The Trouble With Cryptic Email Names
Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:45PM EDT
See Comments (165)
Do you have friends and family with bizarre email names like Glyptal, Styx1000, Dude5? Me, too. I can understand using these names for the incognito web activities in your life like commenting on blog posts and e-shopping. But why make people who know you have to perform a mental matching test every time they get your email?
This Labor Day weekend I'm in serious trouble thanks to cryptic email names. We're throwing a family party and, truthfully, I'm not sure who's showing up. I'm convinced that because they were email names saved in my "Family" list on Evite we'll recognize and be able to put a name to an email name when they show. My mom is convinced that a few absolute strangers are going to turn up—maybe a work colleague of mine or an old boyfriend of one of the kids who should have been purged from the family list.
I'd love to blame Evite for making it too easy to send out invitations. I should probably blame myself for not clearing out my lists every now and then. But I'm going to blame people who think their email name is some sort of cipher. Can't wait to meet you, Glyptal and Styx!
To the rest of you, stay safe and enjoy your weekend.
Top 5 Posts
More About Services
Comments on The Trouble With Cryptic Email Names
Post a Comment
Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.
-
7 Posted by ttygrr125 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:23PM EDT Report Abuse
Most good e-mail services allow you to put a name to an e-mail address. Allowing you to subtitle or even rename what you see in your address book. Who wants an e-mail address with their own name on it?
-
8 Posted by bgxscott1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:06PM EDT Report Abuse
can you get a transfer here? or should you wait for the post man, then ask for code and or password? thx!for the help!
-
9 Posted by tygerlili95 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:25PM EDT Report Abuse
i always get confused when it comes to emailing everyone to a get together. that is why i call by phone most of the time or i call the closest people and hav them spread the word out to every one else that i know! it usually works out pretty well for me.
-
10 Posted by savannahmagic5 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:06PM EDT Report Abuse
wow. how interesting. i guess it sort of has a point, but who really cares...
-
11 Posted by paulthomas001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:03PM EDT Report Abuse
How do 'articles' such as this make it to Yahoo's front page? Its stuff like this that makes we want to consider making Google my home page after being a loyal Yahoo user for years...
-
12 Posted by clip_mi on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:27PM EDT Report Abuse
This is nothing but a sponsored article that advertises "Evite". For shame--with Yahoo's contacts/address book feature, this shouldn't be a problem in the first place.
-
13 Posted by jblazed54t on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:30PM EDT Report Abuse
well most emails know, styx1000 is brian johnson or whatever it may be, outlook, and yes, yahoo, will put their name next to the email....i mean seriously, why was this article even allowed to make it online, on the front page even
-
14 Posted by miss_amorica on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:22PM EDT Report Abuse
This makes no sense... because when you view your inbox, it shows the person's name, not the email address.
-
15 Posted by krissygirl126 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:53PM EDT Report Abuse
Quit whining and learn how to label your contacts. Its not terribly hard, ms. "expert blogger."
-
16 Posted by candian2005 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:17PM EDT Report Abuse
This articles a reach. I have some good recipes for cooking potatoes if you need some filler on a slow news day.
-
17 Posted by teachmorris2004 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:59PM EDT Report Abuse
This article is insulting in it's stupidity. Most email services, and certainly evite, allow you to put in the names that correlate with the address. And I thought I was dumb on a computer.
-
18 Posted by rach_not_roach on Sun Sep 2, 2007 1:17AM EDT Report Abuse
there are spam generating machines that automatically send crap to "normal" names. john.smith@aol.com; johnsmith1@aol.com etc. crazy names like Glyptal and Styx are less likely to be inundated with ads for viagra and ways to refinance your home.
-
19 Posted by tjmunch on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:12PM EDT Report Abuse
Don't most e-mail services come with an address book? With Yahoo I believe you can even categorize them and make groups-say you want to e-mail co-workers, friends...or family members. You are able to put them into their own groups. Even if that's not the case, when you enter it into the address book you should have the option of putting a name with it. Don't have an address book on the site? Make your own either by hand in a cheap little notebook or on Word where they're just written out alphabetically, keep it on the desktop for ease.
-
20 Posted by kryptychyck on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:54PM EDT Report Abuse
I have had my online moniker for over 10 years - back when online nicknames were referred to as "handles". Although it is very unique and would obviously annoy the heck out of the author of this article, I like it and I don't care what anyone else thinks. I chose it for my own reasons. My friends and family, aka the people who count in my life, know who it is when they see the name. Handles mean something to the person who created them. What I think is ironic is that the author refers to herself as "The Boomer". What the heck does that mean?
-
21 Posted by casleigh on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:19PM EDT Report Abuse
ummmm...type in the person's name when you set them up in your address book. There are a million other things that are more annoying than some using a "cryptic" e-mail address. Like reading this article. It was pretty annoying.
-
22 Posted by mud_puppy_girl on Sun Sep 2, 2007 1:18AM EDT Report Abuse
I like my ename better than my own name
-
23 Posted by hockeychild74 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:19PM EDT Report Abuse
I agree with kolja72. Yawn. Folks need a bit of anonymity with regards to e-mail. Nobody has given me grief over my e-mail addresses, since I first arrived on the 'Net in '98. You save addresses of friends, while keeping their personal info. (real names, mail addresses, etc.). This isn't rocket science.
-
24 Posted by duder8675 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:49PM EDT Report Abuse
he he duder8675 :)
-
25 Posted by kevjgriffith on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:50PM EDT Report Abuse
someone had a deadline and nothing to write about...
Sponsored Links
My Tech
Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.
Also on Yahoo! Tech
| Computers | Home Office | Wi-Fi & Networking | Phones & PDAs | Cameras & Camcorders | TV & Home Theater | Portable Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 Posted by rockandrollgoddess on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:47PM EDT Report Abuse
dude, don't they have it so when you put in a new email address, you write the name of whose email it is? and every time you compose on email, doesn't it show in little quotes who you're typing to? So what's the big fuss all about? let people do what they want. And if you're email account isn't one with the little quotes with the names in them, then switch systems! Problem solved! No need to fume about it! whatever. Peace.