Fastmail Acquired by Opera!

[CyberDyne]

Originally Posted by garys

Sorry Fastmail users, you are already seeing one reason why I will not continue with Opera. The Opera support forums are simply unbearable due to the aggressiveness they encourage in their fanboys.

I doubt they encourage it, that's simply passionate users defending what they belive in. Very similar to a lot of the FM user base.

Originally Posted by garys

Anyway goodbye and good luck. My Lux Sci account will be active in a few more hours.

Bye!

[hankfoner]

Originally Posted by sflorack

This is NOT the same company. I think Opera will need to do a lot to impress people now as they recover from (IMO) this PR blunder.

Precisely!! What about upping the storage limits for existing users as a goodwill gesture.

[broomstick]

Originally Posted by NickRem

What Opera release are you referring to? The latest version has cleaned up the UI a lot. It doesn't look messy unless you decide to make it that way by customizing it. Opening PDF files in the browser should be working just fine.

Did you know that Opera has more than 100 million active users, by the way? Looks like at least 99,999,999 other people like the way Opera works

I absolutely agree. Opening PDF files in the lastest Opera 10.53 browser release SHOULD be working "just fine". But it doesn't. That's nothing I did. You have the option of using a plugin, such as the Schubert plugin, but then scrolling through the document becomes broken, and lots of other problems come up. Alternatively, you can set Opera to make Adobe reader open the pdf files outside of the browser. But why should I have to, when Firefox has no problems? (This is all on Leopard 10.6.2, btw.) Besides that, Opera's browser seems to be set to a different scrolling speed than my cursor in the rest of Mac OS. These are all little annoying details that should be the bread and butter of making convenient-to-use software. I shouldn't even have to think about basic things like this. But let's say I put up with these inconveniences, or even solve them by investing an hour or two (or three) of my time. What do I get in return. Opera. And the advantage of that is? (I don't use a mobile device.)

So, I agree it SHOULD be working just fine, but it doesn't. Fastmail SHOULD have sorted out a better search function for finding emails, but they didn't. My original point, that the two companies are have well-matched histories of neglecting some really basic things still stands.

That 100 million people use Opera is neither here nor there. You're not going to persuade me that something is good just because lots of people use it. Some of them might be forced to because of a lack of alternatives, or compatibility or because they're too lazy to look for something better. Who knows. "Lots of people do it, therefore it's fine." isn't an argument.

In fact, as I pointed out, it might be a downside if Opera decide to broaden their customer base by attracting people who don't care for what Fastmail has done well.

Originally Posted by NickRem

Why don't you just read the statements they have made? You know, stuff like more resources to do more cool things and all that.

That's exactly it. I don't want "cool stuff and that". I want a reliable email service that is practical, stable and responsive to its customers. I don't want problems with something that is all style and very little substance. I don't want it to be "cool". I want it to be GOOD.

[RusVebgo]

Originally Posted by CyberDyne

That's very harsh and uncalled for. Any news from Opera and Fastmail representatives is welcome in my mind, good or bad, professional or otherwise.

He wasn't a long standing, paying customer, who out of the blue, got a very unpleasant "it's our way or the highway" Friday night, 6 hour ultimatum email from a company he's never heard of.

I've just wasted an entire Saturday making urgent alternative arrangements for a domain based email service after getting just two hours notice from Opera/Fastmail that my service provider had changed to a company with a bad attitude to customer service and that I had until midnight on Friday night to accept the new arrangements or take a walk.

I'm not very happy with Fastmail or Opera at the moment and certainly don't appreciate sanctimonious comments from a "blow in" who has never been a Fastmail customer and who hasn't been on the receiving end of such appaling customer service.

FWIW the ultimatum email was delivered to my inbox at 6:00 PM Friday night South Australian time. By chance, I read it at 10:00 PM Friday night, just two hours before the expiry of Opera's ultimatum time.

[sflorack]

Originally Posted by NickRem

Maybe you could read the posts by the FM staff themselves? I mean, a couple of people here seem to ask all these questions and make all these statements, and it seems they are doing it based on nothing but their own knee-jerk reaction to the whole thing. Wouldn't it be better to read what they have to say before asking questions and jumping to conclusions?


In what way is it not specific? What did you expect it to say?


There was no other way to do it. Any other acquisition would happen the same way. Why are you judging Opera and FastMail for the way the law works?

I wasn't expecting, nor do I think anyone else was expecting a full disclosure before the deal was done. That's not what I was referring to.

I am merely commenting that a press release and a brief email requesting action within a 24 hour period, without detailing each option (refunds, what happens to canceled accounts, etc.) is not "FM like".

Comparing two companies simply because they operate outside of the US and have a small, devout following isn't enough to paint a promise of the future.

[NickRem]

Originally Posted by RusVebgo

I've just wasted an entire Saturday making urgent alternative arrangements for a domain based email service after getting just two hours notice from Opera/Fastmail that my service provider had changed to a company with a bad attitude to customer service and that I had until midnight on Friday night to accept the new arrangements or take a walk.

I can't see any bad attitude to customer service from Opera. In fact, they have gone out of their way to respond to queries and concerns about the acquisition. They interacted directly with the people in this forum, and invited anyone to contact them for personal responses. if that is a bad attitude to customer service, then I'd like to see an example of a good one!

And the fact is that the very same people who handled customer service for FastMail two days ago are still handling them. Are you saying that these individuals who have been doing customer service changed personalities overnight?

[NickRem]

Originally Posted by garys

Sorry Fastmail users, you are already seeing one reason why I will not continue with Opera. The Opera support forums are simply unbearable due to the aggressiveness they encourage in their fanboys.

I find this to be a puzzling statement to say the least. Most of the aggressive posts here seem to be from people who are disappointed that they were given such short notice. Indeed, your own post is an example of an agressive post, and you are clearly not an "Opera fanboy".

When most of the name-calling (such being called a "fanboy" for disagreeing with someone) is from people who are apparently deeply rattled by the acquisition, it's rather strange to throw accusations at those who have not resorted to such behavior.

[RusVebgo]

Originally Posted by NickRem

I can't see any bad attitude to customer service from Opera

If you think the email we all got on Friday from Opera/Fastmail was an example of good customer service, then fine. I hope you continue to get similar satisfactory service from the new proprietors of Fastmail. I thought it was appalling, so I voted with my wallet. I've just finished migrating our email to a new service and have cancelled my account and moved on.

[NickRem]

Even if you do know that it wasn't possible to warn people in advance, you still assume that the situation is because of malice rather than, say, forced by law to perform mergers and acquisitions in a certain way?

I simply don't understand the venomous posts some people are making. It clearly looks like both Opera and FM are willing to listen, so why not take the opportunity to share your thoughts in an intelligent and calm manner instead of simply assuming that they are malicious *******s who want nothing more than to make your life miserable?

Maybe they handled this badly. Maybe they could have done something differently. Maybe they couldn't. But we are all intelligent people here, presumably. If you can make your case in a calm, factual, rational manner I am sure they would be more than willing to listen to what you have to say, and maybe even address any negative effects the acquisition might have for FM customers.

And honestly, do you really think FM stops respecting your privacy just because another privacy-minded company bought it?

[Pfolson]

Originally Posted by NickRem

When most of the name-calling (such being called a "fanboy" for disagreeing with someone) is from people who are apparently deeply rattled by the acquisition, it's rather strange to throw accusations at those who have not resorted to such behavior.

Like Richard (accused above of being an "Opera Stooge"), I am also an NDA'ed volunteer. The only difference is, I've also been a Fastmail user and "fanboy" for several years. I tried to chime in a couple of times yesterday, but felt I was getting drowned out in the crossfire, so decided to just sit and read the thread quietly for a while.

I must say, however, that the vehemence of some posters is certainly baffling. One can only imagine the outrage if no one from Opera (employee, volunteer or just fan) had bothered to weigh in on this discussion. There would have been claims of "stonewalling" and cries of "Why the silence? What are they hiding? Why won't they talk to us?" But when we do offer comments, we're fanboys and shills and stooges.

As I was when I first learned of the acquisition yesterday, I am absolutely convinced that time will put everyone's fears to rest. But then, what do I know? I'm just another stooge.

[Timster]

Originally Posted by RusVebgo

If you think the email we all got on Friday from Opera/Fastmail was an example of good customer service, ...

It wasn't. Because I am still waiting for that email.

[NickRem]

What does it mean when you are a volunteer under NDA? Do you work for the company?

[Fabaus]

Originally Posted by NickRem

What does it mean when you are a volunteer under NDA? Do you work for the company?

Not necessarily, anyone can be asked to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement for basically anything. You don't have to work for the company issuing / requesting the NDA.

Fabaus

[Pfolson]

Originally Posted by NickRem

What does it mean when you are a volunteer under NDA? Do you work for the company?

Nope, just a volunteer tester.

As I posted yesterday (many, many, many pages ago in this thread), I've been using Opera for ten years and first became involved "internally" in 2004, as a member of the "USA Ambassadors," a group of volunteer users who tried to increase usage of Opera in the United States. That effort was long-ago absorbed into the broader Opera Community. Since then, I've gotten involved with testing.

I'm more of a newbie with Fastmail, having only used it for three years.

One of the things that delighted me when I became a Fastmail convert was discovering how many folks connected with Opera (employees and volunteers alike) were also using it. There are many, many Fastmail fanatics at Opera. It's like a "community within a community."

[CyberDyne]

Originally Posted by Pfolson

Nope, just a volunteer tester.

As I posted yesterday (many, many, many pages ago in this thread), I've been using Opera for ten years and first became involved "internally" in 2004, as a member of the "USA Ambassadors," a group of volunteer users who tried to increase usage of Opera in the United States. That effort was long-ago absorbed into the broader Opera Community. Since then, I've gotten involved with testing.

I'm more of a newbie with Fastmail, having only used it for three years.

One of the things that delighted me when I became a Fastmail convert was discovering how many folks connected with Opera (employees and volunteers alike) were also using it. There are many, many Fastmail fanatics at Opera. It's like a "community within a community."

Personally, I welcome your input hugely and thank you for taking the time to get involved.
...and welcome to the forums