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You'll be surprised how many people think they can just use first.lastname@gmail.com and have email magically appear in their account. And even more people have

You'll be surprised how many people think they can just use first.lastname@gmail.com and have email magically appear in their account. And even more people have no idea what the @gmail.com/@ibm.com is about. All they know is that some of their emails don't reach their contacts, probably because "the computer broke again". It's not a hard concept, but it's a concept that was only ever explained in school to a sliver of the population actually using email every day. Plus, federation makes validating accounts real hard. Looking for a semi-popular Twitter user on Mastodon will bring forth 800 Twitter-to-Mastodon-bridges with plausible-looking domains, only for the real user to end up using something like "hachyderm" as their domain name. I don't know any good solutions to this problem, but that doesn't make the problem go away.

pavel_lishin 2y ago
I have my own domain, and have email set up so that any email to that domain goes to me. You'd be surprised (well, nobody here on HN would be) to know how many times I tell a business that my email is "their-business@my-domain.com", and they ask me how I got that email address, whether I work for their company, etc.
- robertlagrant 2y ago
  Yep. I've had that conversation more than once. They get very suspicious! And probably triggers internal meetings with cyber.
  - pavel_lishin 2y ago
    I genuinely wonder how many emails I've missed because some system flagged the email address as invalid or suspicious.
  - dingaling 2y ago
    I can only dream that it triggers meetings with security. I once started receiving spam addressed to <mybankname>@<mydomain>.org and after several instances I reported it to MyBankName. I explained that I only used that address in my dealings with them and so it must have leaked from them. They said that's not how email works, you have one address that you use with all your contacts. One of them must have leaked it. I tried to explain that I used a different host portion with each company I contacted. They said that's not how email works, you have one address that you use with all your contacts. One of them must have leaked it. I transferred my balance out and let the account lapse.
    - fuzztester 2y ago
      why didn't you close the account instead, after transferring your balance, to send them a stronger message?
      - SiempreViernes 2y ago
        Sounds like the sort of bank that only allow closure to be requested via fax certain months.
        Dilettante_ 2y ago
        The mailbox is publicly accessible, in the 2nd level basement behind a locked door guarded by a hungry tiger!
        fuzztester 2y ago
        Then I request, in no uncertain terms, that the government kindly close those sorts of faxers.
- amatecha 2y ago
  Yeah, I do this with a catchall domain as well. Indeed, I've had people ask if I work for their company -- too funny! So far the only company that has illegally added me to a mailing list I didn't sign up for is H&M (the clothing store).
  - johnisgood 2y ago
    I hate this stuff. Someone tried to sign up to a crypto exchange with my phone number. :| 3 times they had the code resent!
- oneeyedpigeon 2y ago
  Even giving them "email+their-business@gmail.com" (instead of email@gmail.com), as every single Gmail user is able to do, will no doubt sow confusion.
  - rswail 2y ago
    I always allocate an email of my+company@myemail.com and the number of email validators that don't accept that "+" is a legit email character is infuriating.
    - glandium 2y ago
      That's why I've updated my SMTP config to handle - the same way as + 10+ years ago. And to avoid "why is my business name in your email?" questions, I rot13 it.
      - Dilettante_ 2y ago
        >rot13 That's clever. But doesn't it cause friction when trying to relay the address e.g. over the phone?
      - zimpenfish 2y ago
        Yeah, did the same for my SMTP config way back. Don't think my family users have managed to get their head around it yet though. > to avoid "why is my business name in your email?" questions, I rot13 it. That's a neat idea.
      - latexr 2y ago
        Your first sentence took me a second to mentally parse and understand, so to help anyone with that same issue later, what was meant is: > That's why I've updated my SMTP config to handle the hyphen character the same way as the plus sign over 10 years ago.
- IceDane 2y ago
