{"id":5441,"date":"2023-07-11T15:58:37","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T15:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advisorator.com\/members\/?p=5441"},"modified":"2023-07-11T15:58:37","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T15:58:37","slug":"7-11-2023-an-email-trick-worth-remembering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advisorator.com\/members\/2023\/07\/11\/7-11-2023-an-email-trick-worth-remembering\/","title":{"rendered":"7\/11\/2023: An email trick worth remembering"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

You should use more email aliases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plus: Facebook’s Twitter clone, easy volume controls, and Prime Day picks<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/div>
Jared Newman<\/div>
|<\/div>
July 11, 2023<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
\"\"
Photo by Brian Tromp via Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From the department of things I should have done sooner<\/em>, I have finally discovered the magic of email aliases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aliases are a way to create secondary email addresses that still arrive at your regular inbox. Use them in conjunction with filters and folders, and you’ve got a powerful way to organize incoming messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While email aliases aren’t a new concept, I’ve been leaning into them lately as I experiment with migrating from Gmail to a new provider. (That’s a topic for a future newsletter.) Now I wish I’d been doing it sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n

Read the full column<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Paid subscribers get an exclusive feature column every week\u2014including this one about email aliases\u2014plus bonus deals, online archives, and helpful online guides<\/a>. Check out the full experience with a four-week free trial!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tGet four weeks free<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/section><\/section>\n\n\n

Need to know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Facebook’s Twitter clone:<\/strong> Instagram\u2014the company owned by Facebook, which still prefers being called Meta\u2014has launched a new app called Threads<\/a>. You might just call it “Twitter without Elon,” with the same focus on posting and sharing text, though it’s much more bare-bones right now. There’s no chronological feed or ability to search for posts, and even alt-text\u2014the most basic of accessibility features\u2014is missing<\/a>. Threads is also not available in Europe<\/a> due to its potential privacy violations, and you can’t yet delete your account without wiping yourself from Instagram as well<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s taken off nonetheless, reaching 100 million users<\/a> in less than a week. While I still prefer Mastodon’s more earnest vibes, Threads is more polished and much easier to sign up for. It’s the Twitter escape valve that a lot of brands, big-name journalists, and influencers have been waiting for. (I think Mastodon will be fine, as its crunchy atmosphere is different enough to stand on its own, and it may even integrate with Threads eventually<\/a>. BlueSky may have a tougher hill to climb.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, you can check out Threads for iOS<\/a> or Android<\/a>. Just note that if you “Follow” any of your Instagram friends there, it works as “pre-follow” for anyone who hasn’t joined yet. I fully expect those users to eventually get bombarded with notifications about how all their pals are waiting for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Tip of the moment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Easier volume control:<\/strong> Okay, maybe I’m the only one who cares about this, but as a desktop computer user, all I want is an easy way to control system volume using only my external keyboard. Neither Windows nor MacOS accommodate this out of the box, seemingly out of the assumption that everyone has laptops with built-in volume keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, I finally went looking for solutions, and found a couple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windows:<\/strong> Install 3RFX<\/a>, a free program for customizable keyboard volume controls. Once installed, right-click the white volume icon in the system tray, then select “Settings.” In the Hotkeys tab, you can create keyboard shortcuts to increase and decrease volume. (I suggest leaving “Amount” unchecked.) Make sure to check off “Run on Windows Startup” in the General tab as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MacOS:<\/strong> Install Karabiner-Elements<\/a>, a free program for remapping the keys on your keyboard. Enable the necessary system permissions when prompted. Once it’s installed and running, you can adjust volume from any keyboard using F11 and F12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Around the web<\/h2>\n\n\n\n