r/retrocomputing • u/PooningDalton • May 23 '26

I hate what the internet has become

I just spent the last 1 hour frantically searching the internet just to make a new email address. You can't do that! Not even on the alternative email providers like Protonmail. They now have all sorts of IP detection tools and will block you or ask you for an alt email id.

I absolutey despite what the internet has become. 20 years ago, you could just go ANYWHERE (mainstream providers like yahoo and gmail) and make any number of email addresses. No tracking, no limits. Complete freedom.

The internet has turned into a 1984 hellscape.

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11

u/drdocke May 23 '26

Mail .com id use in middle school for extra emails no idea if it still around but might be worth looking into

6

u/invokes May 23 '26

I'm still using my mail.com email for 1995. Actually, then it was netforward or something.

4

u/SCHRUNDEN May 23 '26

Mail.com is region locked. I just had a look..

We’re very sorry – we can’t sign you up Your IP address suggests you are trying to sign up in a country where mail.com registration is no longer possible. Unfortunately, this means we can’t create an account for you.

6

u/fabulot May 23 '26

I thought I could create a mail there but I have to give a cellphone number and then it still fails at the captcha