Want GMail? Pls give us your mobile number...

[tsec]

... forever.

IMHO, this is a step too far.

Have a look : http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/29/gmail_mobile/

[the Tester]

That must be a fairly new development.
I signed up within the last month and I don't recall seeing that.

I agree, it's a bit too much.

[dw426]

Oh hell no they did not just do that. I can confirm it to be true, I just tried. What in gods name are they thinking? My current account will be nothing more than my spam collector, and I may not even use it for that. It looks like Yahoo may be getting my business again, and Google, well, they'll get no business from anyone who will bother to listen to me.

[funkydude]

I've been using Hotmail for years and years, is that bad? I remember reading about GMail before it even launched, how they would keep your deleted emails for a few years. I never went near it.

[dw426]

{QUOTE-> I've been using Hotmail for years and years, is that bad? I remember reading about GMail before it even launched, how they would keep your deleted emails for a few years. I never went near it. <-QUOTE}

I trust them more with my deleted emails than I do my phone number (I don't use Gmail for sensitive things). I get enough spam calls as it is without letting Google give my number to its army of advertisers....and they WILL do it, what else are they going to do with it? This is just another disguised way to sell/give more data for advertising purposes. Funny how this shows up the day after Yahoo and Microsoft announce their search deal, is it not?

[caspian]

I was using gmail for message board accounts. I opened a new account for every message board...until the other day when they wanted my cell phone number.

I guess a way around that would be to get a cheap prepaid phone.

[the Tester]

They didn't ask me for a mobile phone number when I opened my gmail account a month ago. I wouldn't give them one at any rate.

[xMarkx]

{QUOTE->
I guess a way around that would be to get a cheap prepaid phone. <-QUOTE}
Why would you go to that trouble and cost just to be able to use G-mail when you could make a Hotmail, Yahoo, or ISP provided e-mail account for no cost and with no trouble. I think that asking for your cell phone number is asking a bit too much. I wouldn't do it. A lot of people already have apprehensive feelings about how Google doesn't make privacy as big of a concern as they should, so why potentially make people even more apprehensive?

I use Hotmail but Google has always been my homepage and first choice of a search engine.

[ASpace]

Oh , come on . They are all the same .

One must accept Google has the best anti-SPAM filter out there - almost no mistakes when clasifying emails .

But they are all the same . Microsoft (a.k.a. Hotmail/Live mail) might not ask for your your cell phone number but they also have bad practises .

I just closed my Google account (don't ask the reasons - not because of this article) and I no longer use their services (except from the Google search engine , of course :) ) and from a few days we all at the office have Live mail accounts (@windowslive.com) . They have limitations for their users (mails sent per day) . At the moment I personally can't send emails because of the fact "I have sent too many today" . I must wait 24 hours . Well , I use email quite a lot and this has completely crashed me when I saw it . Some time needs to past since I have a "better reputation" (not the one of a new user) and send more emails per day . But still not unlimited . I wish I knew that earlier . God !

[caspian]

Viewing pictures in Gmail is cool. Yahoo SUCKS! for this. And I am pretty sure that you cab send a 20 MB attachment in gmail. But I will take a look at Hotmail.

[ASpace]

Up to 10 Mb in Hotmail/Live mail account

[tsec]

GMX has an attachment size limit of 50MB

Storage is 5GB

That's where I am heading.

[Ade 1]

Why can't you just put in a false number?

[tsec]

{QUOTE-> Why can't you just put in a false number? <-QUOTE}

Because the sign up process involves you doing something with a verification SMS that Google sends.

[Osaban]

Last time I remember seeing them, it was about 7 years ago, I don't know whether they still exist, but they were called telephone books: a long list of names and telephone numbers accessible to anybody. IMO, not a big deal.

[caspian]

{QUOTE-> GMX has an attachment size limit of 50MB

Storage is 5GB

That's where I am heading. <-QUOTE}

50MB? No way! I have to see this. Thanks for the tip.

[dw426]

{QUOTE-> 50MB? No way! I have to see this. Thanks for the tip. <-QUOTE}

I'd be looking at their privacy policy first before falling in love: http://www.gmx.com/privacy.html;jsessionid=78B703D94DC96351DBD63B4BB55CED57.www-us015. Granted it isn't exactly "insidious". I'll stick to Yahoo/Hotmail for now.

