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You own both FirstLast@gmail and first.last@gmail. Try send an email to both, and you should get both emails. They are likely making a typeo elsewhere in their

You own both FirstLast@gmail and first.last@gmail. Try send an email to both, and you should get both emails. They are likely making a typeo elsewhere in their email address which is causing the confusion. for example: Steve.foo@gmail.com stevenfoo@gmai.com Notice one is Steve and the other is Steven, the dot has nothing to do with it.

ethbr1 3y ago
No one misunderstands that, as that's what parent said.
richardw 3y ago
Please look at my example up thread. It’s the combination of mistakes amplified by the dots. The dots make it worse by far. I just searched for my name with no dots in my gmail. Man. It’s a dumpster fire. I have to put up with hundreds and hundred of wrong mails monthly because this feature amplifies the mistakes so much. And it adds to spam because other people type the wrong mails into forms and gmail “fixes” it by ignoring the lack of dots. It’s honestly infuriating. We know we own all versions. We get it. That’s what causes extra work for us and makes us like the product less. My experience would be significantly improved if I could have all the non canonical addresses bounce. I agree that I would also like nobody else to own one of the other dot versions but that’s also possible.
- xigoi 3y ago
  > My experience would be significantly improved if I could have all the non canonical addresses bounce. I'm pretty sure you could set up a filter for that.
  - richardw 3y ago
    Yup, downside is people who have had others make mistakes, never see their mail.
- InsomniacL 3y ago
  Can you please explain how the dots have any affect?
  - richardw 3y ago
    I did, here. Was it not enough info? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37339688 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37339688 Rewritten: For various reasons, people mistype emails and they usually end up with a no-dotted address. Mine, as the catch-all, gets that mail. A classic made up example is eg “fred.fredflintstone@gmail”. I have many times received mail for that person because I’m “fred.flintstone@gmail”. People see the double fred, remove the first and hit my account. I also get for “fredtflintstone” (notice the t, many don’t) and this last month “fredrflintstone”. Life would be much easier for all if gmail just bounced those when someone types it as “fredflintstone”. They’d check and fix it. This is amplified by spam, because any leaks others make hits my account. They should bounce. This morning I put up a filter to the no dot version. About a month ago someone put my no-dot version on their dodgy Microsoft ads account. I spent ages trying to get off it and somehow Microsoft still hasn’t taken me off. Now I’m just filtering that to deleted, along with mail for all the mistakes above. I’m done. Gmail’s dot policy enables this hugely.
    - InsomniacL 3y ago
      But in your example there is no difference wether Google’s dot policy exists or it doesn’t. Someone could have setup a dodgy Microsoft ads account to your main email just as easily as the dotted/non-dotted version. Where is the problem?
      - richardw 3y ago
        Firstly, thank you for engaging on it. The problems: 1) people who are sending important emails are ending up with the wrong person and they don’t know. Fixing that takes effort on my part, I have to tell individuals or a group mail I’m the wrong person. A bounce would fix that, instantly with no effort. I sometimes try find the right person. That also takes effort, I have to look for clues. Locations, work hints etc. 2) I’m fairly careful with my email. Others aren’t. Most of the spam I get is linked to the wrong address. Those should also be bounces. Because I get mail for all dot variants, I get a multiplied amount of spam compared to just my version. 3) I’m pretty sure a dodgy money making racket is to sign people up via affiliate programs in the hope some of those get added. I see this in a huge amount of random email lists, products etc. I’d say 80% minimum of those use the no-dot version. The problem is that 80% I shouldn’t have to put up with. The people doing this are just being lists of addresses and firing them at anything that works. They aren’t targeting me, they’re just using the strings they’ve harvested. So they don’t know about the version I use. The Microsoft issue pushed me over the edge. I’m now going to trash that entire set of problem for my own (selfish) purposes by filtering it out. The people being harmed are those whose contacts mis-type addresses and now eg invites to funerals will go to trash.
c0pium 3y ago
I already said that, and it’s orthogonal to my point.

ethbr1 3y ago

No one misunderstands that, as that's what parent said.

richardw 3y ago

Please look at my example up thread. It’s the combination of mistakes amplified by the dots. The dots make it worse by far. I just searched for my name with no dots in my gmail. Man. It’s a dumpster fire. I have to put up with hundreds and hundred of wrong mails monthly because this feature amplifies the mistakes so much. And it adds to spam because other people type the wrong mails into forms and gmail “fixes” it by ignoring the lack of dots. It’s honestly infuriating. We know we own all versions. We get it. That’s what causes extra work for us and makes us like the product less. My experience would be significantly improved if I could have all the non canonical addresses bounce. I agree that I would also like nobody else to own one of the other dot versions but that’s also possible.

xigoi 3y ago
> My experience would be significantly improved if I could have all the non canonical addresses bounce. I'm pretty sure you could set up a filter for that.
- richardw 3y ago
  Yup, downside is people who have had others make mistakes, never see their mail.
InsomniacL 3y ago
Can you please explain how the dots have any affect?
- richardw 3y ago
  I did, here. Was it not enough info? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37339688 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37339688 Rewritten: For various reasons, people mistype emails and they usually end up with a no-dotted address. Mine, as the catch-all, gets that mail. A classic made up example is eg “fred.fredflintstone@gmail”. I have many times received mail for that person because I’m “fred.flintstone@gmail”. People see the double fred, remove the first and hit my account. I also get for “fredtflintstone” (notice the t, many don’t) and this last month “fredrflintstone”. Life would be much easier for all if gmail just bounced those when someone types it as “fredflintstone”. They’d check and fix it. This is amplified by spam, because any leaks others make hits my account. They should bounce. This morning I put up a filter to the no dot version. About a month ago someone put my no-dot version on their dodgy Microsoft ads account. I spent ages trying to get off it and somehow Microsoft still hasn’t taken me off. Now I’m just filtering that to deleted, along with mail for all the mistakes above. I’m done. Gmail’s dot policy enables this hugely.
  - InsomniacL 3y ago
    But in your example there is no difference wether Google’s dot policy exists or it doesn’t. Someone could have setup a dodgy Microsoft ads account to your main email just as easily as the dotted/non-dotted version. Where is the problem?
    - richardw 3y ago
      Firstly, thank you for engaging on it. The problems: 1) people who are sending important emails are ending up with the wrong person and they don’t know. Fixing that takes effort on my part, I have to tell individuals or a group mail I’m the wrong person. A bounce would fix that, instantly with no effort. I sometimes try find the right person. That also takes effort, I have to look for clues. Locations, work hints etc. 2) I’m fairly careful with my email. Others aren’t. Most of the spam I get is linked to the wrong address. Those should also be bounces. Because I get mail for all dot variants, I get a multiplied amount of spam compared to just my version. 3) I’m pretty sure a dodgy money making racket is to sign people up via affiliate programs in the hope some of those get added. I see this in a huge amount of random email lists, products etc. I’d say 80% minimum of those use the no-dot version. The problem is that 80% I shouldn’t have to put up with. The people doing this are just being lists of addresses and firing them at anything that works. They aren’t targeting me, they’re just using the strings they’ve harvested. So they don’t know about the version I use. The Microsoft issue pushed me over the edge. I’m now going to trash that entire set of problem for my own (selfish) purposes by filtering it out. The people being harmed are those whose contacts mis-type addresses and now eg invites to funerals will go to trash.

c0pium 3y ago

I already said that, and it’s orthogonal to my point.