03-20-2010, 12:07 PM

Ok, I have a bit of an issue with email here. I've been trying to find a resolution for sometime and have yet to find the best resolution for my situation. So let me explain the problem and then I'll explain what I've done to try and resolve it.

There are two larger problems, which of course cause a good deal of smaller problems as well.

The first, currently I have roughly 15 email addresses and this is growing rapidly.

To some this isn't that many and to others this is WAY too many. I agree on both sides of the fence, just all depends on what you do. In my case, I build and develop websites and businesses in my spare time as a freelancer and as my full time profession.

Most of the time, if I'm dealing with something personal and/or freelance related, I use one email address. However, there are some cases where I must use an email address from a specific domain name. As for my work emails, I must use the corresponding email address for the company/domain that I'm conducting business under for that particular email.

The second, all of my work emails must be POP!

I know what most you have been thinking so far, just use IMAP and stop complaining about it. This is actually an issue and the "root" of my problems with emails. If it were up to me; I would setup IMAP accounts for every single one of my accounts, setup Mail once on all my computers, setup Gmail for backups and mobile use and simply be done with it.

However, my work email accounts have a very small box size limit and the company I work for will not increase the size. This has been a discussion of many tank-talks at the office and something I don't care to delve into here. Simply put, I must use POP or I would be downloading the messages using IMAP, essentially doing the same thing. This defeats the purpose of IMAP and hinders my syncing abilities.

The solution I'd like.

This is what I've been trying to solve for a few weeks and have yet to come up with a logical solution that works for my setup. This is what I'm currently working with.

• Workstation (Home Office)
• Laptop (Mobile)
• iPhone (Mobile)

Currently I've got Gmail setup with all of the email accounts I use. Labels for incoming emails and all outgoing are setup to use the email address they came in on. Everything is essentially coming into Gmail.

"Ah, I got it. Use Gmail and its IMAP on all of your computers..."

Yeah, thought of this one too, however I can only use my @gmail.com email when replying and/or sending emails from any setup in this fashion. (This is what I would prefer to do, if anyone has a solution for this PLEASE share it.)

What I would like to happen!

• I would like to be able to use all my emails for sending and receiving for all of the systems above.
• I would also like to have all my emails (35,000+) accessible wherever I am.
• I would also like the to be able to easily back them up at any given time.
• Being able to organize accounts.

I'm fully aware that I won't be able to achieve everything I would like and that I may have to pick one or the other.

If you have any solution to any single issue above and/or as a whole, please post a response. I'm open to any suggestions, solutions or ideas.

03-21-2010, 10:07 PM

No one has any input on solving my issues or any ideas or suggestions at all? Find that very hard to believe here.

03-21-2010, 10:25 PM

Hmm while I dont have your problem yet, I hope to have that one day as I am a student at Full Sail Univeristy. Getting my Web Design and Development degree pretty soon.

I never knew creating websites would force you to have to have so many different e-mail accounts. Isn't that a bit annoying/confusing at times?

03-21-2010, 10:48 PM

Yes it is annoying and confusing all at the same time.

I would simply use Gmail to keep track of them all, however I always send with the wrong email and frankly I don't like having them all come into one central email like that. It's nice for archive purposes, but not for daily use.