What was your first email system?

snsh · 7 Aug 2004, 05:03 AM

Where did you cut your teeth on email? What do you use as reference point?

edit: oh! I left of a generic POP account, and Compuserve

hadaso · 7 Aug 2004, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by snsh
edit: oh! I left of a generic POP account, and Compuserve

You also lesft out "IBM mainframe". On the other hand, you haven't left out anything, since you included "other".

I "voted" UNIX based, since that was the first real email system I really used. I vaguely remember having email on an IBM mainframe (370/165) in the early 80's,but that was only theory to me. I had no one to write to. I just enjoyed looking at the list of hosts one could send to (that was not more than a few pages long. I did exchange messages with friends on the same computer, but I don't think that system was really email.

mike1977 · 7 Aug 2004, 08:22 AM

Prodigy, which was later called Prodigy Classic because Prodigy Internet came out.

IsaacH · 7 Aug 2004, 08:52 AM

Compuserve. Since the poster forgot to put it as a poll option, I voted other.

**Sherry** · 7 Aug 2004, 09:06 AM

I think it was Prodigy (pre internet) where they gave you a long letter/number address. It came on a floppy disk when I upgraded my modem to a 1200 baud. Then again, it may have been through a BBS where you could download software. That was back in the days where you used a gopher, like Archie or Veronica, to get to the outside world. (I think that's what they were called IIRC?) That might have been before Prodigy came out when I think I was still using a 300 baud modem?

Sherry

SusanUKF · 7 Aug 2004, 09:22 AM

I voted other as my first email was my ISP provider email. My second one was my msn/hotmail account and my third one was my yahoo. I think my fourth account was one of my fastmail member accounts.

Susan.

FMRocks · 7 Aug 2004, 09:24 AM

This might be the only poll here that hotmail has a chance to come out on top of.

Camille · 7 Aug 2004, 09:43 AM

I chose other.
My first personal email was with geocities. I signed up for their free webpages and I got an email with it.

**psalzer** · 7 Aug 2004, 09:44 AM

Other, as it was an ISP account. I moved to Hotmail as soon as it opened because at that time, my ISP e-mail sometimes took longer to arrive than snailmail. Then I went back to ISP mail when I got a better ISP. Over time I got to prefer web based access, though, because of wanting to be able to get my mail from other computers, including other people's computers, so even IMAP wouldn't work as well as web based. Tried tons of web based solutions. Stuck with Fastmail so far.

**Gankaku** · 7 Aug 2004, 09:49 AM

I believe I was with my ISP first. Then the first web-based account I had was an Excite one, I think.

aznprodigy · 7 Aug 2004, 09:59 AM

Mine was AOL, yuCK!!! That was around 6-7 years ago. I had AOL and it was a nightmare in hell.

Empath · 7 Aug 2004, 10:36 AM

It's not on the list, but my first was Telex, in addition to several BBS mail systems.

nicar · 7 Aug 2004, 12:20 PM

I started emailing people using a webtv (now msntv) account. It was good for me since I didn't know much about computer. Very simple to use. Soon, I had enuff basics to movt unto computers.

Jack · 7 Aug 2004, 12:30 PM

My first e-mail account was with an Internet-connected dial-up BBS back in 1994 that eventually became an ISP a few years later.

David · 7 Aug 2004, 03:09 PM

I had a DEC Micro (PDP 11/23) on my desk at work (in 1981) It had a 10 MB hard drive and a 300 baud modem. I did send a text file to another operator (all the buildings were hooked together on leased phone lines) This was a network that controlled the ventilation systems on a number of what were then known as high tech buildings Dare I call my text message (to another operator) an email

If I remember correctly, a guy called Bill Gates was using a similar machine, and started to write a program that eventually became known as MSDOS. edit... deleted repeat word

View Poll Results: on what system did you learn email?
AOL	9	13.64%
Hotmail	12	18.18%
Yahoo	9	13.64%
a text-based UNIX system	11	16.67%
a Lotus/Novell/Microsoft corporate system	0	0%
a DEC mainframe	1	1.52%
a dialup BBS	3	4.55%
ARPAnet	0	0%
i actually invented email	2	3.03%
other	19	28.79%
Voters: 66. You may not vote on this poll

