Question about new alias interface

[ellentk]

I created an alias for the first time using the new interface. As it's an alias, I don't want my real name attached to it. But my name appears in the from box when I use it to send a message and I see no way to delete my name from the message before it's sent or from the alias itself. Am I missing something? Thanks.

[gardenweed]

The new Alias menu sets up routes for incoming emails.

For outbound emails, where you can edit or set your "From" address, you need to set up an "Account" (used to be called a Personalities), under the Settings -> Mail ->Accounts menu.

[ellentk]

Got it. Thanks very much.

[rusl]

I find it so confusing how they renamed Personalities to Accounts.

I like to think that I have one Fastmail account which can send from any of my different personalities. Now I have to think that I have one Fastmail account that has several Accounts. I wonder if there is a reason for the change.

I'm also waiting for Sent and Sent Items to get consistentised along with Junk and Spam. They appear interchangeably used between various documentation, interfaces, etc.

[BritTim]

I also regret the renaming of Personalities. I think it was done because other services use the inferior Account, and Fastmail thought it would be clearer for new customers.

[ChinaLamb]

Originally Posted by BritTim

I also regret the renaming of Personalities. I think it was done because other services use the inferior Account, and Fastmail thought it would be clearer for new customers.

I have to admit, this was VERY confusing at first...It's still confusing that my own domain is an "Account" yet I have separate "Aliases" which are listed in another section... I still get confused looking at the names.

[pjwalsh]

'Personalities' is more intuitive than 'Accounts'.

Actual external accounts, from which mail can be fetched, are quite a different animal. But they're lumped in with personalities, now termed "identity" as far as I can tell.

Can't see how to add an identity/personality, without FastMail wanting to sign in to an external account.

[rusl]

I think it would make more sense to have Accounts and Aliases right next to one another in the Settings sidebar since they are so closely related. The sidebar heading would be Email Addresses with two subheadings: Receiving Addresses and Sending Addresses. Perhaps a third subheading for External Accounts where Gmail/Hotmail/POP3 polling could be set up.

[ChinaLamb]

Originally Posted by rusl

I think it would make more sense to have Accounts and Aliases right next to one another in the Settings sidebar since they are so closely related. The sidebar heading would be Email Addresses with two subheadings: Receiving Addresses and Sending Addresses. Perhaps a third subheading for External Accounts where Gmail/Hotmail/POP3 polling could be set up.

+1 Yes. That would be much clearer for me.

[David]

I agree; it sounds like a good idea.

[ellentk]

OP agrees too.

[jhollington]

I also concur with all of that.... After years of using "Personalities" it actually took me a while to figure out where they had gone in the new interface. "Accounts" just isn't nearly as descriptive.

While combining them makes some sense, I think I can see in my own UI why they're separate, as Domains and Aliases live under "Admin" as they can be account-wide for family accounts, while "Accounts" (nee "Personalities") is definitely an individual user-specific thing.

However, I think that's sort of the wrong way of looking at it for most users. In fact, I think it would ultimately make more sense to combine the functionality entirely into a single section called simply "Aliases" which is what many other providers do. I think most users understand "Aliases' to be as much about outgoing mail as incoming. The only problem I suppose might be for custom domain and family/business account situations, where aliases might be used to redirect mail to other places, such that you might not want a "personality" for every alias you configure, but again I think it would be simple enough from a UI point of view to supply a checkbox beside those aliases that are to be used for sending mail, and only those that would be used for receiving (Yes, I realize that creating a new alias automatically creates an "account" to match, but if anything that's more confusing right now, as it's creating something new in an entirely different place in the UI).

[JMac]

I agree strongly that the new Account Limits interface is baffling! First, I was very used to the old "Fastmail Service Plans" grid that delineated all the available plans and their features and limits. Now I find myself chasing all over the settings and help documents - and I'm still unable to find a lot of information. Who the heck dreamt up this new look?!

An example: the old grid had an Aliases block which showed for an Enhanced account:
100 regular (5+ char in length)
3 short (2+ char in length)

Now the help page for Account Limits just shows for Enhanced:
600

So I now have a lot more aliases available (i.e., a lot more than I'll ever need), but I see no rules on how they can be configured.

Progress, I guess...

Thanks!

Jim

[n5bb]

Originally Posted by JMac

...So I now have a lot more aliases available (i.e., a lot more than I'll ever need), but I see no rules on how they can be configured...

This is very interesting. It appears (after some testing) that you can create as many aliases as you wish (up to 600) at any length (of at least 2 characters) with an Enhanced account. For Enhanced I believe the new rules are:

• Fastmail domain alias:
  • Length can be 2-40 characters
  • Must start with a letter (a-z)
  • Remaining characters can be letters (a-z), numerals (0-9), underscore (_), or dot (.)
  • You can't have two or more dots (..) in row and the last character can't be a dot (.)
• Own domain alias:
  • Length can be 1-40 characters
  • Must start with a letter (a-z), numeral (0-9), or underscore (_)
  • Remaining characters can be letters (a-z), numerals (0-9), underscore (_), or dot (.)
  • You can't have two or more dots (..) in row and the last character can't be a dot (.)

So if you own a domain and it's set up at a Fastmail Enhanced or better account, you can use the alias _@yourdomain, a@yourdomain, or 0@yourdomain. You can also use a_@fastmaildomain. And you can create as many as you wish (up to 600).

Bill

[FredOnline]

Originally Posted by n5bb

And you can create as many as you wish (up to 600).

And you can have any color (so long as it's black).