Mark's Notebook

Yet another online pitfall: Domain shame

I've tried to tell callers and cuers for many years that if they have an email address from juno.com, aol.com, or yahoo.com, email recipients will not take them seriously.

Why not? An email address from juno.com or yahoo.com says you are cheap, that you are not willing to pay for email. If even you do pay for the upgraded versions of these services, you'll still be lumped with the 90 percent of those who use the free versions.

An email address from aol.com says that you are a rank beginner. You might know how to use email, but probably not other internet services like web or p2p. It also says that you might be a spammer. And even if the recipient knows who you are, they still have to worry that their email to you may not arrive because of AOL's aggressive spam filtering.

Some employers are now balking at resumes that are sent from certain e-mail domains because of the stigma attached.

"I'll never hire someone with an AOL.com address," said Peter Shankman, founder of The Geek Factory, a New York City marketing firm that consults for such clients as Yoo-hoo soft drinks and Walt Disney World. "It screams that you're at a very basic stage."

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/features/index.php?ntid=38123&ntpid=3

"What's worth more - credibility or cash?"

Free e-mail addresses and certain providers don't always make the best first impression. If your livelihood depends on your email transactions, don't blow it by using an email address that says "unprofessional." It might "only" be a calling or a cueing contract, but why take a chance?

And of course, some email addresses are just in bad taste. A screen name like pimpman404 or spoiledbrat770 won't get you very far. I had a former boss whose personal email address was somthing like "foobar@stoplookingatmyass.com." I was afraid he might send a job reference from that account on my behalf.

On the other end of the spectrum are those who have upscale domain names. An email from mac.com says that you're a Mac snob who looks down on lowly PC users. If my email address were "markb@markb.com" you might think me a little full of myself.

Sometimes useful

Free or cheap email addresses can often be useful as a secondary address. I do have a hotmail.com address and a yahoo.com address. I use them when I sign up for services I'm not too sure about, just in case I might start getting a lot of spam. I also use them for mailing lists. I would never use those for vital personal communication.

I've also occasionally had a mac.com address, not because I'm a snob, but because such an address can be tested for free for 60 days every time you upgrade your Mac.

If you travel a lot, it can be useful to sign up for a free or cheap service with nationwide dial-up access. And your needs will vary widely depending on many factors. Are you carrying a Mac Powerbook, a Dell laptop, an iPaq PC, or a Palm Pilot? Will you connect via a wire or via a cell phone? For example, I could never use the Juno service with my Palm Pilot because its special software requires a PC or Mac.

So find the service that is right for you. But also be aware that you can have more than one email address. Just because you have a paid email address through Earthlink, this doesn't mean you can't also have a throwaway email address through yahoo.com. And just because you have a cheap service for nationwide traveling, this doesn't mean you can't also have a more legitimate-appearing email address at home.

Disclaimers

I have or have had email addresses on aol.com, yahoo.com, hotmail.com, spymac.net, and mac.com, among (probably) many others.

I own a Mac, and I use Macs, PCs, Unix, Palm Pilots and everything else.

More on these issues:
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/features/index.php?ntid=38123&ntpid=3

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Last updated Tuesday 13 May 2008