Setting Up Red Stamp Mail for a Loved One

Many people come to our website looking for an email solution not  for themselves, but for a senior friend or relative. If you are in the same situation, this short guide is for you.

1. Creating a Red Stamp Mail Account

Since Red Stamp Mail is completely web-based, there is nothing to download or install. Just sign up using your loved one's email address and email account password. Verify that you can send and receive email messages via our service (if you run into problems, please contact us and we'll help).

Head next to the Contacts tab and add the emails of friends and family, as this may be a little difficult for a senior user who is new to computers and the internet.

2. Accessing the Senior's Computer

Unless your loved one lives nearby, it could be a hassle to physically reach his or her computer in order to make changes or troubleshoot problems. If you live in different states or countries, it becomes downright impossible.

We've found that Fog Creek Copilot is invaluable in such situations. It allows you to connect to any computer on the internet (with the owner's permission, of course) and work on it as if it were your own. It works like a charm and is very affordable. You can use it to complete the next steps of this guide without getting up from your chair...

3. Adding a Desktop Shortcut

To help the senior user get to his Red Stamp Mail account, we recommend placing a shortcut on his or her desktop. Here's how:

• Right-click on an empty area in the desktop.
• Select "New" in the menu that opens, and then "Shortcut" in the next menu.
• Enter the website's address: http://www.redstampmail.com/mailbox/
• Click "Next"
• Enter a recognizable name, such as "My email"
• Click "Finish"
• Double-click on the new desktop icon, to verify that it works.

4. Educating the User

If necessary, you may want to show the different parts of the application to your loved one. How to open it up, how to log in, how to compose a new mail message and so on.

You can also let him or her read our email safety guidelines, to create awareness to the dangers that could come along with email.