[Saraceno]

The article does state:
"Your number will also be associated with your account to avoid unnecessary future verifications for other Google services", though Google does clarify: "your number will never be sold or shared for marketing purposes without your permission, nor will we contact you using this number without your express permission".

The problem I still find with hotmail etc is the amount of advertising you receive. Used gmail for years now and haven't received one piece of spam.

Been using www.gmx.com for the past few months and it's quite good. Especially the preview screen when viewing each email, and no scrolling from page to page, you can scroll through your entire inbox.

Has a mail collector feature, and I've used it on one hotmail address (where no private info exists), and any emails sent to hotmail are sent to my gmx.com address. I can also choose to reply to these emails with my standard gmx.com address or the same hotmail username, with the gmx.com domain.

For example:
stevesmith@gmx.com

Collect:
dickbag@hotmail.com

Emails sent to hotmail.com will be received at gmx.com. You can reply with either:
stevesmith@gmx.com
dickbag@gmx.com

[Saraceno]

Regarding trusting www.gmx.com, I've had an email setup at www.gmx.net for more than 10 years now.

It's all in german (although I'm not german, and can't speak it, I know my way around the email). The reason I signed up many years ago, was the difference in storage. They offered a gig at the same time hotmail was offering something like 200MB. Took hotmail and yahoo etc years to catch up to gmx.net (they still have the free email but offer a pro email account for business users etc).

And gmx.net's spam feature is excellent. So I've trusted www.gmx.net for 10+ years, I don't see any reason not to trust www.gmx.com :)

[Boost]

I've used Gmail for years now,but this http://www.gmx.com/ looks interesting,might give it a try :thumb:

[the Tester]

{QUOTE-> I've used Gmail for years now,but this http://www.gmx.com/ looks interesting,might give it a try :thumb: <-QUOTE}


I took a look at the gmx site.
What's this?
"And we never display advertising next to your e-mails. Never."
Is that true?

That in itself would be a good incentive for me to switch.;)

[LockBox]

You don't have to give it to them. It's merely an option. They are obviously preparing a big rollout of Google Voice and they want your mobile number. There are millions of people without cell phones, Gmail doesn't turn them away because they can't confirm a text message on a cell phone. I take the Register with a grain of salt and always check it myself. They can be a bit sensational.

[Fly]

{QUOTE-> I'd be looking at their privacy policy first before falling in love: http://www.gmx.com/privacy.html;jsessionid=78B703D94DC96351DBD63B4BB55CED57.www-us015. Granted it isn't exactly "insidious". I'll stick to Yahoo/Hotmail for now. <-QUOTE}

Something you might want to consider. I certainly would if I were to apply for that service.

I just clicked on the link above.
And a few seconds or minutes later a GMX spam/phishing (??) email arrived in the inbox of my email account (ISP).

That can't be a coincidence !
But I'm not sure what to think of that.

[dw426]

{QUOTE-> Something you might want to consider. I certainly would if I were to apply for that service.

I just clicked on the link above.
And a few seconds or minutes later a GMX spam/phishing (??) email arrived in the inbox of my email account (ISP).

That can't be a coincidence !
But I'm not sure what to think of that. <-QUOTE}

Luckily I can't confirm that because after reading your post I checked my own account and nothing was there. You may want to run an AV/AS scan in case something was already on your system...or, maybe GMX truly IS insidious. I can't say either way yet as I have no proof of my own. But what happened to you is awful suspicious.

[dw426]

{QUOTE-> You don't have to give it to them. It's merely an option. They are obviously preparing a big rollout of Google Voice and they want your mobile number. There are millions of people without cell phones, Gmail doesn't turn them away because they can't confirm a text message on a cell phone. I take the Register with a grain of salt and always check it myself. They can be a bit sensational. <-QUOTE}

Confirmed, they no longer require your mobile to set up an account. I'm going to keep my eye on this, I've heard no change in policy from any news, blogs, anywhere.

[Hiker]

Has anyone considered giving them a phoney phone number?

[jesusjesus]

{QUOTE-> Has anyone considered giving them a phoney phone number? <-QUOTE}

No. It's a verification system. like a website asking for your e-mail when signing up then sending you a link to click. With sms verification they send you a password instead. Without the password you can't open the account.