  This is simultaneously a brilliant idea and hilarious because I can imagine how this must confuse them.
- jeroenhd 2y ago
  I do the same, and some companies flat-out refuse to accept email adresses with their own name in them. Samsung, notably, won't allow samsung@domain.tld for some obscure reason. Every time I have to hand out my email over the phone, I brace for having to explain my catch-all to people. Depending on how tired/tech-illiterate the person on the other end sounds, I've started using plausible-sounding alternatives (contact@/hello@/email@) instead.
  - kazinator 2y ago
    > won't allow samsung@domain.tld for some obscure reason. It's not obscure. Some code monkey at Samsung was told to filter out certain addresses, Samsung ones among them, and just used a regex or substring search on the entire address.
    - marcus_holmes 2y ago
      It could also fall foul of a Scunthorpe filter - refusing to accept names with some subset of characters, and the company name got added to the filter to avoid "samsungsuxbawls@gmail.com" or similar
- networked 2y ago
  Since this happens often, you could try changing the form of the email addresses to make them less confusing. I can think of several options: 1. Prepend "from-", so that instead of <their-business>@example.com you give them from-<their-business>@example.com. It should at least make it easier to explain your approach when you have to. 2. ROT13 or reverse the name of the business so it's gurve-ohfvarff@example.com or ssenisub-rieht@example.com. You can design a different stateless function that maps names to email addresses. The function doesn't even have to be invertible. This is similar to a stateless password manager like https://www.lesspass.com/ https://www.lesspass.com/. 3. Use a list of pre-generated addresses you keep on your person. Think recovery codes. Of course, you can keep the list on a smartphone.
PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago
> You'll be surprised how many people think they can just use first.lastname@gmail.com and have email magically appear in their account. Since I like surprises, do tell ... how many people think that?
- zizee 2y ago
  You are probably being cheeky, but just in case: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom https://hinative.com/questions/18367967 https://hinative.com/questions/18367967
- meowster 2y ago
  At least 6 with my not-that-common (maybe somewhere in the middle) first and last name combination. Maybe more, but at least six of the emails meant for others that I've received, implied they live at those six unique locations. I know one of them likes to get the vegetarian meal option when traveling internationally by plane. (Companies should really validate email address OWNERSHIP before spamming innocent people.)
  - poincaredisk 2y ago
    Are you sure they were confused people? More probable explanation is that they made typos while entering their email. The alternative explanation, that they roitinely use [your name].[your last name]@gmail.com as their email, and don't realize that it never works is... unlikely IMO.
    - fcatalan 2y ago
      My wife has been receiving medical appointments, test results, event tickets, package tracking numbers and so on destined to a few old ladies for years. I once tracked the sons and nephews of one and told them, and they apparently thought I was some kind of scammer and didn't return messages after a couple exchanges, so to this day she still receives all those.
    - meowster 2y ago
notyourwork 2y ago
> It's not a hard concept, but it's a concept that was only ever explained in school to a sliver of the population actually using email every day. It's not hard to someone with exposure to a certain medium. Though its a bit dismissive like it would be for a mechanic to question why a person doesn't know know about rotors, spark plugs and other "simple" car concepts.
Zambyte 2y ago
> I don't know any good solutions to this problem, but that doesn't make the problem go away. Abandoning the concept of celebreties and instead using social media for social interactions with people who you can "validate" their identity by walking over to them and asking them for their ID.
dghughes 2y ago
> You'll be surprised how many people think they can just use first.lastname@gmail.com and have email magically appear in their account. I get a pile of junk from people who assume they can do that. I guess I have a lot of stupid distant relatives. It was the same for Hotmail too I got so many hotel receipts, or resume replies etc. one went on for decade or more. Yes you can reply back "no this is wrong" but nobody listens.

