Switch Email Address to Gmail

If you are ready to switch over to one of the top 10 email providers on the web, then here is how to do it.

Steps

Go to Gmail
- Click on "Create an Account" in the upper right corner.
Type in your first and last name, your desired login name, your desired password, security question, original email, and a word verification, then click "I accept. Create my account."
After your email account is set up, go back to your other one and email all of the people on your "buddy list". Anyone you know isn't going to get it, or doesn't check their email, send them a letter through snail mail, or call them. Make sure they all have the right address.
If possible, delete the email account for your old address.
In your GMail account, you can add contacts to your buddy list. This site will tell you how to do it with almost any email provider.
Now that you have your buddy list completed, you have to email all of them to re-tell them about your address.
Although GMail rarely gets spam, you may still want to take other measures to protect your address. To protect your email address from spam, follow the instructions here.

If you have important emails in your previous email account, forward them to you new Gmail account.
Always make sure everyone you want to have your email has your Gmail address.
You can keep your old address by changing the "send email as" setting.