the 'bubble' - how was it for you?

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OpenD

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# 15494 25-Aug-2007 21:43

I would personally like to thank Telecom for the whole Xtra!Yahoo bubble experience - which has led me into the land of iGoogle and Gmail.

Having got absolutely frustrated with the new MyXtraYahoo page - not being to find content ... changes not saving and then not being able to retrieve what I had changed ... feeling like being in a dark cave ... I somehow came across iGoogle - bright, fresh, easy to add gadgets to - even design your own - and doesn't ask for your password twice every ten minutes!

Similarly I found that the new Yahoo Pro Email ground to a halt after reading one or two emails - so have now switched to Gmail - easy to use - plenty of help - runs smoothly - has a pop server option and will collect my xtra email for me!

Also - 1Gig photo storage is standard on Picasa and there is document storage. (never did find where the photo storage was on Yahoo)

And I am not tied into an ISP now for my email address - so can change if and when I feel like it.

So - thankyou Telecom - you have certainly changed to way I use the internet.

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# 83808 25-Aug-2007 21:55

I have just done the opposite and switched from iGoogle and Gmail to Xtra and Bubble.

I have to say that bubble really leaves iGoogle for dead, the mail service once running is excellent, faster than Gmail which often had periods of downtown, the only explanation for which was that "it's still in beta" after about four years.

RIP Google.

cokemaster

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# 83810 25-Aug-2007 22:13

I initially had an issue sending emails on Saturday and Sunday, however that got resolved on Monday morning.

Having a bit of time to set up my bubble, I've got it set up to check various news sources, multiple pages, as well as geekzone and a few tech sites. Mail interface works well on firefox and IE, though having an IMAP connection would be an added bonus however POP is ok., as long as you remember to tick to leave messages on server! IMAP would work really good in this instance (I run it on my mail server).

Anyway, I've found the bubble interface really good. As I said, I've set up multiple pages and it works fine. Its a pity that bubble doesn't extend to the entire YahooXtra site but anyway, it is really flexible in terms of layout and is really fast. So much for the latency doomsday speeches made by some people.

Its good that Xtra have finally shaken off the policy that ISP's adapted of only allowing connections to their pop/smtp servers within their own network, which ideally means that once one sets it up, it should be running fine (providing you don't connect using an ISP that blocks 465). Having no limits on the mailbox size means that the traditional limitations that applied to mailboxes have been removed - no more balancing between downloading to the local machine and leaving messages on server. Lets see if other providers will follow suit, and won't change additional fees for accessing their servers from outside their network.

I am fully aware that some providers Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail and a few others offer unlimited or near to it and we've had much more flexible settings on our own servers. However many people don't run their own mailservers ;)

I'm still going to use my own mail server, however will use my @xtra.co.nz address for things like domain registrations where I know that email address isn't going anywhere quickly (I know that the username is attached to my account number even if I close it), and for the fact that I have a NZ point of contact which one can call using a 0800 number day or night, and unlike a few ISP's - I can call it from my mobile as well.

Only used flickrpro a few times, with unlimited uploads, would be promising however I've got a desire to have custom configs. But I can see it being a big improvement for people who are not as willing to invest time customizing things.

So, generally, my experience has been positive with the exception of the issues that went on in the weekend it went live - and due to the positive customer experience I've had with Xtra -I would say that it would be worth the $2.81 a month for the email component (and with the phone support to go with it).

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nzbnw

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# 83820 25-Aug-2007 23:58

bradstewart: I have just done the opposite and switched from iGoogle and Gmail to Xtra and Bubble.

I have to say that bubble really leaves iGoogle for dead, the mail service once running is excellent, faster than Gmail which often had periods of downtown, the only explanation for which was that "it's still in beta" after about four years.

RIP Google.

I can second that, although I just can't bring myself to dump Google as my preferred search engine. To say, just 'Yahoo it' doesn’t sound quite sound right to me!

How ever the Yahoo Pro mail is fantastic and as you say quite responsive. I also like the webmail side of it, nice interface similar to that of Outlook Express / Windows Mail. Sort of makes me wonder, why I am bothering to keep my Gmail, which I really only use for subscriptions (Geekzone excludedJ). At lease with my Yahoo!Xtra Bubble, I can see if I have emails in my Gmail of interest (and my Xtra for that matter) without the need to logging into Gmail or opening Windows Mail.