But from what has been said here, google have backed down.

[tsec]

{QUOTE-> No. It's a verification system. like a website asking for your e-mail when signing up then sending you a link to click. With sms verification they send you a password instead. Without the password you can't open the account.

But from what has been said here, google have backed down. <-QUOTE}

Odd that some say that they havent been asked for a phone number - the article comments at The Register contained a number of examples of guys having to provide phone numbers when setting up a new account.

Perhaps at this time its region-specific and is being gradually applied across countries as time goes on.

{QUOTE-> I just decided to set up a new account for shits to see if this was for real and it is. I'm over here in the states and I'm guessing that it may not be worldwide yet. Or something to do with the EU privacy laws why you may not have it there yet. <-QUOTE}

And... Here (http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=594d1f76a0491649&hl=en)

[dw426]

{QUOTE-> Odd that some say that they havent been asked for a phone number - the article comments at The Register contained a number of examples of guys having to provide phone numbers when setting up a new account.

Perhaps at this time its region-specific and is being gradually applied across countries as time goes on.



And... Here (http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=594d1f76a0491649&hl=en) <-QUOTE}

I was asked for a number when this first came to light (see my previous post early in the thread), but indeed it is no longer required (I am in the States).

[tsec]

{QUOTE-> I was asked for a number when this first came to light (see my previous post early in the thread), but indeed it is no longer required (I am in the States). <-QUOTE}

Aha. Thanks for the update.

Just out of interest does anyone have a link to an announcement from the G where they state that this requirement has been done away with. Not that I doubt dw426, I'd just like to see what they had to say on the matter.

[dw426]

{QUOTE-> Aha. Thanks for the update.

Just out of interest does anyone have a link to an announcement from the G where they state that this requirement has been done away with. Not that I doubt dw426, I'd just like to see what they had to say on the matter. <-QUOTE}

I've been trying to find the same thing because up until I was informed here in the forum, I thought it still stood. I've not seen one shred of writing stating it's changed. But, I shall keep looking :)

[caspian]

{QUOTE-> Confirmed, they no longer require your mobile to set up an account. I'm going to keep my eye on this, I've heard no change in policy from any news, blogs, anywhere. <-QUOTE}

But they were in fact demanding it for a while. When I tried.....and I tried twice just to make sure......they would not let me set it up. They said that if I did not have a mobile phone then I could use a friend's phone that allowed text. That was the only way. But I am glad that they no longer require it.

[caspian]

{QUOTE-> (I am in the States). <-QUOTE}

And I am the walrus....goo goo ga joop!8)

Sorry. Something just came over me.:P

[tlu]

{QUOTE-> .or, maybe GMX truly IS insidious. I can't say either way yet as I have no proof of my own. But what happened to you is awful suspicious. <-QUOTE}

I don't know what happened to Fly. But I've been using GMX since 1997, and I can assure you that they are trustworthy. They are the biggest or one of the biggest German email providers. I doubt that gmx.com handles things different than gmx.net.

[Creer]

Nice thread. Few months ago I asked about it in Wilders poll:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=244872
As you can see many people still trust Google Inc.

[tsec]

{QUOTE-> Nice thread. Few months ago I asked about it in Wilders poll:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=244872
As you can see many people still trust Google Inc. <-QUOTE}


I have now pretty well retired my gmail accounts and have moved them over to gmx.

So far so good.

[Creer]

{QUOTE-> I have now pretty well retired my gmail accounts and have moved them over to gmx.

So far so good. <-QUOTE}
Do you mean gmx.com or gmx.net?
I ask because on gmx.com I am unable to create account (popup error) with blank space ???

[tsec]

{QUOTE-> Do you mean gmx.com or gmx.net?
I ask because on gmx.com I am unable to create account (popup error) with blank space ??? <-QUOTE}


gmx.com works fine for me - I have had no issues with it at all. You sure you dont have anything giving the page grief, like NoScript?

Have just seen gmx.net - shopping, entertainment, games etc... ewwww :/

[tsec]

BTW, I just had a look at setting up a fresh account at gmx.com and seems fine.

[Creer]

Thanks tsec for your reply.
I get the same error as mentioned on this site:
http://www.freedomlist.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=188328
Thats odd...