Leaving Google - what alternatives to Google eMail and RSS?

[Lone Fox]

Google has in just a few months dropped support for open standards, including my much beloved Google RSS. Additionally, other services are being forcefully integrated into the mess called Google+, I found this out in a hard pickle when my main Gmail was being attacked by spam messages, and that isn't the problem - the problem is I can't change my YouTube email address because Google is on "consumer lock-in" - integrating everything together. The crazy part is I don't even give this email out to "just anybody" (I have another email address), so I don't know who sold my address.

I also find that every "new feature" or "improvement" doesn't really feel that way to me. The new Google Maps for example, its a step back from the outgoing version (imho). But this has nothing to do with eMail or feeds, rather just further spoils everything.

I could go on. . ., but to keep it short, Google, is in other words, the new AOL: a separate shelter from the open web, with very limited interoperability.

With that, what alternatives can I look into? Keep in mind I’m trying to pick services that are not integrated too tightly to any given provider and where there's a clear and predictable business direction.

eMail

I'm still looking around, but fastmail.fm (Opera software) looks promising? It's not free, but $5/year doesn't hurt me. IMAP and POP, no ads.

RSS

I haven't not found anything that works the way I want. I receive a TON of RSS feeds and miss the way Google RSS handled them

 

[RickM]

I hate Microsoft but have you looked at their new outlook.com service? It seems pretty decent.

 

[BirdOPrey5]

Outlook.com is the only real service in the same league as Gmail IMO. Anything else would be a downgrade or I simply wouldn't trust to be around a year, or two or five from now.

 

[OSS 117]

Outlook is rather good. It's very easy to use, good contrast which makes text easier to read.

 

[Lone Fox]

I ended up going back to Gmail. I kinda liked Outlook, but I had no visual notice of having new email; I really like 'Unread Message Icon' you can enable for Gmail.

I also find the star labeling system to be VERY helpful.

What I'm doing instead is simply using Gmail as an email reading client - using POP3 access to read other email accounts, and created custom labels. I WILL NOT use my primary Google account email, its strictly only for YouTube/Google. The reason being is to prevent my Google email address getting sold and overrun by spam (happened to my last Google account), especially considering Google decided to make it impossible to change your Ytube account email address because they decided to tie everything together.

It feels weird using it this way, but Gmail just... works.

 

[MattW]

I ended up going back to Gmail. I kinda liked Outlook, but I had no visual notice of having new email; I really like 'Unread Message Icon' you can enable for Gmail.

I also find the star labeling system to be VERY helpful.

What I'm doing instead is simply using Gmail as an email reading client - using POP3 access to read other email accounts, and created custom labels. I WILL NOT use my primary Google account email, its strictly only for YouTube/Google. The reason being is to prevent my Google email address getting sold and overrun by spam (happened to my last Google account), especially considering Google decided to make it impossible to change your Ytube account email address because they decided to tie everything together.

It feels weird using it this way, but Gmail just... works.

I've just recently moved all my accounts to Outlook.com and using my own domain names for them. You do get a new e-mail alert in the tab