Family email addresses

The purpose?

[Essex_boy]

Time and again I come across orders from people with email addresses like smithfamily at hotmail or blogsfamily at gmail etc.

Why? Realy whats the purpose of having the entire family read your email? Are they that scared of kiddie fiddlers that they wont allow their own kids to have a private email address?

I could understand AOL users doing this ;) but normal sane people.

Can someone explain why they do this?

[ukgimp]

Why? Realy whats the purpose of having the entire family read your email? Are they that scared of kiddie fiddlers that they wont allow their own kids to have a private email address?

I would not let any kids of mine (i dont have any) loose in the internet alone. Some of the emaials I get are ones that could get me sacked form a normal job

[hannamyluv]

I think it's because some people don't realize that they can have more than one email address. They think they are like phone numbers (although these days you can have more than one per household)

I set up an internet account for my inlaws and my MIL requested that the address be {familyname}[e-mail]. When I asked her why, she said that she thought since the whole family used the internet the email should belong to the whole family.

Me personally, I actually would let my kid have their own email account. I would even help them set it up and choose their own secret password (that I would watch them type in over their shoulder). Then promtly write the password in a safe place and check the account periodically. ;)

Kids are smart. They will figure out that they can get a free account. If you let them think that they already have a private account that they think no one can get into, they are less likly to go elsewhere to set one up without you knowing.

Are they that scared of kiddie fiddlers that they wont allow their own kids to have a private email address?

Yes, I am that afraid. Kids aren't knowledgeable enough to know the difference between sickos and honest people. People have made a grave mistake in believing that children have a right to privacy. Children have a right to a semblance of privacy, but there is a very serious and real reason that children need parents. It is to protect them from themselves.

[Essex_boy]

Yeah I guess your right, not having any kids I didnt look at it like that.

Makes sense.

[Rugles]

I would not want my 5 year old daughter looking at the spam I get. Some are very graphic.... as we all know.
If somebody reading this post is responsible for these x-rated spams, thanks alot. It makes being a parent very difficult. I do not care if you are in that business, just be aware that not everybody needs to see these pictures.

[mona]

A little off topic, but it's related. Why do married couples share passwords and read each other's email? Not long ago my friend's husband responded to one of the emails I sent her as a joke. I was not amused.

After this, I questioned my married friends and found to my complete suprise they all do this! This just baffles my mind. I've never been married obviously...;-)

[AAnnAArchy]

One of my brothers has one email address for his whole family. He doesn't touch the computer and his two teenage boys share an email address. They rarely use email, so it doesn't matter. They still use the same email address I set up for them five years ago.

I, too, dislike couples who share email addresses (not couples like my parents, where only one of them uses the computer and passes on the info) because I just want to be writing to one person.

[mivox]

Some of the emaials I get are ones that could get me sacked form a normal job

Think that might have something to do with the company you keep? ;)

--

My bf (for those who don't already know) has three young kids. They do not use the internet at all at our house... At age 10 and under, I see no need for it. When they start doing computer stuff in school, we'll set up a separate machine for them, with whatever safety software (if any) we think might be useful, and an adult in the same room with them at all times.

If you wouldn't let a child go wandering around Times Square alone, you shouldn't let them on the internet alone either.

As for couples reading each other's emails... Sheesh. I don't f*ing think so. ;)

[olwen]

Why do married couples share passwords and read each other's email?

I read my partner's email because I have trouble persuading him to do it. He is reluctant even to turn on his computer (I set one up for him) and will tell me to check his email to see if he has any.
I try to avoid going into his garage (workshop) though. My space is my computer, his space is his garage.

[Essex_boy]

Mivox very funny.

I just found the whole thing a bit twee, happy familys and all that and wondered why.

All of my friends that are married (Notice I misssed happily off!) have seperate email addresses.

Horses for courses.

[Rugles]

>>>you shouldn't let them on the internet alone either

You are absolutely correct. However, I am careful not to open up my email with a child in the room either.

[topr8]

>>However, I am careful not to open up my email with a child in the room either.

I am careful not to open up my email with my gf in the room either ... :)

[kriskd]

Hubby and I have separate e-mail accounts, but we use the same passwords because frankly we have nothing to hide from each other. We're both pretty Internet savvy so if one of us were to have an Internet affair or something, we would know how to create another e-mail account elsewhere.

Same passwords on our main account just makes things easy to manage. He can tell me on a whim to check his e-mail for him and vice-versa.

[mivox]

However, I am careful not to open up my email with a child in the room either.

I have images turned off in my email client, a pretty decent spam filter, a high backed recliner, and a sixth sense for small people standing near me (at which point they are told to stop being nosy)... all big helps. ;)