But there's also Internet aloofness. Once, for instance, when we licked a stamp, it was suburb snobbery. It's a valid point. ISPs are like postcodes, each holding a different cachet. Not everyone agrees.
Most people choose to sign up with a big-league ISP, citing service quality and security reasons.
Research released last year by the Pophouse marketing organisation indicates most people are protective of their e-mail address and are concerned about it falling into the wrong hands. Most respondents complained it was impossible to get the name they wanted anyway, with most settling on a hybrid solution. Then there are the vanity addresses. It's an opportunity for people to represent who they are in their primary online identification. It takes a while before the code words become general knowledge.