Favorite free email services ?

[K Frame]

OK, go I guess what we're really getting at, then, is that Outlook and the rest of Gateland applications are the securest applications on the face of the earth, they're just "misunderstood"?

"Try sitting in a technical meeting with a few non-technical managers and find out what end users think of security."

Hello, been there, done that, both with Navy Federal and with SAIC. I know I've never really gone in to depth about what I do for a living, but I thought I had at least covered that part of my background with you. I'm by no stretch of the imagination a computer geek. I'm just the person you clowns call when you want your gobblese turned into something intelligible that the average human being can understand.


I also categorically disagree that Ma and Pa don't care about security. They both care about and want security, but security that is ACTUAL security, not the smoke and mirrors wracked full of holes BS that Bill Gates has been selling for years.

[jefnvk]

OK, go I guess what we're really getting at, then, is that Outlook and the rest of Gateland applications are the securest applications on the face of the earth, they're just "misunderstood"?

Nope, just that the open source isn't as secure as everyone makes it to be.  Somehow along the popularity gain of open source, 'potentially more secure' evolved into 'no security problems'.

http://www.cert.org/  Poke around there.  Just on the front page of threats, I see MS, Apple, Firefox, UNIX and Cisco all listed with recent vulnerabilities.

[mtnbkr]

OK, go I guess what we're really getting at, then, is that Outlook and the rest of Gateland applications are the securest applications on the face of the earth, they're just "misunderstood"?

No, just misconfigured.  Just because a product is insecure out of the box doesn't make it insecure forever.  That's good though, it keeps me employed.

Chris

[K Frame]

"No, just misconfigured.  Just because a product is insecure out of the box doesn't make it insecure forever.  That's good though, it keeps me employed."

Hence my point that Microsoft has ignored potential security problems for years.

[roo_ster]

Yep, the number of eyes that actually gawk at source code is smaller than some would have us beleive.  It is the old 80/20 rule: 80% of the development is done by 20% of hte personnel.  That said...

I'll take the risk that some character inserted malicious code into an open source app.  We already take that risk with all the proprietary code developed for MS in India & other points east.  Difference is, we have absolutely no chance to catch the backdoor inserted into MS code by an Indian coder & manager paid the equivalent of 10 years' salary by the Chicoms.  We have a chance to catch such a bit of code in an open source app.  Don't think such a snippet of code could get by honest MS code auditors?  Three words: "Excel Flight Simulator."

[roo_ster]

Also:

Firefox & T-Bird have so many user-empowering extensions, I have much more control of my web experience.  And I don't have to wade through menus to do it.

[Marnoot]

Firefox & T-Bird have so many user-empowering extensions, I have much more control of my web experience.  And I don't have to wade through menus to do it.

That right there is why I use Firefox and Thunderbird over IE and Outlook. At the moment, you are slightly less likely to be compromised on the internet when using Thunderbird/Firefox, but that's simply because it hasn't been targeted nearly as heavily. Vulnerabilities certainly exist. But security isn't the reason I use open-source where possible; there are two main reasons: Configurability (extensions/plug-ins in Firefox and Thunderbird; more features constantly added, no need to wait 4 years for the next version to get new features), and Cost (Microsoft Office is expensive. I use Open Office 2. For most of what most people use Office for, Open Office works great. I'll grant that there are advanced features that OO lacks, and in such cases I'll use MS Office.)
I'm not an open-source geek,  my usage of open source is limited to Firefox, T-Bird, Open Office, and various misc. little utilities and codecs. I assume by open-source geek, mtnbkr, you're referring to those with the [pothead voice]"Dude! You can't like, own source code!!"[/pothead voice]-type attitudes. Open-source for me is just an alternative. Sometimes what's available in the open-source world is worse than commercial applications, sometimes better, and sometimes comparable.

[mtnbkr]

Hence my point that Microsoft has ignored potential security problems for years.

Maybe I wasn't clear...

Every system needs to be secured.  The features necessary for security are there, they aren't configured because doing so without knowing the context makes the user's life painful.  Users buy other systems when the one they chose first is too difficult to use.

I assume by open-source geek, mtnbkr, you're referring to those with the [pothead voice]"Dude! You can't like, own source code!!"[/pothead voice]-type attitudes.

Yes.

FWIW, I use a mix of open and closed source software.  What's more important than what you use is knowing how to use it and when.  

Chris

[jefnvk]

Hence my point that Microsoft has ignored potential security problems for years.

Or, as mentioned earlier, they configure functionality right out of the box.  If people have to wade through settings to get their email to work right because MS had every port shut off, they aren't going to like it.

[InfidelSerf]

I'll second gmail

I have a 100 invites if any one wants one

[Guest]

My ISP provides up to Seven Email accounts.  I have dial up thru Outdoors Unlimited. Travel + Laptop + phone line and I am good to go from anywhere. So I do use the web based thru my ISP.

Thunderbird - email client of choice

Hushmail is another free Web based one I use, encrypted. www.hushmail.com.


Now as an CIS/IT student, and I admit I am NOT where many of you are.

I am requred to use IE for some class material. I most often do this thru the College's IT Lab/ or IT Bldg.

When I had to have a free web based email client, ( required to find two and use for Internet Technologies) - I used  hushmail and Lycos.

"Done seen" too many folks having trouble wth MSN, Yahoo, OE and all sorts of nasties. In fact , some folks will not accept these for a email addy for some class related matters.

Lycos? Who in the hell is gonna target Lycos?  I guess I still have an account from that semester, never rec'd any spam or bunch of other stuff either from them. The MSN and Yahoo folks sure did.

I did let the husmail expire from that semester, I have another account now...

I have one instuctor that finally tried Firefox and Thunderbird...took notice of  my Screen Shots - different from everyone elses..."what is that ...a 'fox'
?
My email he noticed too, we send in assignments via email to him instead of WebCT or Moodle...
For fun I sent him a Screen shot of T-Bird. "what is that supposed to be?"

"You do realize we [College] are sponsored by MicroSoft, Cisco, HP...?

I replied " we may be, don't mean I gotta use it except when required...and I did not personally receive any money".

I am not only the eldest student in his class, I am also the official 'Non-Conformist' of ALL the classes he teaches.

'Non-Conformist" is good for extra bonus points - right?  

[jefnvk]

In fact , some folks will not accept these for a email addy for some class related matters.

My teachers usually only like mail from our school account.

[Silver Bullet]

Phyphor and dasmi:  Thanks for your offer of invites, although Im not sure what that means in this context.

I went another direction, but I appreciate your making the offers.

[Vodka7]

When Gmail was still in beta, you had to get a friend who already had an account to invite you with a special code so you could get an account.

Now that it's open to the public, no one needs invites anymore.