]

9. I'm okay with their offering it,

but requiring it is a whole separate issue.

[Renew Deal]

20. How do you feel about vaccination mandates?

[grumpyduck]

29. That's a whole different conversation,

but vaccinations are about saving lives. Over 770,000 people in this country alone have not died from computer hackers.

[SKKY]

26. I'm honestly curious, what is your aversion to 2FA?

[grumpyduck]

31. I wouldn't be opposed

to their offering it as an option, and am even open to choosing to go for it at some point. My aversion is to businesses wanting to force us to do what they think we should do, for their own purposes.

My other thread on cookies gets into this.

[Tree Lady]

5. They already use a second email

In case you forget password as security, for non phone people they will offer that maybe.

[Thtwudbeme]

13. So homeless folks that cannot remember to take their heart medication

now need to remember how to get to a second email to get to their first?

You are getting ready to see a tech divide in this country like you have never seen before.

[left-of-center2012]

7. So what?

It's just for added protection.
A couple of my credit cards do the same.

No big deal.

[Thtwudbeme]

12. It's a very big deal. Maybe not for you

But our homeless patrons use technology in the libraries to look and apply for housing, jobs, and social benefits.

They do not own a credit card...nor a cell phone. Hell, they are lucky if they have good shoes.

[USALiberal]

15. See this....

[Thtwudbeme]

18. I am not writing this to be mean. I am not-

But, the cute blond cartoon character pretty much "said it all," did she not?

I am talking about the homeless. Many cannot remember to "print out those codes," much less keep up with them.

"A trusted device." Those are computers in public libraries. The homeless may or may not use the same one every time. Hard to say.

"A friend's phone." So, the homeless are supposed to have friends with phones?

Are you starting to see what I am yet?

[Torchlight]

23. Thank you for providing the additional perspective

It's a really good point that hadn't crossed my mind that I'll now give consideration to.

[LChaney]

35. Thank you

For being one of the few to understand the even fewer to care!

[Thtwudbeme]

37. You are welcome- I am a bit befuddled as to

why this hasn't occurred to many folks?

The digital divide is already the size of the Grand Canyon- now, it's going to remove what little access so many people have.

[dalton99a]

16. Try ProtonMail

https://protonmail.com/

[Raine]

38. A GREAT mail service that gives total privacy, I love them! 👍 nt

[Renew Deal]

21. You should set up the two-step athentication.

It's for your protection.

[LiveToLurk]

24. GMX

Works great.

https://www.gmx.com/

[48656c6c6f20]

25. When I see this

I want to put up a big sign that says:

"Please Hack My Account!" We believe in science, vaccines, math, global warming but not that criminals are hell bent on getting access to your identity?

Here is my advice. Don't get a email that doesn't take your identity protection seriously. My guess, they'll sell your profile to the highest bidder.

If that's not an option disconnect front the digital world completely. If you're not connected you're safe.

[FakeNoose]

28. Are you using the Chrome browser?

Chrome is the Google-created browser and it's one of the most popular these days. So Chrome is also going to 2-step verification, and it could be that G-Mail is going that route because of Chrome. In any case switching to a different email might be a temporary solution. The browser can require 2-step verification even if the email account does not.

That being said, I suggest Yahoo for email. I've been using (free) Yahoo email all these years, since the mid-90's when I left AOL in disgust. Yahoo has gone through many incarnations and it's still around. They want me to switch to 2-step verification, but I haven't done so and I still get my email. I don't know how long this will last but it's good for now. As I said, my Chrome browser is requiring it, but once I'm logged in on the 2-step I can stay in forever because I'm using my own home desktop computer. This may not be the case for you.

Good luck my friend.

[PTWB]

30. If you're not using 2FA on every account of importance, you're making a serious mistake.

Good on Google for making this mandatory.

[grumpyduck]

32. So can we apply for exemptions

for religious reasons, like with the vaccines?

[PTWB]

33. Let's hope not.

I would fire a customer who refused 2FA.

[Demsrule86]

36. You can save your password in gmail so far. You internet provider should have a free email too.