Sometime last year I think, hotmail transitioned to its "Live" format which was a major advance if you enjoy allowing Bill Gates' minions to access every aspect of your computer. It required a download to tell you instantly when you get mail, to integrate your MSN chat with your email contacts and to periodically upload all your vital information to the mothership. I had it on my work laptop and everything cruised along just fine until I decided to unplug from the MS Matrix. With a few notable exceptions, my beloved MacBook handles living in a PC wold just fine, but it encountered a "glitch" when it comes to logging in to hotmail. Since their entire setup is geared around the "Live" format, if you don't download it and/or have a MicroSoft Mafia incompatible computer, in technical terms, "it jacks up your whole program."
Here's the scenario. My Mac is set to remember my logins so generally when I go to log-in page, it enters this automatically and sets me up at the main site page. With Hotmail, this doesn't work and leads my browser on an endless and circular URL wild-goose chase - never actually going to my account. Thus, here is the necessary process:
1. Select Hotmail from my bookmarks
2. Realize that for the above mentioned reason, this actually takes me to the main MSN site.
3. Click "log out"
4. Click "log in"
5. Enter entire email address and password
6. Upon opening my Hotmail home screen, click on my inbox
7. Notice that I have no new emails
8. Click "log out"
9. Close browser widow
*If I stay inactive for too long, the process must be repeated starting at step #3.
So this brings me to what is becoming a cyber-generational issue that is increasingly common (see Stuff Christians Like for a similar topic). When and how do you change an address of longstanding? When does a "handle" that seemed funny or cute when you were 14 become embarrassing to add to a resume? I don't want to pick on any particular person (mainly because I know she reads this blog sometimes), but can a new college graduate go very far in the world with an email address like: purpinkpoodle@somethingoranother.com. Or, what do perspective employers think of guys whose address obviously contains their high school athletics number? I'd be tempted to tear up the resume on the spot.
What do you guys think? Any of you still have that first address? I know for a fact that Tammi does...anyone else?
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You are quite right! I still have the outigger address because 14 years worth of people have it, but you can bet it isn't the one at the top of my resume! I have interviewed people who were "not hired" before they walked in the door because it shows me a lack of awareness to have a "cute" email on the resume.....there are enough free accounts out there -- make one up that doesn't use a color or an animal in any way ;-)
ReplyDeleteI never switched to the MSN Live thing for exactly those reasons you listed. I am so sorry you have to jump through a circus worth of hoops just to use it over there.
Good rant.
T
I have an account which I access through hotmail.com and Office Live, and I use a MacBook. I have no problems.
ReplyDeleteI suspect it's the internyet.
Also, I get all my athletes' email addresses for mass info distribution, and I can't help but snicker at some of them.
My favorite: AzianPersuazion8@something.com. I couldn't get over the fact that there were 7 of them out there already.
Coach, I wish is was just the Internet but I've always had this problem. I actually went to a Mac forum where they discussed this issue and they were talking about some method by which you could change the internet settings in such a way as to make Safari appear to be Firefox to the MSN servers. Too much effort and possibility for error for me to try that.
ReplyDeleteDo you run Safari when you check Hotmail? Slicky says that he uses Firefox most of the time now but I just don't like it that much.
Wow, I think I'm about three or four addresses in. My absolute favorite--that I let lapse--was amandareckonwith@email. I loved that address. I still have my maiden name one for internet shopping, but my current address is a nice professional one. It can be hard to change--my sister still has her silly one, but uses her work address with professional types.
ReplyDeleteI meant to make a note in the post about the dilemma of changing an address that everyone has and is you log in for a few dozen websites. I would love to change over to gmail but it would take so much effort that I'll just keep doing my 10-step log in.
ReplyDeleteI will also use this forum to officially ask people to use my work address since my Hotmail is essentially a log in ID and a receptacle for junk mail.
Matt -
ReplyDeleteI use only Firefox because it works for my stupid web-based-only work email (also an MS product) and my small business (through MS Live) address. I think I've only started up Safari a few times. Maybe I don't even know what I'm missing.
Amandareckonwith
ReplyDeleteAwesome. My name is only funny with Michael, Michael, Motorcycle.
Maybe that's not taken yet:
michaelmichaelmotorcycle@yahoo.com
Hmm...last time this happened with Safari (in my basement) all you had to do was reset Safari to get it to work with Hotmail. Maybe that's too much effort.
ReplyDeleteGreat post about MS nazis...the "Matrix", etc. That's why they get sued all the time. I still have the original address since the beginning of time (aaronds6 at yahoo.com)...because it's boring and because I use it for fantasy leagues (no email). Hey, what do you think about my new handle: hairlessnorwegian@hotmale.com?
I still have my first ever email (bublhead@hotmail.com) address, but I have long had a business with simply my initials and last name also at hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteI mostly use Microsoft Outlook for my email accounts so I rarely have to deal with the issues surrounding Hotmail Live.