Ch-ch-ch-changes

Have you had the same e-mail address since, oh, Al Gore invented the internet? Seems like I have.

I recently picked up a freelance newsletter editing job which requires me to easily send an e-mail with a large-ish attachment. Not huge, we're not talking megabytes here, but a couple hundred KB or so. Something happened with my ISP last summer and I haven't been able to send attachments, or send to multiple addresses, since then.

They, of course, blamed it on my computer. But I've had a Gmail account for a while and can send attachments with it. Rather than fight with them any longer, I decided to set up my Gmail account as my primary e-mail address. And, eventually, I'm going to get rid of all those other addresses I've had.

It's quite a process. If you've been collecting recipes and running and following various news stories and knitting and been politically active and have interests in health care, paper crafts, gardening and fitness, then you've got a lot of information attacking your in-box every day. Changing all those subscriptions is enough to make one throw up her little hands in defeat.

I'm not quite there. Yet.

Some websites make it so easy. They actually have a link in their messages asking if you'd like to change your e-mail address. How cool is that? Thank you, Interweave Knits! I heart you!

The New England Journal of Medicine? Not quite so friendly. I found the form, changed the relevant information and hit the "Submit" button. The changes didn't "stick," and I had to hit the back button and start over. Three times. Why do I care about NEJM? I don't, but my husband does and if he learned how to manage his own e-mail I'd be out of a job. Heh.

Anyway. Once this is done, my incoming messages should be culled considerably, and I'll think long and hard before I click anyone's button to sign up for their free newsletter. Come to think of it, my junk mail should be culled considerably, as well. Maybe I should change my e-mail address more often.