The phone number is an optional, I have gmail but I have not given my phone number. About the message managing you may tray to use a program: messenger, outlook, thunderbird with a configuration type POP3 that download you message on your computer so you may have additional filters, rules, sorting. There is also a software from GMAIL to download all your messages. Bye Marco <div class="gmail_quote">2011/2/14 Default User <<a href="mailto:hunguponcontent@gmail.com">hunguponcontent@gmail.com</a>> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">I am looking for an alternative to Gmail. I find it surprisingly difficult and temperamental (for example, I can't just sort the inbox messages by sender). And Google seems to be getting way "too big for its britches". The "last straw" was that they are apparently trying to force users of Gmail to have a cell phone and to use that just to use Gmail (2-factor authentication). That is unacceptable (and also some other words not fit for polite company). No, I will NOT use an email service that requires a cell phone to send/receive email, and I sure wouldn't give a phone number to Google. So, any suggestions for alternative email services? -- ubuntu-users mailing list <a href="mailto:ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com">ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com</a> Modify settings or unsubscribe at: <a href="https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users" target="_blank">https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users</a> </blockquote></div>