[e2e] Discrete IP

[Ralph Droms (rdroms)]

On Sep 16, 2012, at 1:08 AM 9/16/12, Ross Finlayson wrote:

>>>     > Even better, perhaps professional mailing
>>> lists like this should start
>>>     > rejecting postings from 'hobbyist' email
>>> addresses ("@gmail.com",
>>>     > "@yahoo.com", etc.)...
>>> 
>>> Sigh, much as I basically agree with you, a number of our
>>> serious contributors
>>> also use gmail, etc, these days.
>>> 
>> Not to mention the PhD students who wouldn't like to be excluded ;-)
> 
> Do these PhD students' schools not have their own domain name? :-)
> 
> Note that it's possible to let gmail manage email to/from addresses that use other domain names.  See:http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/tEaJstfhzeI
> 
> The problem is not the 'gmail' service per se (provided that you don't mind your email being scanned :-).  The problem is the "@gmail.com" email address suffix, which advertises to the world that you're not particularly relevant.  (Ditto for "@yahoo.com", "@hotmail.com", "@aol.com" addresses, etc.)

This discussion has taken an interesting turn.

We are supposed to be individual contributors, not an employee or otherwise associated with @irrelevant-domain.example

We establish our relevance, or lack thereof, through a reputation based on the contents of our contributions.

I use "rdroms.ietf at gmail.com" as my address in IETF communication to help with the convenient fiction that I am an independent contributor to the IETF, without relying on my job at Cisco for my reputation.  I may or may not be relevant, but that would be because of my reputation, not because my e-mail address ends in "gmail.com".

I recognize that end2end-interest is not affiliated with the IETF< but I think the principles apply.  And, before you jump on my use of "rdroms at cisco.com" for this e-mail list, my subscription here predates my use of "rdroms.ietf at gmail.com" and I've never gotten around to updating it.  Think about it - seriously, how many of you would ascribe value to this post depending on whether it comes from "rdroms at cisco.com" or "rdroms.ietf at gmail.com"?

- Ralph



> 
> 	Ross.
>