Re: Websites that require a username

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From: Patrick Quinn-Graham
Subject: Re: Websites that require a username
Date: 22:18 on 05 Oct 2006
On 5-Oct-06, at 9:16 AM, David King wrote:

>> We already have something that can uniquely identify someone, and  
>> these
>> sites already require users to give it to them. What's that, you  
>> ask? Why
>> it's an email address.
>
> Sure, an email address has one person, but a person can have many  
> email addresses, and a person occasionally gains and loses email  
> addresses.

Funnily enough the "one email address == one person" is also not  
always true. I know plenty of people who have a home email address  
that they share. Now the number of those where they both want to sign  
up for the same site/service might not be that high. but it seems  
crazy to impose limits like that.

> Since none of my current email addresses worked in the "I forgot my  
> password, please email it to me" form, I eventually decided that  
> they didn't want my money in exchange for goods and/or services,  
> and left.

A problem I've had a few times since coming to Canada (and being here  
only for 6 months so far, don't have a Canadian credit card, only my  
New Zealand ones) of online retailers not wanting my money*. I find  
it very satisfying to email them and explain that while sadly they  
don't want my money, someone else does. So they can have it.

* not technically a software hate - the card will authorise, delivery  
& statement address are the same (both in Canada), but then will get  
an email a day or so later saying "Oh, that's not a North American  
card. We don't want your money. Please go away."
There's stuff above here

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