For a school that prides itself on its technological prowess, the email client that we have resembles something like Outlook 1997. Foxmail has the UI (user interface) of a website that would be relevant on Geocities or Netscape.
Considering most non-computer science majors probably did not pick up on that reference, those were relevant back when "Rocket Power" was still on television at normal viewing hours. It is definitely interesting to think about how much the Internet has changed over the course of most current college students’ lives. Unfortunately, Foxmail never got that memo and, as such, our email client is the technological equivalent of the bird that served as the Flintstones’ remote, can opener, and plunger; yes, it does the job, but it feels super clunky and antiquated.
Now some of you are saying to yourselves, “It doesn’t matter; I just have my emails forwarded to my main email." Well, nobody cares what you think, and the fact that a large population of the college has to enable email forwarding is an indication of a much larger issue if the optimal option is to avoid using one’s college email. Much like in life, avoiding the problem is often not the best solution; in regards to Foxmail, email forwarding is not the end-all solution.
Considering the amount of money that goes into the technology utilized by the school, there is really no conceivable reason as to why our email client is not up to date in 2016. In four years, after a critically important presidential election, another Ben Affleck "Batman," movie, and the death of several of your favorite actors and actresses, it will be the year 2020. Most fiction writers had the world’s population at a technological pinnacle -- complete with flying cars, high tech fashion, and other marvels. Instead, we have a Derelict-inspired Kanye West clothing line, hover-boards that you can buy at gas stations (they can and will explode), and vaping. As the Canadian bard, Drake, once wisely said, “Man what a time to be alive.”
Enough of that pessimism. Back to the topic at hand, which is Foxmail and how it is about as efficient as installing solar panels on a house in Portland, Ore. If Marist could use some of the funds that they use to keep our grass cleaner than a Mormon chat-room, Foxmail would be the Gmail of college email services. Seriously, Marist should enter a competition for the best grass, because unless the Garden of Eden or the White House enter, Marist College would come in first place. Nonetheless, in order to retain the sanity of most of the students, the best solution for Foxmail would be to have a massive overhaul. Yes, this is incredibly impractical, as completely renovating the structure of an email client whose clients have their personal names and information connected to it can be a risky move, but as someone else wisely once said, “Fortune favors the bold." So, Marist College, please listen to the students. Make Foxmail great again.
