MU IT has solution for e-mail alphabet soup
by Emily Schmidt, posted March 18, 2008
rfga45, jk45s, dsf63, estg56, zhtr29, logq9
Are these clues to some brain-bending puzzle? Alphabet soup? Some secret code? No, just MU student e-mail addresses. And anyone who has had to try to spell one of these out to a parent, friend or potential employer knows the challenge of communicating these tongue-twisting collections of letters and numbers.
But, help has arrived.
“It's just a bunch of letters, so it can get kind of confusing,” sophomore Jake Rahn said.
Students are not stuck with these difficult addresses. On the Mizzou IT Help Desk Web site, several unique features are available for student use including one that gives you the ability to change your e-mail address.
“I heard about the feature, but I don’t know anything about it,” sophomore Nick Wulf said. “I just thought it was a joke.”
Many students are unaware you can personalize your student Web mail address, it’s no myth!
“The new e-mail address is an alias,” said Travis of the MU IT Help Desk. “This is a service that has been around for about two years now and is only available to students, not faculty.”
Your current e-mail address is your MU pawprint. This part of the ID is located before @mizzou.edu. This ID will never disappear; it will still be used for myzou, blackboard, webCT, and e-mail. This ID is crucial to your life as a student.
The pawprint ID is the default ID. E-mails will still be sent to your pawprint ID. ListServ is a unique feature that functions this way. You can use ListServ on your additional e-mail address, but you will need to re-subscribe to these services.
Your pawprint is a code assigned to you only. The first three letters are usually your initials. After your initials there is a random selection of letters and numbers that have been added to your address. This is done so that MU IT can massively assign students an e-mail account.
“Everyone’s [address] has to be unique, there can’t be any overlaps,” said Travis.
The optional, personalized e-mail address is an additional e-mail address. Therefore, if you choose to accept this feature, you will have two Mizzou e-mail addresses. The additional address is derived from your name in a variety of ways that the server makes up for you. It is not case sensitive. It is added to your account, and those searching you will see either of the two addresses.
“I like the idea that there is somewhere you can go to change [your] address,” Rahn said.
When using the exchange system, your name will still be listed in the following format: last name, first name, followed by your additional e-mail address, as it currently is with the pawprint.
This can be done online on the Mizzou IT Help Desk Web site.
The Mizzou IT Help Desk is available for student use. Not only are they able to fix your computer problems, they can answer computer questions, provide software, and give technological help when something goes wrong. You can reach the Help Desk by calling 573-882-5000.
Taking advantage of these services will make any task easier for you.