pavel_lishin 2y ago

I have my own domain, and have email set up so that any email to that domain goes to me. You'd be surprised (well, nobody here on HN would be) to know how many times I tell a business that my email is "their-business@my-domain.com", and they ask me how I got that email address, whether I work for their company, etc.

robertlagrant 2y ago
Yep. I've had that conversation more than once. They get very suspicious! And probably triggers internal meetings with cyber.
- pavel_lishin 2y ago
  I genuinely wonder how many emails I've missed because some system flagged the email address as invalid or suspicious.
- dingaling 2y ago
  I can only dream that it triggers meetings with security. I once started receiving spam addressed to <mybankname>@<mydomain>.org and after several instances I reported it to MyBankName. I explained that I only used that address in my dealings with them and so it must have leaked from them. They said that's not how email works, you have one address that you use with all your contacts. One of them must have leaked it. I tried to explain that I used a different host portion with each company I contacted. They said that's not how email works, you have one address that you use with all your contacts. One of them must have leaked it. I transferred my balance out and let the account lapse.
  - fuzztester 2y ago
    why didn't you close the account instead, after transferring your balance, to send them a stronger message?
    - SiempreViernes 2y ago
      Sounds like the sort of bank that only allow closure to be requested via fax certain months.
      - Dilettante_ 2y ago
        The mailbox is publicly accessible, in the 2nd level basement behind a locked door guarded by a hungry tiger!
      - fuzztester 2y ago
        Then I request, in no uncertain terms, that the government kindly close those sorts of faxers.
amatecha 2y ago
Yeah, I do this with a catchall domain as well. Indeed, I've had people ask if I work for their company -- too funny! So far the only company that has illegally added me to a mailing list I didn't sign up for is H&M (the clothing store).
- johnisgood 2y ago
  I hate this stuff. Someone tried to sign up to a crypto exchange with my phone number. :| 3 times they had the code resent!
oneeyedpigeon 2y ago
Even giving them "email+their-business@gmail.com" (instead of email@gmail.com), as every single Gmail user is able to do, will no doubt sow confusion.
- rswail 2y ago
  I always allocate an email of my+company@myemail.com and the number of email validators that don't accept that "+" is a legit email character is infuriating.
  - glandium 2y ago
    That's why I've updated my SMTP config to handle - the same way as + 10+ years ago. And to avoid "why is my business name in your email?" questions, I rot13 it.
    - Dilettante_ 2y ago
      >rot13 That's clever. But doesn't it cause friction when trying to relay the address e.g. over the phone?
    - zimpenfish 2y ago
      Yeah, did the same for my SMTP config way back. Don't think my family users have managed to get their head around it yet though. > to avoid "why is my business name in your email?" questions, I rot13 it. That's a neat idea.
    - latexr 2y ago
      Your first sentence took me a second to mentally parse and understand, so to help anyone with that same issue later, what was meant is: > That's why I've updated my SMTP config to handle the hyphen character the same way as the plus sign over 10 years ago.
IceDane 2y ago
This is simultaneously a brilliant idea and hilarious because I can imagine how this must confuse them.
jeroenhd 2y ago
I do the same, and some companies flat-out refuse to accept email adresses with their own name in them. Samsung, notably, won't allow samsung@domain.tld for some obscure reason. Every time I have to hand out my email over the phone, I brace for having to explain my catch-all to people. Depending on how tired/tech-illiterate the person on the other end sounds, I've started using plausible-sounding alternatives (contact@/hello@/email@) instead.
- kazinator 2y ago
  > won't allow samsung@domain.tld for some obscure reason. It's not obscure. Some code monkey at Samsung was told to filter out certain addresses, Samsung ones among them, and just used a regex or substring search on the entire address.
  - marcus_holmes 2y ago
    It could also fall foul of a Scunthorpe filter - refusing to accept names with some subset of characters, and the company name got added to the filter to avoid "samsungsuxbawls@gmail.com" or similar
networked 2y ago
Since this happens often, you could try changing the form of the email addresses to make them less confusing. I can think of several options: 1. Prepend "from-", so that instead of <their-business>@example.com you give them from-<their-business>@example.com. It should at least make it easier to explain your approach when you have to. 2. ROT13 or reverse the name of the business so it's gurve-ohfvarff@example.com or ssenisub-rieht@example.com. You can design a different stateless function that maps names to email addresses. The function doesn't even have to be invertible. This is similar to a stateless password manager like https://www.lesspass.com/ https://www.lesspass.com/. 3. Use a list of pre-generated addresses you keep on your person. Think recovery codes. Of course, you can keep the list on a smartphone.

PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago

> You'll be surprised how many people think they can just use first.lastname@gmail.com and have email magically appear in their account. Since I like surprises, do tell ... how many people think that?

zizee 2y ago
You are probably being cheeky, but just in case: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom https://hinative.com/questions/18367967 https://hinative.com/questions/18367967
meowster 2y ago
At least 6 with my not-that-common (maybe somewhere in the middle) first and last name combination. Maybe more, but at least six of the emails meant for others that I've received, implied they live at those six unique locations. I know one of them likes to get the vegetarian meal option when traveling internationally by plane. (Companies should really validate email address OWNERSHIP before spamming innocent people.)
- poincaredisk 2y ago
  Are you sure they were confused people? More probable explanation is that they made typos while entering their email. The alternative explanation, that they roitinely use [your name].[your last name]@gmail.com as their email, and don't realize that it never works is... unlikely IMO.
  - fcatalan 2y ago
    My wife has been receiving medical appointments, test results, event tickets, package tracking numbers and so on destined to a few old ladies for years. I once tracked the sons and nephews of one and told them, and they apparently thought I was some kind of scammer and didn't return messages after a couple exchanges, so to this day she still receives all those.
  - meowster 2y ago

notyourwork 2y ago

> It's not a hard concept, but it's a concept that was only ever explained in school to a sliver of the population actually using email every day. It's not hard to someone with exposure to a certain medium. Though its a bit dismissive like it would be for a mechanic to question why a person doesn't know know about rotors, spark plugs and other "simple" car concepts.

Zambyte 2y ago

> I don't know any good solutions to this problem, but that doesn't make the problem go away. Abandoning the concept of celebreties and instead using social media for social interactions with people who you can "validate" their identity by walking over to them and asking them for their ID.

dghughes 2y ago

> You'll be surprised how many people think they can just use first.lastname@gmail.com and have email magically appear in their account. I get a pile of junk from people who assume they can do that. I guess I have a lot of stupid distant relatives. It was the same for Hotmail too I got so many hotel receipts, or resume replies etc. one went on for decade or more. Yes you can reply back "no this is wrong" but nobody listens.