Look, n00bz: when you use GMAIL, you need to register your email address before you start to give it out to folks. Just having a computer… or finally walking into one of them internet cafes does NOT - repeat: does NOT give you automatic acccess to your first initial/last name at gmail. There is one hrichardson… that being me: cuz I’ve had gmail for freaking ever. (I’m cool that way.) Know your email address. Live your email address. Read, mark, learn and inwardly digest your email address.
So when a retailer contacts me about your recent purchase (rather common) or, better: when your prospective employer contacts me and says she wants to hire you (has happened twice, so far) or when the federal gov’t contacts me with your password and security question for jobs (just happened this AM) or when Zone Alarm confirms your firewall access in Colorado (*sigh* Dude, you got a dell, didn’t you?) I’ve got no way to contact you: because you gave them MY !@#$% EMAIL ADDRESS.
And most of the time, the contact is from another computer - ie, not a human. At least I could email the employers right back and say, “Sorry, I don’t think you want to hire this idiot who doesn’t even know his/her email address.”
OK, ranting over.
