Would you please explain the advantages and disadvantages for email of buying one's own domain? Chris Wilson
When you sign up with an internet service provider (ISP), the account usually includes email. This is fine, but you may not get much choice of email address, and the address will probably include the ISP's name: j.bloggs@wobblyserve, for example. After a few years, all your contacts will have your address, and now you have a problem. If you want to change your ISP, you have to get everybody to update their address books, and that's inconvenient all round.
The solution is to buy your own domain name. This will probably come with a mail forwarding service, and may include a mailbox, probably at extra cost. You can choose your own domain name, within the limits of what is still available. This lets you use, say, chris-wilson.me.uk. as your email address, and tell the company hosting your domain to forward all your email to whichever mailbox you like: it could be your ISP's mail server or another service, free or paid for. Now if you change your ISP, you can keep the same email address. All you have to do is log on to your domain host and paste in the address of your new mailbox.
Having your own domain lets you create as many email addresses as you like, by putting different things before the @ sign. This means you can use different ones for friends, business contacts, newsletters or whatever. All the mail will still be forwarded to the same mailbox, but you can filter it as it arrives.
It's a good idea to use a standard POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3) mailbox. This lets you use a wide range of mail software - Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Eudora etc. It will also let you set your chosen address, chris-wilson.me.uk, as the Reply To address.
The disadvantages are the cost of a name, and remembering to renew it. Just make sure the domain is listed in your name, and you are the administrative contact, so you really own the name. This avoids problems if a domain name reseller tries to hold a domain name hostage, or goes bust. There is a list of accredited registrars at www.icann.org/registrars/accredited-list.html. Resellers and agents can be cheaper, but remember, the lowest price isn't necessarily the best value.
