fun fact

From time to time, I receive email intended for someone else. Today, I went to search the GMail helpcentre and finally discovered why:

Gmail doesn't recognize dots (.) as characters within a username. This way, you can add and remove dots to your username for desired address variations. messages sent to your.username@gmail.com and y.o.u.r.u.s.e.r.n.a.m.e@gmail.com are delivered to the same inbox, since the characters in the username are the same.

Keep in mind that hyphens (-) and underscores (_) can't be used in a Gmail address. Also, usernames are case insensitive, so it doesn't matter if you enter upper case or lower case letters.

If you created your account with a dot in your username and you wish you hadn't, you can change your 'Reply-to address.' To change your reply-to address:

1. Click 'Settings' at the top of any Gmail page.
2. Enter your username@gmail.com without a dot in the 'Reply-to address' field.
3. Click 'Save Changes.'

When you log in to Gmail, you need to enter any dots that were originally defined as part of your username.

Interesting. It's like having a few email addresses for the price of one.