Email address frenzy!

Since I first entered the "internetz" circa 1999 I've had 4 different personal email addresses (NOT counting various work email addresses).

First, it was AOL, then my college URI.edu address, then Hotmail because AOL was "a joke," THEN Yahoo because Hotmail was a joke...and NOW I feel Yahoo might be a joke and I should switch YET again to Gmail?! Where does it end folks? Will I forever be changing my email address every few years just to have the coolest, newest handle or is there really an advantage to me getting a Gmail account? I've completely phased out my AOL account (although as I noted in my earlier post, I totally DO still have my original AIM screen name), I basically keep my Hotmail account as my "sign up for stuff" account that I rarely check, although I definitely still get email there, and my Yahoo is currently my main, sent to my phone, email account.

To be honest, Yahoo works fine for my personal needs and rarely gives me any problems except for the occasional freeze or temporary glitch on my iPhone, but overall, it does the job. So, my question is this, should I really switch to Gmail just "because" or are there legitimate benefits to it? I need some concrete reasons why people! And is there an easy way to get the word out on my new address, any services that will forward from all my old accounts, etc.? Do social media types really judge someone by their email handle--I mean I've seriously heard people say (or occasionally seen people tweet) things like "he called himself a social media expert-and then gave me his Hotmail address, LOLZ" or something to that effect. So what's the deal folks, convince me, switch to Gmail to be "hip" or just stop the insanity and keep what I have for now?

New Look!

Wow, I've spent way too much time tonight mulling over my new blog design. While the basic "harbor" theme that I remember loving so much when I first saw it on blogger a few years ago served me well (and reminded me of Newport, RI, one of my favorite places on Earth), I knew it was time for a *slightly* more mature look!

As much as I love, love, love the beach and wanted so badly to make my background a sunset on a pier in Tahiti, I figured I'd give my blog a "city edge" since that's where I currently live and work.

How do you like it folks??

I'd love suggestions, help, ideas, etc. from my readers. Even though I work in social media I have a somewhat limited knowledge of web design, coding, etc. so this took me a few hours but I plan on adding some other stuff soon as well. Twitter widgets, photos, more pages, etc.

Along with the new look I also plan to add a lot more content to the blog and have been jotting down all the crazy things I want to write about on scraps of paper for the last few days now! Call it a "creative burst" but I'm feeling all bloggy again :)

More to come, so stay tuned!

Hilarious...

I had to post this here because I am still laughing about it a full day later. One of my best friends forwarded me an old IM convo she had saved from a few years ago. It took place I would guess within the first month of my first "real world" job at a PR firm in NY (Editor's note: I spent the previous 3+ years waiting tables by the beach in Newport, RI). Big public thank you to my friend Jen for getting me through those first few rocky weeks. I think we can all appreciate when we first learned of the infamous "BCC"...

(And yes my AOL screename was, and embarasssingly still IS, smilesah)

SmilesAH: what does IT stand for
SmilesAH: like computer fixer for our office is called "IT" guy
jnylee22: IT?
jnylee22: usually Internet and Technology for dept type things at work
jnylee22: is that what you mean
SmilesAH: i dont know these terms, im not cut out for corporate world
SmilesAH: i should just be left to write free flowing poetry and mail it into someone else to publish, i dont like CCing, and did u know u can BCC? and the expression "going forward"?
jnylee22: yeah i never say "going forward"...but i BCC all the time
jnylee22: you know what people say at my work all the time that i hate...?
jnylee22: 'please advise'
SmilesAH: yes, HATE IT...umm BCCing reminds me of that scene in mean girls with the 3 way calling
SmilesAH: i dont like it, its sneaky
jnylee22: yeah people at my work only do it when they're trying to make someone see how stupid someone else is
jnylee22: 'like hey i just bcc'd you on that email to mandy..what a dumbass hahahaha'
jnylee22: and then we all laugh
SmilesAH: can the BCCed see who else got it
jnylee22: yes
jnylee22: but not if someone another bccer
jnylee22: just either the tos or the CCs
jnylee22: the bcc can see everyone except another bccer
SmilesAH: but no one else can see the BCCed
jnylee22: right
SmilesAH: SHIT
SmilesAH: so peopleknow they were Bcc
jnylee22: right
SmilesAH: shitshitshit
SmilesAH: i so wrongly BCCed today!
jnylee22: hahahahahaha
jnylee22: why what happened?
SmilesAH: well i was sending what this reporter thought was an exclusive story idea to him, but I was sending it to another reporter too, so i BCCed one, figuring neither could see each, so The one who was BCCed knows it went to someone else but the one who was To doesnt know anyone else got it right?>
SmilesAH: I need to figure out whose gonna be pissed at me
jnylee22: yes thats exactly it
SmilesAH: so the TO is gonna be pissed
jnylee22: no the BCC is gonna be pissed
SmilesAH: so theres no way to send to multiple people blindly?
SmilesAH: ohh right, the BCC
SmilesAH: the TO didnt see the BCCed
SmilesAH: ahhhhh I hate corporate america, i thought screwing up somones drink order was bad
jnylee22: yeah you can...send it to yourself as the TO and BCC both seperated by commas
SmilesAH: ohhh the double BCC is that legal??
jnylee22: yes very
SmilesAH: u have to TO someone
jnylee22: you do
jnylee22: its just that sometimes with that it looks shady bc they know they got that email somehow and they prob know that trick
SmilesAH: this is very helpful Jen i must say, good thing I didnt also BCC my boss like were supposed to when we send important clients emails, because then shed know my error
SmilesAH: its all coming together, how come no one explained
jnylee22: i thought it was known
SmilesAH: ur like a fountain of knowledge right now
jnylee22: but then again i mustve just got it when i started at verisign
SmilesAH: ive spent the last 7 years of my life behind a frosted glass, how would i know these things
jnylee22: i dont know al, im just glad i was here to help

Back to Happy Allie...

So, seeing as my last post was kinda a downer (and also labeled "melodramatic" by certain family members) I will now (attempt) to return to previously scheduled programming, AKA funny, witty, snarky Allie posts about pop culture, ditsy PR girls and bizarre "only in NYC" observations...

For today, I will observe that NYers "jump the gun" a little when it comes to summer. Yes, today was gorgeous out (hallelujah!) but was it really short shorts weather? I mean was it really teeny-tiny flowered dress weather ladies? Especially when pasty shoulders and unpainted toenails are involved, you may want to at least wait until May to make your summer outfit debut!

I also get a good chuckle out of all the restaurants that suddenly offer "outdoor" seating when the weather turns warm. Sidewalks have never been in such high demand! I have to laugh when there are like 3 tables crammed on the sidewalk and everyone is fighting for the "patio seating."

Also related--I can't do my gosh darn laundry tonight in my building because everyone apparently had the same idea--there is still a line for a washer at nearly 10pm. Oh NY, why must you love me, hate me, and then love me again...