Bring on the Norton’s Security Suite.

nzbnw

paradoxsm

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# 83822 26-Aug-2007 00:54

Google.com search has actually been returning some pretty useless results and I'm constantly reverting back to Overture (Altavista portal mainly) which is now owned by Yahoo and suddenly finding pages of the stuff I searched for that Google must hide! also the overture system seems to be void of all the junk keyword-sites that seem to rate so highly on Google's results.
alltheweb.com was good. old-school ads and simple layout though some bugs. search "xtra bubble email settings" and watch it crash..

Gmail has been disgustingly unreliable over the last few days and sporatic over the last month. Hence my sudden posts on Xtra Bubble as I have been re-using my Xtra account when the gmail goes down...quite a bit of recent!

Youtube.com.... Today, We have intrusive ads (Quickly blocked off) The videos are very erratic and pause for ages then suddenly start playing (usually after the whole thing is downloaded) the actual controls are very glitchy and the site just seems "hacked-up" and of course.... the Greasemonkey FLV stealer script no longer works.
The site is now just too cluttered with junk, my own videos will be published on a personal page... to come

I am going to build a portal to frontend the Youtube vidoes also, only without the other site junk.

I never thought I'd say this but I'm actually over Google.

Question, is your "Xtra account" now in the realm of "free webmail"?

riahon

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# 83825 26-Aug-2007 05:57

Initially I doubted would ever have used Xtra bubble when I saw the blurb as in my ancient eyes (according to my kids) it reeked of bebo (or what I refer to as bumbo)

I had no real problems with registering or though I still havent worked out what to do with my alias' but they still appear to be working which is a relief.

However I have found xtra bubble to be extremely useful.

I now have 1 page that does everything.

I have a mail tab which I hover over for a quick peek at any mail.

I can use xtra pro mail to access and with the handy IE7 tab it is quickly accessible and now that the spam filter is doing its job for me it is a quick process to scan and delete.

I sync my pda directly to outlook and with the yahoo sync I can sync all my appointments to the calendar on xtra bubble so I can see where I am supposed to be from the homepage.

I have tailored my homepage so I have only the news that I want to see - ie Sports, sports and more sports

I can even get rid of the Telecom ads module

I have yet to do anything with flickr or briefcase.

In all I like it.

I agree OpenD i would like to thank Xtra as well ;)

freitasm

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# 83968 27-Aug-2007 14:41

For a lot of people probably like this...

My technology disclosure | Digital Transformation | Enterprise Content Management | Customer Relationship Management | Data Insights, Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics

OpenD

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# 84011 27-Aug-2007 17:53

so its the old story of X meets Y - X falls in love with Y and thinks she's the neatest Y he has ever met, Y thinks there is something in it for her - they get married and things are fine for a while - then Y realises that X is a kind of unreliable and X realises that Y is rather complicated and not quite as attractive as she first seemed - and ... will they work it out? will they just stay together for the sake of the kids? do the kids get a say?

ictgeeknz

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# 84012 27-Aug-2007 18:17

riahon:
I sync my pda directly to outlook and with the yahoo sync I can sync all my appointments to the calendar on xtra bubble so I can see where I am supposed to be from the homepage.

Oooooo... I didn't know that.
Comments from anyone else using it?

lapimate

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# 84369 29-Aug-2007 22:54

Awful & time-wasting.

Messages apparently randomly assigned to Yahoo!Xtra Spam mail box:
e.g. Message from xtrahelp@xtra.co.nz re "Xtra Password Reset "(!);
Outlook 2007 "Test Account Settings" (sent from the same xtra account);
some messages from same sender w. same subject & content assigned to Spam, others not.

The Yahoo!Xtra Spam mail box was not accessible until we finally gave in and registered for Yahoo!Xtra Bubble webmail, so for Xtra to claim (see the Yahoo!Xtra Bubble e-mail FAQ) that the e-mail service was usable without being forced to register for Yahoo!Xtra Bubble was misleading at least.

