Do you think you’ll stick with your current Internet service provider for a lifetime? Probably not. Better deals on price or speed or customer service are sure to come along, and you might want to switch.

On the other hand, you might like to keep your e-mail address for a lifetime, or at least a very long time. Switching addresses — remembering all those friends, family, colleagues, newsletters, online stores, online banks, and other places that will need your new address — is a big pain.

And that’s why your e-mail address shouldn’t be tied to your Internet service provider (ISP). For example, you shouldn’t use an “aol.com” address just because you connect to the Internet using AOL as your ISP, “msn.com” just because you connect using MSN, or “comcast.net” because you connect through your Comcast cable. Full Story...