I'm really confused about email through ClassCreator and ClassNames. I started using the mail forwarding process and it worked OK as long as the receiver didn't change his email address, which happens more often than you might imagine. I realized that a better way was necessary so I read that POP mail was more dependable. However, I can't get my mail through this message using my email address jay@rpoc.net. It goes to a web based email site but not to me at my Mac "Mail" program. How is this possibly better? Now there is also Platinum email. I have no idea what that is nor can I understand how that is different from simply mail forwarding. Can you possibly break this down for me? I just want to use the site to its potential, and I fear I'm no where near that. I seems that mail forwarding is what is happening in all three scenarios, but more money is involved in POP and Platinum accounts. I'm sure I must be in error. Please help.

E-mail is the most ridiculously complicated aspect of the internet. With that in mind, I'll take a stab at sorting some of this out for you.

From your description above, you have (at least) one email *account* that you use with your Apple Mail program, hoboslp@tampabay.rr.com (and possible also gnbf@tampabay.rr.com). In addition to that, you have paid for another email account from classnames.net, jay@rpoc.net, which you have not configured your Apple Mail to connect to. You also have mail forwards set up for carol, dave, helen and mike@rpoc.net. The forwards are not real accounts, and have to be updated whenever the recipient changes his or her email address.

POP is a way of connecting to an actual email account, and it is *not* "more dependable" than a forward, it is just *different*. Forwards are very simple and require very limited resources on the part of the provider (email received is just passed on to the forwarding address and is not processed or stored locally), whereas POP is much more resource-intensive, and that is why they charge you a fee for it.

From an email standpoint alone, our Platinum subscription offers not much more than you already have (mailboxes and forwards with addresses @rpoc.net), but the interface for managing your forwards is built right into your ClassCreator website, which does make things a little easier. As for using your Apple Mail to receive email for jay@rpoc.net, that is simply a matter of configuring the Mail program (adding another email account), using the exact same process you used when setting it up for your tampabay.rr.com account.

Hi Eric... thanks for the reply. I understand everything you are telling me, and I see how it should all come together, but, in fact, it isn't working. I can't configure any of my accounts to work correctly. That's disappointing. I have followed the directions given step-b-step, but, in the end, it simply doesn't work. Maybe it's because I use a Mac. I don't know. I own three accounts with ClassCreator and I can't use any of the emails... j

What exactly are you referring to by use of the word "accounts" in this context? Do you mean you have three ClassCreator websites? Three email addresses? Three login identities on a single ClassCreator website?

The issue has nothing to do with you using a Mac. My work computer is a PC, but for several months I used my personal Mac laptop right alongside the PC at work and I can assure you that everything on our site works equally well with Macs and PCs.

Which step-by-step directions did you follow, and for what? (What page/URL did you find them on, or what did you click on to get to them?)

Thanks Eric for your kind reply. I have three accounts on ClassCreator: Parkinweb.net, RPOC.net, and WestLineWeb.net. I have a different email address for each of these: for Parkinweb, jimmy@parkinweb.net, for RPOC, jay@rpoc.net, and for WestLineWeb, j@westlineweb.net.

The only means I have been able to use to get my mail from each of these is by forwarding it to my personal account, gnbf@tampabay.rr.com, which I don't prefer to do.

My system is Mac OS X, version 10.7.3 on an Intel Core 2 Duo iMac.

Under MEMBER FUNCTIONS is a menu-item called Email Configuration. That link opens a page called Platinum Email Configuration. On that page, I selected Pop Email Support : Mac® Mail which has a set of directions to follow to configure the POP email account.

As for the efficacy of the Mac, I have never gotten it to work. I do have one other email account called iPoesy@mac.com. It works fine.

The Email Configuration link ONLY applies to the Platinum email feature of the classcreator service, and if you do not have Platinum email set up for the site, then the email client configuration instructions there are of no use to you for that site/email address.

The only one of the three sites you mentioned for which you have Platinum Email set up is parkinweb.net, and you do not have any mail forwards established in the Platinum system for that site, but you do have a configuration setting for that domain at classnames.net (MXE and DNS records) which overrides and renders the settings for that site in the Platinum system irrelevant. For that site, you should have no problem setting up Apple Mail by the instructions on the Email Configuration page to use your account jimmy@parkinweb.net for both sending and receiving, but doing so would serve no purpose as long as you have the domain set up as it currently is at classnames.net.

For rpoc.net, you have email set up at classnames.net (you do not have a Platinum subscription for that site and so do not qualify for Platinum email for it).

For WestLineWeb, you have a Platinum subscription, but do not have the Platinum Email system activated, and instead have a forward set up at classnames.net.

The result of all this is that the reason you cannot get Apple Mail to work with these accounts is that you are using the wrong settings, but in a different way for each site.

Well, I guess you told me off pretty good. Instead of focusing on that, you might have looked for a way to help me. So, I'll just cancel two of my three sites; then you have absolutely nothing to fix. Too bad you guys don't provide a telephone connection. The only way I can deal with these issues is through this forum.

The CONTACT US phone number is here
Customer Service:
Operators are available Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST.
Phone: 734-585-5605
Fax: 734-585-5606
:
http://www.classcreator.com/contact.cfm

You could talk to Eric there.

Thanks Eric for your help yesterday on the phone. It still isn't working correctly, but I appreciate your skills and your kind attention... j

I'd like to apologize for my response being less than helpful. I did not realize until just now that you had received my comments in the way that you did. I certainly did not intend them to be accusatory. I was unable to determine how to make helpful suggestions in this forum, and I suppose my own frustration with my inability to be more helpful came through. I'm glad you called and that we were able to work together.

As for configuring your email, you may need support from Apple to correctly troubleshoot the problem. We can provide the settings you need, but no one here has a new enough Mac to be able to determine the specific steps to configure your Mail to access the accounts. We can configure other programs to confirm that the system is working (we'd need the account password to do so, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there), but that is about the limit of the assistance we can offer specifically with getting your Mail client program to connect.

Hi Eric... no apology necessary; I was very snippy with my frustrations, and, if anyone needs to apologize, it is me. I'm getting a particular error code now that might, possibly, explain the problem. It says: Mail can't verify the identity of "mail.parkinweb.net". The certificate for this server was signed by an unknown certifying authority. You might be connecting to a server that is pretending to be "mail.parkinweb.net" which could put your confidential information at risk. Do you want to connect to the server anyway?

Of course, I'm not inclined to do so. Thanks for your kind help and words... j

You should click okay and accept that certificate despite the warning. It is coming from us.