On 13/09/2016 12:32, Michael Leuty mike-at-LEUTY.EU |GP-UK/Gollum| wrote:
> On 12 September 2016 at 14:05, Mary Hawking
> <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
> wrote:
>
>     I resent the idea that I need to change upwards of £2.55 just to
>     keep my email address: is there any way to do this without it
>     costing me a lot over many years–ordo I just have to bite the bullet
>     and change email addresses?
>
>
> It sounds as though Vodafone are passing ownership of the 'demon.co.uk
> <http://demon.co.uk>' domain name to names.co.uk <http://names.co.uk>,
> who will allow you to use the 'tigers.demon.co.uk

Negative. To keep the Demon subdomain email facility, Demon customers 
(both connectivity and legacy 'email only' customers) have to take out a 
contract with Namesco. However, Vodafone are for the moment retaining 
control of the domain. The physical server side of Demon email has for a 
few years been outsourced to Inty (sp?), a company related to NamesCo.

Current Vodafone broadband packages (no doubt incorporating C&W 
infrastructure which they acquired as part of the Demon purchase) appear 
not to include any email facilities so this could be seen as the 
penultimate phase of absorbing Demon into Vodafone.

> <http://tigers.demon.co.uk>' sub-domain name if you buy services from
> them for at least £2.55 per month.

The web-hosting aspect of demon subdomains was 'outsourced' to NamesCo a 
year or more ago. That was an earlier 'debacle'.

The signs were on the wall before that in so far as Demon broadband 
packages had ceased including any web space for some time. I had lost my 
web space while upgrading to a Demon business unlimited package a year 
or more before the 'mass migration' of Demon customer web sites.

Needless to say my demon subdomain still serves up pages to this day 
despite two attempts to get NamseSco to cease it. I do not pay for it 
nor do I have FTP access to it. It had of course been ceased long before 
Vodafone passed it on to NamesCo!

>
> Your concern is, I think, to keep the same email address for the
> foreseeable future. For someone of your age we are talking about a
> period of 20 years or so. Names.co.uk <http://Names.co.uk> will almost
> certainly be taken over or go out of business during that period, so
> there can be no guarantee that they or their successors will be able and
> willing to provide you with your sub-domain name for the period you require.

If the rumors turn out to be true Demon 'subdomain email' will cease 
long before Namesco might. While the cost keeping the demon.co.uk domain 
(and there is also AFAIR demon.net as well) registered would be peanuts 
to Vodafone, one assumes there is a more significant financial aspect to 
Vodafone's 'outsourcing' Demon email to Inty and NamesCo.

 From various reported conversations with NamesCo staff it appears that 
even NamesCo are in the dark re the future of the domain. It's 
conceivable that Vodafone will eventually migrate Demon connectivity 
customers to 'equivalent' Vodafone packages and then cease *all* 
services supplied via Demon domains (but keeping the Demon domains 
registered and dormant).

> Like Adrian I think you need to bite the bullet and change your email
> address. By registering your own domain name you will be able to keep
> control of it, and the associated email address(es), for the rest of
> your life.
>
> Any number of companies will register and hold the domain name for you,
> but you can do it for less money than names.co.uk <http://names.co.uk>
> are proposing. For example 1and1.co.uk <http://1and1.co.uk> will provide
> you with a .uk or .co.uk <http://co.uk> domain name for £6.99+VAT per
> annum, and throw in a single mailbox with 2Gb storage for the price. If
> you want to flaunt your Remoaner credentials, a .eu domain name can be
> yours for £9.99+VAT per annum.
>
> It is exceptional for someone to keep the same email address for 22
> years, so people are used to the idea of their contacts changing
> address. The only way I know of letting people know is by sending an
> email from your new address to everyone in your address book.

I became a customer of Demon in 1993 and only left late last year but I 
had ceased actively using Demon for mail many years ago. Ironically, and 
along with some other Ex-Demon customers, my incoming Demon subdomain 
email still functions to this day (but I have no access to any 
configuration details).

The complete saga in all it's sordid detail can be followed on 
demon.service, a public newsgroup available from all good USENET services.

> There are lots of horror stories about ISPs. I have used BT for many
> years and not had any problems. I reckon that since they provide most of
> the infrastructure, they are best placed to sort things out when they go
> wrong. But they are not cheap.

Anyone who needs to keep their Demon email address, even just for the 
short term while migrating their email, must deal with NamesCo. I don't 
know what the deadlines are and care needs to be taken in choosing the 
right package (it appears not to be just a straightforward 'carry on as 
before'). See demon.service for all the lowdown.

Many ex-demon customers appear to have chosen either PlusNet or Zen; 
those with deeper pockets may have gone to A&A. I plumped for Zen and 
can recommend them without reservation.

Regards to All,

Chris

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