Step One – Getting Ready for the Move

First thing I did was move all my Yahoo! Mail message from my folder into my inbox. I deleted a lot of old crap I really didn’t need anymore. I’m not that much of a pack rat when it comes to e-mail so this might be easier for some than others.

Step Two – Setting Up Additional Accounts

Second thing I did was setup all my e-mail addresses up in Gmail so that I could start the switch. This could not be easier. I also set my old Yahoo address up to go there as well – so I wouldn’t miss out on a thing.

Step Three – Configure Gmail’s Settings

Third, I went through and configured the Gmail settings and imported my e-mail from Yahoo! to Gmail. This was easy enough, because it picked up on everything that was in my inbox at Yahoo! and brought it right in.

Step Four – Get Things Labeled, Forget the Folders

From there I setup my labels and got e-mails archived. That’s it! Now things are going smoothly and the one thing I have been most impressed by is the spam filtering that Gmail does. It might take a little training but in a whole it is leaps and bounds over what Yahoo! Mail provides.

Well I guess it finally happened sometime last night. The nice sleek and clean interface of Yahoo! Mail became ad-tastic. As an AT&T DSL customer I was getting the “plus” E-mail pack with my Web mail from Yahoo. I have been over this story before though.

I don’t mind ads on Web sites that are more “general” – that isn’t what bugs me. I just don’t like ads in my applications – such as Web mail, feed readers, ect.

Here is some feedback from others who don’t like being in the same boat:

I am on the phone with Yahoo At&T right now and they maintain that this is a part of their world class service. They are actually telling me that over the phone! It does get better, they are trying to give me a case ID that….you guessed it….they cannot send via email! I am a mail plus customer as well, no way I am sticking around and paying for something like this. Off to Google and GMail.

I’m a paid AT&T/Yahoo Mail, and first the very fist time I’ve found it being “decorated” and “laced” with all sorts of ads. I suppose I’d just have live with them now.

The ads hit my inbox tonight. Unacceptably obtrusive and annoying. I cannot believe paying DSL customers are being treated this way. No way I’m gonna send AT&T/Yahoo more money for an ad-free “plus” account. That is part of what I’ve been paying for the past several years. Time to change my homepage to Google and set-up a G-mail account.

So looks like I have two options that I’d consider going with. Go out and find a Greasemonkey script to take ‘em out or go give my money to Google for their apps service. I’m starting to lean towards the Gmail option – just got to find the time to give Yahoo a swift kick in the rear and a wave goodbye.

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