Change user account name

[jerryhillman]

I use prodigy dial-up on a windows 98se computer. I am getting killed with
spam and decided to change my user name (same as e-mail name).
I was told by sbc global I could set up an account with them and just
cancel my old account. I use netscape 7.2 and avoid if possible using
internet explorer expect for downloads. Sbc global says I can continue to
use Netscape 7.2 but in the switch I would loose my address book. I pointed
out my address book is in my netscape program and they clarified it saying
only addresses from prodigy. But the killer is they say sbc global only works
on Win XP and WILL NOT work on win 98se. Getting prodigy to change my
user name is getting harder then filing a tax return, Will sbc global only
work on Win XP? and Is there any easy way to change my user account
with prodigy? AT&T runs both Prodigy and SBC Global. Both use Yahoo.
Prodigy is an older program with them.

Thanks, Jerry

[jdc2000]

Are you accessing your e-mail with Outlook or Outlook Express, or are you using a web browser to access it? With the problems you are having with getting your user name / e-mail address changed, it might not be worthwhile, especially when you consider that your spam volume may only be reduced for a few months until the spammers get your new address. All it takes is for one person who has your e-mail address in their address book getting hit with a virus, and your new address can go out to the spammers. A better solution might be a spam filter.

[Welshjim]

jerryhillman--I never used Prodigy. So I am just tossing out ideas.
It is hard to believe you cannot create a new email account, the same way you created the first. Or does Prodigy permit only one email account?
In that case, I would think you could delete it, and create a new account from scratch. But all of this is without knowledge of Prodigy.
Also many email service providers now offer a free spam filter. But it is not turned on by default. You have to ask them to, or go into their website and see how to do it.
If you need a third party spam filter, many people like MailWasher. It comes in a free version.
http://www.mailwasher.net/

[jerryhillman]

I use the e-mail program that comes with Netscape 7.2 only. I do use
mailwasher to sort out spam, but still I have to sort over 1000 e-mails
if I am gone a week. What do most people get in the way of amounts of
spam? Most of my friends only get a few spams a day. Is that normal?

Thanks, Jerry

[jdc2000]

I have an e-mail address that is over 10 years old, and it gets between 20 and 60 spam e-mails per day, depending on the amount of traffic spammers are sending out.

[Welshjim]

jerryhillman--About a year ago I got maybe 20-30 spam messages a day. Then I learned that my email service provider offered a spam filter, but had not turned it on for my account. Once they did, spam decreased rapidly over time. I assume this was the learning process of the filter, but maybe I just was lucky.

I use the e-mail program that comes with Netscape 7.2 only.

Yes, Netscape is your email program (like Outlook Express), but I think Prodigy is your email service provider if I understood correctly.

[jdc2000]

I asked about the e-mail program because Outlook 2003 has a reasonably decent spam filter, if it was already being used.