KiwiOverseas66

173 posts

Master Geek

# 84372 29-Aug-2007 23:23

likewise I've found the xtrabubble email to be good. like everyone else had trouble initially logging on (took about 12 hours to get onto the registration page) but figured it was due to the site being inundated, and the fact I was trying to log on from India! Didn't find out until later about problems with the registration site. Once I got onto the site, however, took 5 minutes to log on - all done! Fortunately I had absolutely no disruption to email through the entire saga as I had decided to pay the vast fee of $2 per month to subscribe to Xtra's SSL remote email before leaving NZ - so was accessing the pop and smtp servers directly using thunderbird (incidentally - these are the same setting now offered for normal client access to xtra email - port 995 and 465 if I remember rightly). Haven't figured out how to get the spam downloaded into the client yet so still have to access the spam folder via the web - but no big deal. Overall - its all good. Like the new layout too.

riahon

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# 84379 30-Aug-2007 05:56

Also just been playing with flckr. Concept seems easy enough but for me this is going to be fantastic method of sharing pics in preparation for upcoming family reunion.

nzbnw

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# 84411 30-Aug-2007 10:51

KiwiOverseas66: Fortunately I had absolutely no disruption to email through the entire saga as I had decided to pay the vast fee of $2 per month to subscribe to Xtra's SSL remote email before leaving NZ - so was accessing the pop and smtp servers directly using thunderbird (incidentally - these are the same setting now offered for normal client access to xtra email - port 995 and 465 if I remember rightly).

Xtra Remote Secure email is now provided at no charge, so this $2.81 fee should be waived, and is not required with the new settings anyway. I just used a remote desktop application to update my computers in Australia for my Dad, all is working well. I had remote email on that account also, but haven’t been charged for it for about 2 or 3 months now, and now that email address should also be free as I am still an Xtra Customer.

nzbnw

KiwiOverseas66

173 posts

Master Geek

# 84455 30-Aug-2007 15:24

nzbnw:
KiwiOverseas66: Fortunately I had absolutely no disruption to email through the entire saga as I had decided to pay the vast fee of $2 per month to subscribe to Xtra's SSL remote email before leaving NZ - so was accessing the pop and smtp servers directly using thunderbird (incidentally - these are the same setting now offered for normal client access to xtra email - port 995 and 465 if I remember rightly).

Xtra Remote Secure email is now provided at no charge, so this $2.81 fee should be waived, and is not required with the new settings anyway. I just used a remote desktop application to update my computers in Australia for my Dad, all is working well. I had remote email on that account also, but haven’t been charged for it for about 2 or 3 months now, and now that email address should also be free as I am still an Xtra Customer.

nzbnw

great - thanks. I'll look for that.

quoick

13 posts

Geek

# 85161 3-Sep-2007 21:01

Am I the only one here that isn't a fan of the Yahoo Bubble migration? Honestly, it is the biggest F$#& up I have even heard about. It is over two weeks since the migration and I still cannot receive email into my mail client. I have spent more time on the phone being ignored, hung up on, rudely dismissed but more usually timing out on from technical support than I have spent on the phone to my wife in the last month (and she must call at least 10 times a day while I am at work). I have been met with bewilderment when I have mentioned that I primarily use Linux and Thunderbird and have been forced to create both accounts in Outlook Express and Yahoo (although the sign up screen changed the next day and I found that I didn't have to but this was still over a week after the migration) and agree to their EULA that I don't agree with at any level just in the misguided belief that I might be able to receive my email that is being held hostage on a server somewhere in Australia. Add to that, that where I was receiving around 10 spam messages a day with the previous Xtra spam filter to having around 100 a day now and that my spam folder on Bubble contains over 1000 messages and a fair chunk of them are my customers' emails that have be falsely identified as spam and requires that I basically check every email that doesn't contain the word v1agra in the subject line.

Bubble may be faster than Gmail, but I didn't sign up with Xtra to have to use a web interface for my email and since I can't receive email (although funnily I can send) this is what I am having to do. I am in fact having to redirect all my Xtra email to Gmail to strip the real spam and not identify my customers' email as spam. Add to that that Thunderbird can actually download from the server from Gmail and you can probably guess my opinion of the Bubble migration and Yahoo + Xtra combined.

cokemaster

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# 85165 3-Sep-2007 21:17

quoick: I have been met with bewilderment when I have mentioned that I primarily use Linux and Thunderbird and have been forced to create both accounts in Outlook Express

Sounds like you might be having client issues if it doesn't work in Thunderbird but works fine in Outlook Express. Some clients have been known to have issues with SSL.

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Loose lips may sink ships - Be smart - Don't post internal/commercially sensitive or confidential information!

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