Best Web Based Email - Yahoo wants a cell phone number

[MrHippie]

I've used yahoo for a long time- but now they are asking for cell phone number in a friendly, threatening way so I won't be locked out of my account- darn nice of them to be so concerned.

Hey CoastGab, what are your suggestions for a solid, reliable, web based email account.

Peace,
Mr H 

[McPhallus]

Gmail?

[MrHippie]

Thanks McPhallus but anything Google will be just as intrusive.
My mistake, I should have been clearer in my post.
Just a clean no strings attached email account.
Looking for something that an old Hippie  like me might not be aware of.
Something that the young people might be using along with their long hair and loud music.

[MV/Liberace!]

Thanks McPhallus but anything Google will be just as intrusive.

i guess that's just a difference of philosophy between you and me. i've been using gmail for years and would absolutely never use anything else.  i've also convinced countless clients to make the switch.

Looking for something that an old Hippie  like me might not be aware of.
Something that the young people might be using along with their long hair and loud music.

well, that would be gmail.

[Morgus]

Google's gmail and other web-based emails all do that nowadays.
They want a cell number to use for a text message for a way for you to get your password if you forget it.

[Sardondi]

Ignore 'em....unless you want that cell phone to get three or four ads per day from Yahoo and Yahoo's buddies.

[DangerousBlossom]

hushmail.com and zoho.com offer free web-based e-mail accounts that work just fine.  Okay, I have to go to sleep now.  Early to bed early to rise sucks -- especially early to rise.

[onan]

I prefer gmail. I also place an automatic footer with the terms bomb, death to america, allah, and child porn in about 30% of my emails. Just to keep homeland security "on their toes".

[BobGrau]

I've got yahoo and gmail - gmail has been asking for my number for months now, but I'm playing hard to get.
If yahoo won't take no for an answer, well... fuk em. No more ad revenue from me.

[McPhallus]

Google's gmail and other web-based emails all do that nowadays.
They want a cell number to use for a text message for a way for you to get your password if you forget it.

Can't you just enter a bullshit number, or do they verify?

[Mind Flayer Monk]

Cant you just enter their own phone number as the number?

[Morgus]

Can't you just enter a bullshit number, or do they verify?

wouldn't be a good idea, since they can send your password via text message to that number, since the purpose of entering a cell number is for password recovery.
someone else could get your password.

[MV/Liberace!]

i say sign up for a google voice account, and try entering that phone number as the number.  it will defeat the purpose, though, if you get the phone number on the same account you're using gmail on.


all of that aside, i say just give them the number, already.  most of us aren't interesting enough to give a shit who has our number.

[BobGrau]

I've signed out and in on my yahoo account a few times recently and they're still not asking for my number. What have you got that I don't, mrhippie?

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

By another (shitty and cheap)phone direct from manufacturer, get a pre-paid or pay-as-you-go plan, and just use that phone for "password" purposes.

[Sardondi]

I've signed out and in on my yahoo account a few times recently and they're still not asking for my number. What have you got that I don't, mrhippie?

I think they've started doing this when signing up for a new account account. But I've also had them continue to ask me to provide it occasionally when I sign in. They even make the cell-phone-number-request page a little difficult to get out of, in hopes you'll give up in frustration and give them the damn number just to get to your mail. This is why people begin to hate large corporations. And the people running things at Yahoo email and trying to "maximize monetization" see the cell phone number pressure scam as a no lose for them - as if customer good will means nothing. I would hate them for their idiocy if for nothing else. 

[MV/Liberace!]

I think they've started doing this when signing up for a new account account.

is that like an account you have to have in order to get an account?

[WOTR]

Thanks McPhallus but anything Google will be just as intrusive.
My mistake, I should have been clearer in my post.
Just a clean no strings attached email account.
Looking for something that an old Hippie  like me might not be aware of.
Something that the young people might be using along with their long hair and loud music.

I still have an operamail account.  Do not use it too often, and it is not quite as sleek as some others- but they have never asked me for a cell number...

[DAE]

Didn't mean to bump this thread.  I like mail.com.  Webmail interface is clean (only one ad on it) and 200 domain names to choose from. 

URL: http://www.mail.com/mail/

E-mail domains available: http://www.mail.com/email/#.348236-stage-domainchooser1-21

[kf5iwe]

I just gave them a friends number. Now he gets the adds and I still get my e mail

[Sardondi]

I just gave them a friends number. Now he gets the adds and I still get my e mail

Don't they pass activation codes, etc. to the cell # as is routinely done with email addresses?

[kf5iwe]

I have been on yahoo since 1998. No problems getting my email

[McPhallus]

Don't they pass activation codes, etc. to the cell # as is routinely done with email addresses?

Usually you can specify an alternate e-mail address to pass along activation codes (if you forget your password or have to reset due to a security lockdown, etc.)

[Falkie2013]

Usually you can specify an alternate e-mail address to pass along activation codes (if you forget your password or have to reset due to a security lockdown, etc.)

When you try to verify yourself on You Tube to post videos in a channel and invite friends, google wants a damned cell phone.


I am one of the 9 % who doesn't own a cell phone. I intend to get one by the end of the year. I don't know anyone who owns one.


Really pisses me off that they can't verify me by sending an inbox to my gmail account.


But then, google already pissed me off by deleting my blog and gmail account because I had changed my password and couldn't remember it and if you call their worldwide hq, they won't give you any help over the phone.

[MrHippie]

Yup - I have a Hushmail account now - thanks DangerousBlossom

[slipstream]

I am hoping that PGP (GPG) e-mail encryption starts to catch on.  In the past it has been a hassle, but now there are tools to help secure emails.  Here is one such service:


http://www.mailvelope.com/