It's no secret, I like to keep my blog-life and my real-life completely separate. Sure, that's mainly because I am an anonymous blogger - but also because it keeps my emails separate and clean. I know that when I check into *this* email account I am looking at emails from bloggers, etc. (ok...and spam, since I also use it for shopping). When I look at *that* email account I know I am looking at email from my real-life people. And the work one? Well, that one is strictly for real-life WORK.
But the lines....they've begun to blur. Through no fault of my own, I might add.
As I've mentioned before, I had three email accounts - key word here...HAD - one for work, one for real-life, one for blogging/shopping. And I was perfectly content. Once I went through the Great Purge of 2011 all was well in my little online world...until it began to crack.
When I went to get my new phone the guy who was setting me up told me he HAD to give me a gmail account so I said, absently, "Sure, whatever." So now I had FOUR email accounts. Still, no big deal, since I never planned on actually using that account.
Fast forward a month or so and I began to have problems between my blog-email and my phone. Verizon was AMAZING in that they actually responded to my grumbling tweets and tried to help; where Yahoo never did. Unfortunately, they couldn't really help as, apparently, it seemed to be a Yahoo problem and since Yahoo was being an ass...
Whatever, it never got fixed. So I switched to gmail (totally separate from the one installed by the phone guy) - and although that seemed to be working fine - I discovered that when someone responded to a comment (because I AM linked to do so - and you should be too!) I left on their blog, I wasn't receiving it, because it went to the old, useless Yahoo account (although, I THINK I have fixed that particular problem - thank you, Vikki, for responding, literally, two seconds ago - which confirmed it for me).
And although, I can't remove the Yahoo account from my phone (don't ask, I still haven't figured that one out) I also don't receive notifications there anymore (again, don't ask) I was able to add the gmail one; so all was right with the world again.
Until yesterday. When I attempted to log into my real-life account (Hotmail/Live/Whatever-they-are-calling-themselves-these-days) and discovered I couldn't. Apparently, they have up and died and are leaving us users flapping in the breeze, as it were (I can only assume, since they AREN'T responding to any tweets either!).
Funny, I AM receiving the emails - via the phone - but NOT via the computer. I'm flummoxed. Since I am in the middle of a side job, I HAD to find a way to send an email - without going through my work email or resorting to tapping it out on the phone. And then I remembered that lone account - sitting there dying from neglect since November. And I used it; after struggling to remember the user name AND the password - thus, thoroughly confusing my client (not to mention myself). I was almost ready to order one of THESE (hmmm, they must think we are stupid, since obviously a regular notebook would work just as well!)
And that is how I have found myself with a total of FIVE email accounts! At this point, I'm seriously considering scrubbing all of them and starting over, because really? Life shouldn't be this complicated....whether it's real-life or blog-life.
And? If you were able to get through this post/rant and understand exactly what I'm complaining about - then I owe you a drink; because now I am more lost than ever...and holy cow, this wasn't what I had planned to blog about AT ALL.
Its hard to keep everything running smoothly. Lets get drunk and forget about the bs.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly the reason I only have one email account for everything and don't use a phone for anything other than talking. I would NOT be able to keep it straight. What I have now confuses me. Heck, all the paperwork with hubby trying to retire is over the top confusing and there's a LOT of it!
ReplyDeleteI have so many email accts, the only way I keep it straight is to have the same password. I know it's not smart but it's just email. The only one that has a different password has financial stuff in it.
ReplyDeleteI have three myself. The only one I really use is the gmail, but I also had to get a Yahoo account in order to join something or other, and now they don't link it to my other accounts unless I pay them, so it's pretty much useless. I also have a .mac account so I can be "in the cloud." Isn't life getting complicated? I am commiserating with you! :-)
ReplyDeleteOnly five? Come on, woman! You can manage ten! I have five as well and go a little crazy. It's not a far trip though.
ReplyDeleteI am terribly confused now. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have three e-mail accounts as well. Real life, facebook, blog: makes one dizzy.
Remember when it was either face to face or via post? I miss those days...
:-) Then again...
Pearl
So there with you.
ReplyDeleteI have my work email, and I have a gmail account that uses my work name, which is my maiden name, which I use for some work purposes.
I have my old grad school email that, unfortunately, I am about to lose. Which, don't get me wrong, it has been more than a decade since I finished grad school but I still use that one for the vast majority of my personal email, and it is a nuisance to lose it. Since I still live in the town centered around the university where I went to grad school, it is nice to have a "local" address.
I have a gmail account in my personal married name. I will probably use that once the grad school account gives up the ghost. But I need to figure out how to save all the messages in the old one, first.
I have a gmail account for my blogging identity.
I have a yahoo account for commercial stuff.
I think there may be a way to link my gmail accounts together so I could be logged into google and use them all at once and not have to log out and back in again? But I am not sure how to do that. Also, and here's a blast from the past and something that will give away my identity to anyone who knows me, I still access my email using Pine, which it turns out to be possible to do via gmail, but not necessarily other systems.
And, haha, now to post this comment I have to log out of my gmail account because your blog wants me to comment as someone and I am logged in as my real (work) identity and not my blogging identity. So out (and back in) I go ...
Oh my word, Vikki's comment just cracked me up. Now I can't leave anything worth you reading because how can I possibly follow that up?! But really- it is all just a scam by Big Brother to make our lives more difficult. Watch and wait. One day everyone will say, "Oh my gosh, Julie was right!"
ReplyDeleteHaha, I am confused now!! I have a bee in my bonnet about passwords... at least 12 characters long including lower case, capitals, a number...then another only 6 characters long etc etc...and ~I end up having to get a new password sent everytime I log onto the same websites, drives me mad and puts me off using the sites ! Grrr x
ReplyDeleteHaha, I am confused now!! I have a bee in my bonnet about passwords... at least 12 characters long including lower case, capitals, a number...then another only 6 characters long etc etc...and ~I end up having to get a new password sent everytime I log onto the same websites, drives me mad and puts me off using the sites ! Grrr x
ReplyDeleteBwhahaha 5 e-mail accounts. Oh honey, There is now no time for sleep! I wish you luck staying anon. That worked for me, you know, until my mother found my blog:)
ReplyDeleteDang! I wouldn't even remember account names to 5 e-mail accounts.
ReplyDeleteHEADACHE! On to the next post I go!
ReplyDelete