Explain need for e-mail address as login

[shantanuo]

Web Masters of the world you have to explain this.
I see a lot of sites ask for e-mail address as a login.
Can the webmasters explain why do they ask for e-mail address as login?

I really hate this practice. Because...

1. It takes more time to type e-mail than to type login name.
2. I have 3 to 4 e-mail addresses (One for work, one for home). But I have only one login and one password. I don't remember which one I had used at the time of registration.
3. I keep changing my e-mail address from time to time. (To avoid spam) It's difficult to find out how to change the e-mail address registerd with your service.

Thanks
Shantanu Oak

[BlobFisk]

I can think of 2 reasons offhand:

1. People will (generally) always remember their email address!
   
2. Email addresses tend to be unique, so it cuts down on username validation
   

This addresses it from the site owners point of view, more than the users point of view. Having said that, a lot of people will generally only have one email address. Your point about changing email address (and therefore username) is well made though.

<added>Welcome to WebmasterWorld!</added>

[edited by: BlobFisk at 3:33 pm (utc) on May 20, 2003]

[Mike12345]

And if you give them your email address they can spam you. Or send you "solicited" emails as per their T&C's

:)