Yahoo Email? Use it or Lose it!

[enlytend]

Yahoo announced last week that they will be releasing "inactive" accounts starting next month and will be allowing other people to register them. "Inactive" means you haven't used it in a year.

http://techland.time.com/2013/06/13/yahoo-to-free-up-user-ids-of-inactive-email-accounts/

If you've used any Yahoo emails for your whois info, you may want to log into your account before July 15.

 

[-EM-]

This might be good if you tried to get a better email ID before but it was taken

 

[RaiderGirl]

Wow, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Kate]

Don't use it

 

[enlytend]

Definitely don't use it (or any other free email) for bank accounts, domain whois info or anything else important.

 

[the_poet]

One of the baddest moves I've ever seen. I can only imagine how many people will receive emails containing the former address owner's sensitive data.

 

[-EM-]

Definitely don't use it (or any other free email) for bank accounts, domain whois info or anything else important.

Why not?
I use only free email services (mostly gmail and yahoo) and rarely personal web based emails.
Yahoo was used to be the best email service 5 years ago.

 

[enlytend]

I can only imagine how many people will receive emails containing the former address owner's sensitive data.

My thoughts exactly. I see future opportunity for identity theft and domain hijacking. Grab some previously-owned id's and go on a treasure hunt. Yahoo's been hacked enough - lists of user id's should be easy to find.

I predict a big increase in clicks on "I forgot my password" links ...

There are always dependencies, but with a free service you're even more subject to the whims of the provider. They can decide to drop people who haven't signed in in x amount of time, they can discontinue the service completely (geocities) ... if you're paying there's some accountability. If you have more control, like using your own domain for your email, all the better.

We won't even go into privacy and use of your data. If a service is free, the provider is still footing the bill somehow - through ads, upsells, or selling data. BTW, yahoo is also now using email content for targeting ads...

 

[the_poet]

My thoughts exactly. I see future opportunity for identity theft and domain hijacking. Grab some previously-owned id's and go on a treasure hunt. Yahoo's been hacked enough - lists of user id's should be easy to find.

I predict a big increase in clicks on "I forgot my password" links ...

I have been experiencing this first hand. Back in 2005, when Gmail addresses were "dot sensitive", I got mine in the form [email protected] while someone else got [email protected]. Later Google decided that dots would no longer be considered and so I started getting all of dotless address' mail. The owner decided to get a new address and he asked me to forward all the mail originally sent to him. Guess what?! After 8 years, I still get his mail and as if it wasn't enough, since he works for the HR department of a company, I also get resumes.

 

[enlytend]

After 8 years, I still get his mail and as if it wasn't enough, since he works for the HR department of a company, I also get resumes.

Not good!

And another example of my point about free emails - he should have been using a company email for the resumes.

Overdependence on cloud services is a similar issue. There's a lot to be said for owning your own data. Not that I don't use cloud-based services for some things (and free email too), but be aware of the risks. IMO.

 

[RaiderGirl]

I use it mainly for site registrations, store offers, rewards cards, things like that, never anything important..

I do like how Yahoo and especially Gmail filters out SPAM, their quite good at it.