The real Cole Cooper- 2023 GPT edition
The Challenges of Having a Common Name on Gmail
Hey there,
As an early adopter of Google email beta, I was among the first users to sign up for a Gmail account. At the time, I had a Hotmail address and a Shaw@home address, but I ended up with my name in Gmail: cole.cooper@gmail.com. With this account, I set up my blog, Google+ services, and Google Plus page.
Back in 2004, there were few Cole Coopers on the internet, so it was a fairly uncommon name. However, more people with the same name have emerged over time, including a football player on Twitter, a Marvel character at the Daily Bugle, Facebook pages, and even a colecooper.com website. While I don't mind sharing my name with others, having a common name like this causes issues with Gmail.
When companies take down email addresses for multiple people with the same name, they often get it wrong. Since I was the first Cole Cooper on Gmail, any emails sent to colecooper@gmail.com come directly to me, even if they weren't intended for me. This can be frustrating, especially when I receive personal or confidential emails that were not meant for me.
Recently, I received sign-in instructions for an Allstate account meant for another Cole Cooper in the US. If I were a less honest, this could have been an opportunity to steal someone's identity. But, of course, I did the right thing and informed the insurance company of their mistake. This situation could have been avoided if they had double-checked the email address before sending the information.
So, if you have a common name like me, please be careful when signing up for online services and ensure your email address is accurate. To the other Cole Cooper, who keeps using my email address to sign up for school, please update your information, as I'm not going to do your homework for you.
If you're interested in learning more about my struggles with having a common name on Gmail, check out my blog post on Cole's Notes: http://colecoop.blogspot.ca/2016/05/the-will-real-cole-cooper-please-stand.html
Take care,
The Real Cole Cooper
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