CHANGING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

Today I changed my ISP (Internet Service Provider). Most of you will understand that means a great deal of time will be spent doing all the work that goes along with such a change. Men find what I say less familiar a process they didn't have to change their name when they got married, but those of us who did recall the many hours spent in notifying Social Security, School Alumni Offices, Professional Organizations and all those many places where our names are listed to identify us. Today the task spreads out to having to contact all those people who notify you about everything in the most convenient way, through email. Changing my ISP did not really necessitate all this work had I not had a preference for a non-Web-based email program. The first step is notifying everyone in my address book. I presume, since there are so many, that some will not get the message because their mail programs will think the large number of recipients represents 'spam'. Those sent back as undeliverable will have to have their refusal message checked and any that indicate anything other than clear evidence the person has shut down their mail, they will need to be sent individually to avoid the spam checker.

From past experience, the process will go on and on because someone, someplace or something inevitably gets forgotten. When that process is finally settled, some new time consuming project will find its way to me.



There is no doubt in my mind that I will miss some important ones and, since my old provider will not forward my mail to the new one for a day, I will have to wait to see if I have a hint of some I might have forgotten. I have remembered all the bills I pay on line, some subscriptions, and will even get around to letting my primary care physician know how she could reach me (in the unlikely event that she might wish to send me results to a test for which I have been waiting a few months now. Though I haven't received the results, the bill for the service had no difficulty finding me.

This process, aside from its being an exercise in frustration, really points out good and not-so-good web site creators.