They're used for other purposes as well.

Using Android, you could trash my phone and tablet (using only my gmail login)

As I typed before. When logging into Hotmail I was faced with a screen which demanded a mobile phone number and gave an option below stating I could do this later but it was required.
So, there may be another option but the default option is to tell you you are required to enter a mobile phone number. If Microsoft don't mean "required" they should not use the word "required".

While I'm no fan of their OS either, your statement is still false (It all sounds as yet some more irrational MS-bashing.).

PS: MS just added a "security question" option as well.
See: http://oi41.tinypic.com/zuih09.jpg

My statement is not false. I was confronted with a screen demanding a mobile phone number and a link at the bottom saying I could delay it so it would be required within 7 days. I did not get any other screens up but that one.
I apologise if you don't understand due to dialectal differences but in British English the word "required" means "must" and "not optional".
Kindly stop suggesting I am a liar. I don't make anything up to make MS, or anyone else, look bad and have been known to "defend" them (see any discussion on Secure Boot). I expect at least a little respect and to be taken at my word when I type something. I'll not wait another 7 days to screen-shot it as I think it beneath me to have to prove myself.

Don't be such a drama queen. I've only replied because I do see you as an intelligent person.
If I somehow insulted you, I do humbly apologize for that (my native languages are Dutch and French, all English comes from programming and the movies).

I still think you simply overlooked all options in Hotmail though (that's not the same as calling you a liar).
... and no, "required" does not leave any room for other options in any language (hence why I still consider your statement false).

Oh, I see jens, you are calling me a liar about what has been happening! From the very start of this post I have told the truth and ONLY the truth. However at every posting you imply that it is a "Hacker"/I missread something/you don't believe MS would do something like this/everyone is wrong but YOU!

The very nature of your attitude and reply's alude to me being a liar or don't know how to read a message! When everyone else basically has talked about problems of the same sort. I DID NOT OVERLOOK any options whatsoever! I was flat out refused access to hotmail and gmail!
I opened up another email account with "OPERA" as suggested above. They let me have an account, but when I tried to send mail it was NO (I could receive mail), I had to give a cell phone number, my home phone number was a no as person after person on "there" forum said.

After all this you still seem to defend all of them by saying I am lieing, Hell, everyone is lieing, except YOU and whoever! That leads me to believe YOU are a "Ringer" on MS or someone's payroll that's paid to defend MS !

I am starting to doubt your story as well, because I have never had this happen with fastmail or opera mail.

I don't know how it is possible that different e-mail accounts from different companies can all do the same thing all at once.

I know someone with a gmail account, which I will soon cancel and it has NOT threatened to close any mail account thus far.

Reminder to everyone: The OP is asking about mail providers not tied to Microsoft. This thread is not about if you believe the OP that a phone number is required for some services, the meaning of the word required or the actions of three-letter-agencies.
So please, keep this thread on topic.

You can believe what you want, I told the truth !

Err... OK.
You caught me.

I'm a spy for MS and I'm also responsible for your troubles with our most competitive rival.
I've also included some backdoors in Debian and the upstream Linux subsystems (the usb and sata parts).

My goal is to rule the earth with a legion of pink ponies.

Sleep tight,
Jens.

Well you should feel right at home now since some real AH's are running the Earth/country!

As for me catching you, NO, you started your idiotic rebutal to everything I said right from the start. Anyone with half a brain that reads the whole posting will be well aware of your position in the Linux community! You caught yourself!

So I just logged in to my old hotmail account and I did get message about a phone number being "required", but it turns out the "required" refers to a phone number OR an alternate email. The wording does make it seem like a phone number is required, but it's actually not.

Thank for taking the time out to check rather than accusing the OP and myself of lying.
It seems MS have chosen the wrong wording for their message and that could have misled people into thinking that a phone number is required.
To return to the original question I think most web hosting companies offer email hosting as well as web page hosting as either part of a package or a fairly low cost addition.

From countermail

Is it possible to use the openPGP 2048 encryption with MUTT, and with a gmail account, such as you give a key attached to the 2nd email to the mate you send your email?

Simply with Mutt and a regular gmail or whatever it is account? they wont decrypt it, even with your microsouft

You might want to start a different thread for that question, as it is somewhat off topic for this one.

You'd have to have your mate's public key already in order to encrypt the mail you send to him. He would need your public key to send encrypted email back. How the two of you share your public keys is up to you. It's usually done by uploading your public key to public key servers. People sometimes post their public keys on web sites too.

There are possible trust and privacy concerns with public key servers. See, for example, the Privacy concerns and Problems with keyservers sections on wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_se...yptographic%29