Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

What Does Your E-mail Address Say About You?

by Amar Toor on January 16, 2010 at 08:01 AM

If you're like us, you probably do your best to cultivate a certain image of yourself through Facebook, Twitter, or any other social networking site. But while you whittle away time untagging photos and collecting obscure personal quotes, a more elemental component of your online DNA may say more about you than you think: your e-mail address.

Earlier in the week, Lifehacker asked its readers to dish on just how revealing an e-mail address can be, and while some of its recent feedback seems obvious, several other perspectives are distinctly more nuanced and unique. The principal context in which people discussed the real world implications of e-mail addresses was, of course, the workplace, where business cards fly like onions at a Benihana joint and that vaunted first impression is oh so crucial. Judging from the feedback, the scrutiny with which a co-worker or boss will examine your address seems to vary depending on what kind of sector you're working in. If you're in tech, for example, a potential employer will likely pay more attention to your provider rather than the front half of the address. Starting a small business? Might be a good idea to have your own domain name, as several readers found businesses with non-proprietary providers somewhat minor league. And it kinda goes without saying, but it might finally be time to retire that "JaKeRuLeZ6969" username you created back in middle school.

A few readers took issue with implicitly pre-judging someone based on their choice of provider or username, but you could make the same argument about any first impression-based prejudice. But whether you're looking to climb the corporate ladder, or open up a small factory that makes ladders, it might be time to re-think how people see you in their inbox. [From: Lifehacker]

Tags: email, email address, EmailAddress, professional, service providers, ServiceProviders, top, username

Comments

1

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular