How To Set Up A Web Based Email Account
Email is one of the most popular ways to communicate. A web based email account may be for you if you often find yourself at different computers, and need access to email via the internet. Here you can find which web based account will suit your needs
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Step 1:
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Features to look for
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There are many web based e-mail providers on the web, and on the surface they tend to look the same, with an inbox, contacts lists and calendar. However, there are four main features to look for under the surface:
1. Is the website always accessible, or are there times when the service is down?
2. How many emails and files can you store in your account?
3. Does the website have virus scanning for incoming messages and attachments?
4. Are junk emails stopped from reaching your inbox, without real messages being stopped too?
Use review websites such as www.about.email.com to see which providers have a good reputation. The majority of sites provide email for free, so open a few accounts to see which program you like the best. -
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A large amount of storage space does not always equate to a large attachment size limit. A lot of web based email have limits too small for bigger files such as video clips, so try using specialist site www.mailbigfile.com instead. It will store an attachment up to 512mb for you free of charge, and send a link to your recipient's email to pick it up.
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Step 2:
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Using your internet portal's email
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If you regularly use a search engine as your home page, or 'portal' into the internet, using its version of web based email could be the right option for you. Google, with www.googlemail.com, msn with www.hotmail.com and yahoo with www.yahoomail.com are three of the biggest providers of free email on the web. With them, your email can work alongside your existing instant messaging and personalised search pages, creating a convenient, all-in-one package.
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Step 3:
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Advanced options
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Most people only require the basic features of sending and receiving messages, but there are more powerful web based email programs available. Features such as built in RSS readers, extra file storage space, being able to access your messages from different email programs and video and audio email are available if you need them, often for a small fee. Try sites such as www.goowy.com or www.postmaster.co.uk to see what is available outside of the dominant internet portal programs.
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Step 4:
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Choose an email address
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If you have your heart set on a particular email address, be prepared for disappointment, as most of the common names on the big email providers, such as johnsmith@hotmail.com have long gone. Either have alternatives ready, or try one of the smaller providers instead. Think about what you will be using your email account for, as choosing a joke name or nickname may not look very professional if you ever use it for business purposes.
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To avoid losing personal or business emails in a sea of junk email, try setting up an email account just for registering your details at online stores or entering competitions. A lot of junk email is caused by companies selling their lists of email addresses onto others, so keeping personal or business email addresses away from those lists will leave your inbox relatively clutter-free.
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Step 5:
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Registration
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Your email provider will ask you to give them personal information as part of the signing up process. If you are worried about doing this, read the terms and conditions carefully before completing the form, as it will set out official policy about how your data will be used and who will be allowed to access it.
