At the beginning of summer, the email program I got with my website was changed from a free program to a paid one. Even worse, the new email changed from a simple format to Outlook. I already have sold most of my online soul to Microsoft (I use Windows 10, and from what I understand, they practically own my computer). I really didn’t want to change emails because I like the idea of my own personal dot com address, but conversely, I didn’t want to get any more involved with Microsoft products, so I planned to phase out my @patbertram.com email address.
As it turned out, it was way too difficult to make all the changes to all the important sites I’ve signed up for using that email address and luckily, the cost for Outlook wasn’t as much as my domain provider threatened, so I caved in.
Perhaps in a year or two, the unimportant sites will fall by the wayside or I’ll have switched them to a different email, leaving only a handful of important sites that need to be changed.
The good thing about keeping my dot com email address is that I don’t have to contend with ads. The not-so-good thing is that it’s more expensive than ad-free Outlook would be and I have way less storage capacity. But I suppose it’s only fair to pay more for getting to keep my “vanity” address and to postpone having to search out all the sites I might have signed up for using that address.
One way or another, sometime or other, that address will become defunct anyway. My website is paid for way in advance (when I signed up, the domain “rent” was so cheap that I signed up for the maximum of ten years; now all I have to do each year is pay for one year’s renewal to keep that advance). I don’t intend to keep renewing, so I will be phasing out my website in ten years. (Unless, of course, I suddenly become such a big name that the price and aggravation of maintaining a website is worth it.) Which means that the email, assuming I keep it that long, will also become phased out.
But for now, I’m maintaining the status quo.
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Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One. “Grief: The Inside Story is perfect and that is not hyperbole! It is exactly what folk who are grieving need to read.” –Leesa Healy, RN, GDAS GDAT, Emotional/Mental Health Therapist & Educator
Bertram's Blog 
August 26, 2021 at 3:16 pm
Pat if I understand better you can configure any address mail with your outlook normal not outlook com (including with Microsoft office from 2007 to 2021) locally and all the correspondence stays in your computer even internet is not working. Please use a office normal instead of paying every month (Microsoft 365) or every year. Buy a license of Microsoft like Microsoft office 2021 once and for all which I started to test to my curiosity with future windows 11.
Please no license for every year. The people bought Microsoft 2007 and 2010 still working without paying anymore.
You don’t have to change your mail address.
@patbertram.com email address.
I use the same address mail with outlook Windows with my PC and iPhone and with iPad and with MacBook. (I have other mail address use only for exceptional reasons)
When you use a system Microsoft there is no harm with outlook. But not outlook.com
You can use any operating system Microsoft Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, macOS, Ubuntu, ChromeOS with the same mail address.
August 26, 2021 at 9:35 pm
I have office 2019. I had a very hard time buying it; they wanted me to get Microsoft 365, which I did not want, but luckily, I finally was able to download Office 2019. I now have two Outlooks, one with Office (I checked — I do have it) and one with my website. Even if I were to combine them, I’d still have to pay for one I get through my website. I won’t be able to get rid of the website one until I find all the places where I used that email address and change them.
August 27, 2021 at 9:05 am
My intention was simply with outlook version office from (office 2007 to 2021) once you have received all your lettres you can have a copy of your mails with joints locally with your computer and it is easy to save and transfer when you buy or change a new computer. Once you have received locally you can consult freely even internet is not working. It is interesting specially for the people continue to work in a condition there is no internet and to prepare to work with the letters and the fichiers joined. But there is always different methods of working if you are well organized.
Another reason if your internet provider had a technical problem or accidentally lose your letters or exceeded your capacity. And other reasons.
In France you can buy office 2019 legally 14€ euros to 299€. It is complicated to explain. Except IT technical interest in software and hardware. I have completely lost interest in other informations after my wife’s departure. But I continue to help limited people around when they need help or assistance.
August 27, 2021 at 11:53 am
I appreciate your help. Thank you!
August 27, 2021 at 3:57 pm
I know that what I have tried not going to help you. I know that I can’t have my lucidity always. Maybe next time I can have a good solution.
August 27, 2021 at 7:43 pm
You did fine. You were lucid enough.