KB email to be taken over by Google

[SpankMe]

I am looking at using Google's gmail for the KB email address. You will still have a username@kiwibiker.co.nz address, but will use the gmail web interface.

Setting up an email and spam protection server has been no simple task and it takes alot of the server's resources to run it. Moving to gmail will free up myself and the server. It will also provide users with a professional web interface and spam protection.


comments?

[Sniper]

Brilliant idea, thanks Spank. When do you think it will be put into practice?

[Colapop]

I hope they're paying you plenty million dollars for the priviledge!

[SpankMe]

Need to re setup everyones email accounts in Google and do some testing. Then and some point I will change the KB domain's MX record so mail is forwarded to gmail. You will still be able to access the old KB web interface, but as soon as everyone clears their old account, I will shut this down.

So, for now could everyone with an existing account PM me with the following:

• Existing email login
• First/Last name (whatever you want to enter in these gmail fields)
• Existing password

[Flyingpony]

Nice idea there SpankMe.

I've already got a firstname.lastname@gmail.com address which I guess could be hooked up. I'm assuming you want to know our existing kiwibiker email password.

But my big question is, since many of us want to keep our alternative (real) identities a secret, will our gmail address be exposed or will all emails continue to appear to originate from username@kiwibiker.co.nz?

Thanks.

[SpankMe]

exposed? emails recieved from you will be from "firstname lastname [username@kiwibiker.co.nz]".

So mine looks like "Spank Me [spankme@kiwibiker.co.nz]".

What you put in the first/last name fields is up to you.

[babyB]

might be worth putting in a time frame for clearing maybe

anyways sounds good to me. & thanks Spank

[Flyingpony]

Slightly more confused now

Hmm,

So really, there is only going to be one gmail account in the back ground which is the general kiwibiker one operated by you. This will provide the email service so to speak but as far as us mortal users will know, nothing else has changed other than the gmail UI and being able to select an email display 'name'.

In that case, instead of using first/last name I'd just run with my KB handle.

Am I understanding this correctly now?

[TerminalAddict]

no.

spank me is changing the MX record in his DNS server to point to google mail servers.
there will be multiple account, not one big one

[SpankMe]

This is a new service offered by Google to take over a business/universities, etc email service. So now I can control accounts through Google and offer email using the KB domain so users can use the gmail UI. But you will not be able to sign on through the standard gmail URL, I will supply a different URL supplied to me by Google.

[SpankMe]

For those that didn't receive the email I sent out.

To provide a better email service to Kiwi Biker members I am taking advantage of a new Google service that will take over our KB domain email. So soon your username@kiwibiker.co.nz account will be accessed like any Gmail account. This will free up server resources and my time and give users a much superior service with all the advantages of a Gmail account but with a kiwibiker.co.nz address.

Due to Gmail account name restrictions, any username with an underscore will be changed to a dash.

Your new login and password will be sent to you via PM before we switch over to the Gmail service.

Gmail has “first name” and “last name” fields that are required. What you want in these fields is up to you. I use “Spank” and “Me”. I have currently set them all to “first” and “last”, so please send me a PM with what you wish yours to be set to.

You will be able to login to your KB Gmail account from: http://mail.google.com/a/kiwibiker.co.nz

You will still be able to access the old KB email server via the web interface or via client download (pop) after the switchover. But I do ask you clear out your old emails from the server as soon as you can after the switchover so I can shut down this service so as to free up the resources it uses on the KB server.

The switchover to Gmail will happen on Thursday 9th. It is not an instantaneous switchover, but may take up to 24 hours.

If you have any questions, please post them in the KB Email Service forum.

[Waylander]

Will clicking the little envolope Icon take us to the new login page once the transfer is done?

[SpankMe]

Even thou Google requires a first/last name field on account creation which it uses to name your emails. This can be changed in settings -> Accounts -> edit info to be a single word if you wish.