masterwordsmith-unplugged

Last year, Orlando Parfitt of Yahoo News wrote an interesting article on What your email address says about you. According to that article:

Along with your pin number, an email address is the collection of numbers and letters you’ll type more than anything else in your life. If you’ve ever used the Internet, chances are you’ll have one, and unlike your card details, it’s something you choose yourself.

Indeed, perhaps you didn’t realise when you first typed out your email address that what you pick as a prefix could provide a fascinating psychological insight into your personality. We spoke to Graham Jones, an award-winning Internet psychologist, to find out what different kinds of email addresses say about their owners.

First name first - i.e. ‘john.smith@yahoo.co.uk’

This suggests a business-like approach - someone who wants a portable email to take anywhere. These people realise that they can have a permanent email address no matter where they work or what they do.

Surname first - i.e. ‘smith.john@yahoo.co.uk’

Suggests the person went to public school or comes from a very formal background. They might not connect too well with others. Plus they will probably get emails addressed to their surname – like ‘Dear Smith’ - which will annoy them!

Comedy name or a pun - i.e. ‘SmilesBetter@yahoo.co.uk’

This provides a signal that the individual is relaxed and up for a laugh. They are probably secure and confident people, but don’t realise the impact of the name on their career or how they are perceived in the workplace.

Cutesy - i.e. ‘fluffybunny@yahoo.co.uk’

The effect is similar to a ‘comedy’ prefix, only perhaps exaggerated. To some, “fluffybunny” or something similar is a term of endearment, but to others it implies some kind of sexual overtone or that the individual is childish. If the prefix is inappropriate this could be an indication of self-centredness and lack of thought about the recipient.

Self-aggrandising - i.e. ‘foxylady@yahoo.co.uk’

This could suggest the individual is trying to confirm their self-identity and show the world who they really are. Possibly these people have insecurities.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this interesting article.