Eight characters can be pretty limiting when it’s the allotted length of an email address. Starting Oct. 28, though, U of G staff and faculty can break free of the eight-character restraints by creating new email aliases for themselves.
Systems analyst Brent Harp says people have been requesting this change for years, but it was only when a new modernized system was adopted that it became possible. “This will make email names more easily remembered and more intuitive,” he says.
The new format will be firstname.lastname@uoguelph.ca. Explains Harp: “The last name is fixed; it’s the name we have on file. But there is some flexibility in the first name because many people don’t go by their legal first names. You could use Bob instead of Robert, for example. You can also add a middle name or middle initial if you want.”
This new option is set up to allow faculty and staff to create the alias on their own, with one alias allowed per @uoguelph.ca account. (Some will already have one or more aliases in other domains, such as @exec.uoguelph.ca.)
To make the change, go to your Gryph mail account page. On the left side of the page beneath your folders, you will find a header titled “Zimlets.” Click the link that reads “Add an alias” and follow the instructions.
If you share a name with another U of G employee, there are some options to avoid duplication. Adding your middle name or middle initial may solve the problem; you could also use a different form of your first name if that works for you. “There’s enough flexibility built in that everyone should be able to get a unique name,” says Harp, adding that if you have any problems you can contact 58888help@uoguelph.ca or call extension 58888.