Because I think firstname_lastname@example.com is ugly. Specifically, the underscore as "separator".

[pne]

I wonder how many people pick out or reject possible future jobs by the likely format of the email address they will be assigned there (based on email addresses they've already seen, e.g. the HR contact person or people who've posted on mailing lists).

Comments

[ghewgill.livejournal.com]

Although I also think that underscore-as-separator is ugly, I would have to say that wouldn't have any influence on my selection of a possible future job.

I looked back through email archives and discovered that one job actually did use firstname_lastname. Ick. :)

[opal1159.livejournal.com]

Not I, says firstname.x.lastname! It wouldn't be a factor though (and I wouldn't have known about the x part).

[pne.livejournal.com]

Is that because the "x" is supposed to be a middle initial and you haven't got one?

(A friend of mine had an email address of firstname.f.lastname for similar reasons; he didn't have a middle name so they used the initial of his first name as his "middle initial".)

And on a slightly similar note, I got an email from "michellex.lastname@example.com" once and commented on her given name, and she said the 'x' was added because she's an external contractor. I think I'd hate to be philipx.newton@example.com; it just looks really odd.

[opal1159.livejournal.com]

Yep. Requiring a "middle initial" became the law of the land for new hires within the last few years as a measure to help prevent emailing the wrong person. A lot of people still have firstname.lastname because they got that initially and didn't have to change, and some experienced people have middle initial because they felt like it, I guess. In lieu of a middle initial for differentiation, they also accept a location/role modifier, like john.uk.smith or something. It's probably confusing to clients to see so many variations, but it's a huge company.

On your similar note, ick, imagine if your name was Louise or something.

[pne.livejournal.com]

On your similar note, ick, imagine if your name was Louise or something.

Eww, yeah, that'd be unfortunate.

[schnurble.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't reject a job because of the email address. And probably most people as well.

IBM creates (or used to create) rather dull email addresses. They took the first letter of the first name and the first seven letters of the last name and put it together without separator. You can create a nicer alias, but apparently not many IBMers I have email contact with did it.

Incidentally, my last name is exactly 7 letters long, but for reasons unknown to me my email address was made of the first 2 letters of my first name, and six letters of my last name... Of course I created an alias with my full name as soon as I knew how to do it :o)

[pne.livejournal.com]

IBM creates (or used to create) rather dull email addresses. They took the first letter of the first name and the first seven letters of the last name and put it together without separator.

That's the default scheme for login names in my company now, too, since we got bought by T-Systems. (Fortunately, "pnewton" fits without truncation.)

(The previous scheme, when we were still small, was first letter of the first name and the first two letters of the last name -- hence "pne"!)

Incidentally, my last name is exactly 7 letters long, but for reasons unknown to me my email address was made of the first 2 letters of my first name, and six letters of my last name...

I suppose there was already someone else using "flastnam"? At least, that's what I would guess is the reason they gave you "filastna".

[gw-columbia.livejournal.com]

They took the first letter of the first name and the first seven letters of the last name and put it together without separator.

What if you have a super short name? My first and last name together is only eight letters!

[pne.livejournal.com]

If it's like our company, you'd have a super short user ID then -- so yours would only be four letters, for example.

By the way, the book arrived today -- thanks!

Good thinking for putting the bubblewrap on the side by the tear-open flap. It arrived in good condition, as you described it. (And I was surprised by how fast it came -- most letters from the US take about 7-10 days to arrive, in my experience; this was four days including the weekend!)

[gw-columbia.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'm impressed. Usually packages from one side of the country to the other take at least a week - never mind sending internationally! I hope you enjoy it.

I friended you, by the way!

[pne.livejournal.com]

I hope you enjoy it.

I stayed up way too late last night reading part of it :) So I think I will!

And now I could also look up whether Elder male pets can still mate, like Elder male sims -- I thought they could, but it was good to be able to look it up and be sure. (Well, moderately sure -- it's not as if Prima Game Guides are always accurate. Whether it's because the game designers changed the game after the Guide went to press, or whether the Guide author just goofed.)

I friended you, by the way!

Welcome to my journal!

I'm not going to friend you back at the moment, though, largely because my friends list is pretty huge already and I have a hard time keeping up with my friends page. Feel free to keep reading, though; most entries are public.

[gw-columbia.livejournal.com]

I rarely look at my friends page, oddly enough. I have one friend whose journal I read regularly, and three communities that I go to - and I tend to forget that I can just click on the link and see everything all at once. I don't update my LJ much since I also blog at Myspace (where most of my friends are), but feel free to pop in anytime.

[volantwish]

I don't think it would ever be a deciding factor for me. I would like being able to pick my format or at least choose an alias or two. (I mean, I understand the reasons for standardizing...it's nice to be able to send somebody email without having to look up their address.) I like it when I can get jana@ addresses (and it usually *is* possible :D)

[conuly]

My sister's is worse - firstname.lastname@company.org

And the company involves the word "conference", so it's randomcon.org - believe me, that gets confusing.