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Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

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Re: Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

#111

Post by Spivak »

robjan wrote: post #100
Spivak wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is actually Google's fault. Because Google is large enough Netflix could be nice and have special handling for Gmail addresses but this would be going against the email RFC that says $inbox1+$subaddr@domain == $inbox2+$subaddr@domain iff $inbox1 and $inbox2 are identical . Netflix has zero idea how any particular email operator mangles or maps inboxes to actual users. Apple's private email service maps all sorts…

This is Netflix's fault for not verifying email addresses before taking payment details for a recurring subscription.

True, Netflix should have verified that the person signing up could actually receive an email at the address they gave.

But in addition Netflix is right to allow the creation of two accounts where the difference is only dots.

Re: Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

#112

Post by saagarjha »

liquidgecka wrote: post #83
Santosh83 wrote: post #6

I have been getting financial emails from several people for many years at my GMail ID. They apparently have given my address but without the dot. But what mystifies me is how these people keep going for years without ever realising they aren't getting account transaction emails (from their banks), notifications of stock trades, even OTP emails etc. How is it possible for people to use these services for years withou…

Been there. I posted about this before but I own a 5 character common first and last name @gmail.com address. I get misdirected emails _constantly_. Usually I am polite about it and let people know, but sometimes I make a game of it. I was invited to participate in a drum circle with an offer to pay for my flight to which I replied that I would love to join, but they would also have to pay for drum lessons. I got a m…

That poor councilman…

Re: Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

#113

Post by derimagia »

rockyj wrote: post #41
tialaramex wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They didn't. You get email because somebody either typo's their similar address or they simply think that's their address when it isn't.

Not sure, I contacted this person, since I got their phone number from one of their emails (e.g. they registered for a hotel). I specifically asked them if they made a typo, according to them they have been using this email for years (maybe they lied but why would they).

They might have just been using it in terms of giving it out as theirs for years. Doesn't mean they've ever had access. Or they could have typoed it a long time ago and now actually think that that they've logged in with it when they never have.

Re: Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

#114

Post by saagarjha »

searchableguy wrote: post #65
bitbang wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same exact issue. Especially with people from Africa for some reason. I get a lot of stuff from 3 people from Kenya, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Most everything there is managed by phone, and they just use my email as a throw-away address. The guy in South Africa has a collections agency after him. The guy in Kenya likes to order food delivery quite a bit. I occasionally change his order to extra spicy. The guy in Zi…

I don't receive any junk mails anymore after switching to my custom domain.

I get a couple emails a day, which is about how much I was getting when I was on Gmail. However, I have been much less careful with my address too–I think spammers might just be less likely to mail custom domains because those addresses might be more likely to be invalid.

Re: Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

#115

Post by blindm »

I love the way most services treat dotted addresses as separate addresses. So for example if you wanted multiple accounts on $service you could register the following:

    john.doe@gmail.com
    j.ohndoe@gmail.com
    jo.hndoe@gmail.com
    joh.ndoe@gmail.com
    johnd.oe@gmail.com
    johndo.e@gmail.com
And now you have six accounts, with the bonus of receiving mail in the same inbox for each account!

Re: Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

#116

Post by devy »

Dots does matter in GSuite's email addresses (those are the email addresses for enterprise via work or school.)

Also in the email name part of the email address, anything after + (plug sign) and before the @ (at sign) don't matter either. [1] This is the same behavior for personal Gmail and GSuite email (Gmail for enterprises)

[1]: https://gizmodo.com/how-to-use-the-infinite-number-of-email-...

Re: Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

#117

Post by timvdalen »

justusthane wrote: post #77
searchableguy wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't receive any junk mails anymore after switching to my custom domain.

It’s weird, but that’s been my experience too. I switched off Gmail (where I got tons of spam, although most properly caught by the spam filter) several years ago, and have received fewer than 200 spam emails in total since switching. I know this because my new host won’t allow the personalized spam filter to be enabled until you’ve received 200 spam. I’m not at all careful to keep my email address hidden on the inte…

I think you are lucky, I get around 5-10 spam mails on my custom domain daily. Granted, my address has been in a few data dumps.

Re: Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

#118

Post by har33sh »

blindm wrote: post #115

I love the way most services treat dotted addresses as separate addresses. So for example if you wanted multiple accounts on $service you could register the following: john.doe@gmail.com j.ohndoe@gmail.com jo.hndoe@gmail.com joh.ndoe@gmail.com johnd.oe@gmail.com johndo.e@gmail.com And now you have six accounts, with the bonus of receiving mail in the same inbox for each account!

You can also add multiple dots :)

Re: Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

#119

Post by saagarjha »

richard_g wrote: post #82
Santosh83 wrote: post #6

I have been getting financial emails from several people for many years at my GMail ID. They apparently have given my address but without the dot. But what mystifies me is how these people keep going for years without ever realising they aren't getting account transaction emails (from their banks), notifications of stock trades, even OTP emails etc. How is it possible for people to use these services for years withou…

What's strange to me is why they thought that email address would work -- after all it's not their address. I've got years of emails from France for the same reason. You can set up a filter for the incorrect version of your email address (any email to namenodot@gmail.com) and get those out of your inbox.

Lots of people don't understand how the Internet really works, or realize that there might be another person with the name of the person they're trying to contact.

Re: Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses

#120

Post by black3r »

blindm wrote: post #115

I love the way most services treat dotted addresses as separate addresses. So for example if you wanted multiple accounts on $service you could register the following: john.doe@gmail.com j.ohndoe@gmail.com jo.hndoe@gmail.com joh.ndoe@gmail.com johnd.oe@gmail.com johndo.e@gmail.com And now you have six accounts, with the bonus of receiving mail in the same inbox for each account!

And if you somehow didn't know there is the possibility of adding +anything to your email, so that you can do john.doe+servicename@gmail.com and know which service leaked your email to spammers/advertisers
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