Remember Excite? They were kind of a big deal, once upon a time. The free webmail domain "excite.com" still exists, but it's about to go through some changes.
Nowadays owned by Mindspark Interactive Network (IAC), Excite has announced an end to their free email service. Their portal-slash-home page now has this warning banner:
It has a button that leads to a support article explaining that the email service will be shut down.
Excite's partner BlueTie also has set up a transition website allowing subscribers to move to paid email service to keep their excite.com email address alive:
Starting September 1, 2021, Excite will no longer provide a free email service. Instead, you have the option to move to a new subscription-based email with improved services through our long-time partner, BlueTie.
For a small annual fee, you'll be able to keep your contacts and messages with uninterrupted service. Your email address will change, but you'll keep the same email platform you know with your current settings.
If you switch to BlueTie Home, in addition to your new @bluetiehome.com address, you'll still be able to send email using your @excite.com address until August 31st, and you'll still be able to receive email to your @excite.com address until December 31st. If you choose not to upgrade, you will not be able to access your account after August 31st.
What does this mean for senders? Most excite.com email addresses are going to go invalid soon. A few may remain up and running, if subscribers choose to purchase the new BlueTie Home email service, but it's hard to say how well that will be adopted. I'd suggest emailing Excite subscribers very soon, asking them to provide an updated, alternate email address, if they want to continue to receive your email messages.
Click here for more information on the transition (and to pay to transition, if you're a current excite.com email user and wish to pay to maintain service).
(Thanks to Laura Villevieille for the tip!)
as of today 10/5/21 my google chrome will not allow me to log on to BlueTieHome.com telling me it is unsafe etc etc
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing all of that great information. As a member of the BlueTie team, I wanted to let the readers know that there is one week left to sign up and use your old @excite.com address. If your social media or bank account still has @excite.com as one of the recovery addresses, you will soon be unable to recover your account easily. If you sign up between now and the 31st, you will still be able to receive to your @excite.com address in order to make those updates easily. On 1/1/2022, @excite.com email will be going away completely. You may sign up here: https://signup.bluetiehome.com. If you have questions, please reach out to our support team here-> support@bluetiehome.com.
ReplyDeleteThanks!