7 Aug 2004, 05:03 AM	#1
snsh Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Boston Posts: 611	What was your first email system? Where did you cut your teeth on email? What do you use as reference point? edit: oh! I left of a generic POP account, and Compuserve

7 Aug 2004, 03:09 PM	#15
David Ultimate Contributor Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Canada. Posts: 10,355	I had a DEC Micro (PDP 11/23) on my desk at work (in 1981) It had a 10 MB hard drive and a 300 baud modem. I did send a text file to another operator (all the buildings were hooked together on leased phone lines) This was a network that controlled the ventilation systems on a number of what were then known as high tech buildings Dare I call my text message (to another operator) an email If I remember correctly, a guy called Bill Gates was using a similar machine, and started to write a program that eventually became known as MSDOS. edit... deleted repeat word Last edited by David : 7 Aug 2004 at 03:17 PM.

7 Aug 2004, 08:22 AM	#3
mike1977 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Auburn Posts: 152	Prodigy, which was later called Prodigy Classic because Prodigy Internet came out.

7 Aug 2004, 08:52 AM	#4
IsaacH Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 22	Compuserve. Since the poster forgot to put it as a poll option, I voted other.

7 Aug 2004, 09:06 AM	#5
Sherry Moderator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: USA Posts: 8,687	I think it was Prodigy (pre internet) where they gave you a long letter/number address. It came on a floppy disk when I upgraded my modem to a 1200 baud. Then again, it may have been through a BBS where you could download software. That was back in the days where you used a gopher, like Archie or Veronica, to get to the outside world. (I think that's what they were called IIRC?) That might have been before Prodigy came out when I think I was still using a 300 baud modem? Sherry

7 Aug 2004, 09:22 AM	#6
SusanUKF Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 5,428	I voted other as my first email was my ISP provider email. My second one was my msn/hotmail account and my third one was my yahoo. I think my fourth account was one of my fastmail member accounts. Susan.

7 Aug 2004, 09:24 AM	#7
FMRocks The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: FM does NOT refer to Fastmail (anymore). Posts: 4,034	This might be the only poll here that hotmail has a chance to come out on top of.

7 Aug 2004, 09:43 AM	#8
Camille Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Philippines Posts: 741	I chose other. My first personal email was with geocities. I signed up for their free webpages and I got an email with it.

7 Aug 2004, 09:44 AM	#9
psalzer Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 2,654	Other, as it was an ISP account. I moved to Hotmail as soon as it opened because at that time, my ISP e-mail sometimes took longer to arrive than snailmail. Then I went back to ISP mail when I got a better ISP. Over time I got to prefer web based access, though, because of wanting to be able to get my mail from other computers, including other people's computers, so even IMAP wouldn't work as well as web based. Tried tons of web based solutions. Stuck with Fastmail so far.

7 Aug 2004, 09:49 AM	#10
Gankaku Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 3,265	I believe I was with my ISP first. Then the first web-based account I had was an Excite one, I think.

7 Aug 2004, 09:59 AM	#11
aznprodigy Essential Contributor Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Orange County, CA, USA Posts: 261	Mine was AOL, yuCK!!! That was around 6-7 years ago. I had AOL and it was a nightmare in hell.

7 Aug 2004, 10:36 AM	#12
Empath Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Keizer, Oregon USA Posts: 132	It's not on the list, but my first was Telex, in addition to several BBS mail systems.

7 Aug 2004, 12:20 PM	#13
nicar Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: MD Posts: 21	I started emailing people using a webtv (now msntv) account. It was good for me since I didn't know much about computer. Very simple to use. Soon, I had enuff basics to movt unto computers.

7 Aug 2004, 12:30 PM	#14
Jack Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Posts: 127	My first e-mail account was with an Internet-connected dial-up BBS back in 1994 that eventually became an ISP a few years later.