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Email addresses may be unique at one point of time, but assuming that they are unique identifiers for people is problematic because they can legitimately change
by regularfry 16y ago
Email addresses may be unique at one point of time, but assuming that they are unique identifiers for people is problematic because they can legitimately change hands. For instance, my work email address is <firstname>@<company>. I'm not the first <firstname> at <company> - the other one left before I joined, but two months after I took over the email address I'm still clearing up the accounts with services that made an identity assumption over email addresses.
- gokhan 16y agoIsn't there a problem if you sign-up to services with your "temporary" work email? Get a gmail account and sit on it, what's wrong with that?
- regularfry 16y agoI don't have a "temporary" work email. I'm not sure I understand what you're suggesting.
- nitrogen 16y agoSimilarly, I'm still getting e-mails for [username]@[isp] because the username I chose has been used by several prior users, and just happened to be free at the moment I signed up.