Comments on: Have domain name, need email name

Question: Have domain name, need email name

davidstith — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:04:48 -0800

So I picked a domain name, but can't decide what to name my e-mail address.

I am trying to use a "user friendly" methodology for an e-mail address to accompany my personal domain. firstname@firstnamelastname.com seems redundant, and deciding between mail@, or email@ makes my head go in circles. I never thought this would perplex me as it does.

By: lia

lia — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:15:35 -0800

yourinitials@ or hello@, but you might also want to consider getting firstnamelastname@gmail if it's still available.

By: legotech

legotech — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:21:08 -0800

I used to have firedog@firedog.com...well, before I sold it (yes to the current owners..paid a LOT of bills off that year) I've also used my dog's name or just my initials rmf@xxx.com

Is it for a business or personal? If its personal make sure you have one email address for friends and family and several others for everyone else....One post on a random message board and suddenly you are getting penis enlargement spam for your dog (yes, once I got a message telling me my dog's equipment wasn't big enough, it frightened me on many levels)

Currently every account has its own email (amazon, netflix, gamefly etc) and a spamtrap for entering contests or getting freebies.

Heck, if its personal you can finally have that dream email name that was always taken at your old ISP

By: bruce

bruce — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:28:59 -0800

this question is so lacking in parameters as to be virtually unanswerable, but i'll take a stab. first off, there's nothing wrong with firstname@firstnamelastname.com, it isn't redundant, it just reinforces your brand, depending on what business you're in. yes, idol@firstnamelastname.com or kingpin@firstnamelastname.com has more cachet, but you didn't tell us what business you're in and i'm not sure that you could sell more annuities with that email. how about ceo@firstnamelastname.com, that's pretty neutral. "user friendly" isn't the same thing as sparkling or timeless, and frankly, firstname@firstnamelastname.com is about as user friendly as you're gonna get.

By: Malor

Malor — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:05:44 -0800

When you own a domain, don't use just one email address. As soon as the spammers get it, you lose.

Rather, use custom emails per sender. That is, say you start a relationship with Company A, you give them companya@yourdomain.com as a contact address. You either configure the catch-all to point to you, or you manually add that address to a redirect table to you.

The manual approach will work better, and I suggest you invest the extra minute or two per contact, because spammers WILL hit your domain with random emails. Screening out the bad ones is much, much harder than just enumerating the good ones.

This single thing alone will cut down your spam load tremendously, because if a name gets polluted, you can A) be pretty sure who sold you out, and B) disable that address, without messing up any of the others.

TRUST ME, you want to do this. It is so, so worth it. And you can only do it properly right when you first start with a domain, so you're in the perfect spot to implement it.

If you don't do this, you WILL regret it. I guarantee it.

By: cmgonzalez

cmgonzalez — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:06:23 -0800

I use firstname@ (my site is firstnamelastname.net ) for writing-related emails and also my initials: cg@ for a couple of other purposes, not writing-related. Keeps things simple and yet personal/direct.

By: maulik

maulik — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:11:10 -0800

i went with 'email'

i've gotten feedback like "oh, that's very easy to remember".

i also have a catchall address that takes in anything so i can create throwaway addresses at whim.

By: toomuchpete

toomuchpete — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:15:05 -0800

If you don't do this, you WILL regret it. I guarantee it.

Didn't do that. Don't regret it. YMMV.

I use firstname@firstnamelastname.com or me@firstnamelastname.com -- both go to the same place.

By: twistofrhyme

twistofrhyme — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:25:26 -0800

ego@yourname.com
whassap@yourname.com
holla@yourname.com
contact@yourname.com

i think mail@name.com is better than email@name.com.

By: junesix

junesix — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:27:50 -0800

firstname@firstnamelastname.com seems redundant
For information that people can forget, redundant is good. In the event someone needs to contact you and can't remember your email address, firstname@firstlastname.com is a likely guess -- a lot more so than "creative" addresses.

Also, using firstname@ gives a strong sense of identity. It's as if you're on a first name basis with the person you're giving it to. Not sure what type of business you're in but if you've built a company around your name (and domain), then the firstname@ address gives the impression that the message is going to the specific individual and not the intern who's been hired to read and reply to emails.

deciding between mail@, or email@
Don't use mail@ or email@. Those are obvious attacks for spammers. Only marginally less obvious than the domain@ and administrator@ addresses.

--

Since you've got the domain, I suggest applying some decent anti-spam filtering and make a couple email aliases all going to the same email address.

By: prophetsearcher

prophetsearcher — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:42:00 -0800

i've seen me@firstnamelastname.com, and thought it was an interesting approach

but agree that redundant=more memorable=good

By: fleeba

fleeba — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:04:50 -0800

By: arungoodboy

arungoodboy — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:08:38 -0800

How about something generic, like contact@firstnamelastname.com? Or maybe:
admin@firstnamelastname.com
feedback@firstnamelastname.com
Although I would probably prefer something like root@firstnamelastname.com.

By: singingfish

singingfish — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 02:25:22 -0800

me@firstnamelastname.com is also sane.

By: DarlingBri

DarlingBri — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 03:42:41 -0800

fuckoff@yourdomain.com very handy for those "we MUST have an email address so we can SPAM YOU" forms. Validates and goes straight to trash.

By: The Deej

The Deej — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 04:48:09 -0800

I use firstname@firstnamelastname.com. Redundant or not, people never forget it. I just tell them, "If you know my name, you know my email address" and I've rarely had to repeat it later.

By: Lucinda

Lucinda — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 05:07:26 -0800

If you don't do this, you WILL regret it. I guarantee it

I agree. I can no longer use firstname@worldwidefirstname.com because it's basically a 100% pure spam account now. sigh.

By: lowlife

lowlife — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 06:34:51 -0800

I use 'mail@...'.

By: mendel

mendel — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 06:48:13 -0800

People will still second-guess the hell out of anything. first@firstlast.com lets people look at the address and go "yep, that DOES go to that guy."

That said, I've used first@lastname.ca for as long as .ca has had open registration, and I get lots of spam which all gets filtered away for me by SpamAssassin, and thus might as well be far, far less spam. Hiding from spammers is a lot more work than hiding the spam.

By: nicwolff

nicwolff — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 07:42:16 -0800

I used to use "eponymous@nicwolff.com".

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:00:33 -0800

I'm using firstname at firstnames.net (i.e. joe@joes.net) and no one ever has to write it down.

By: andshewas

andshewas — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:57:45 -0800

i know a guy who uses himself@firstnamelastname.com

By: jmevius

jmevius — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:11:43 -0800

I use me@firstnamelastname.com.

By: bargainhunter

bargainhunter — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:48:09 -0800

For family emails I would go with [firstname]@[lastname].com

If the domain is not available then

I would go with [firstname]@[lastname]family.com

This format gives the most personal touch

By: clanger

clanger — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:11:26 -0800

yourstruly@firstnamelastname.com
me@firstnamelastname.com

By: megatherium

megatherium — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:03:25 -0800

Make up a few easily-understood addresses for use when people ask you for your e-mail address on the phone, at a hotel desk, etc. The username should have two three syllables, be nonsensical otherwise, and be easily understandable when spoken. Viz:

redcar@domain.com
fingerjar@domain.com
bluehambone@domain.com

etc.