A word of caution for people who have their email accounts on Gmail and are planning to use a vanity URL for their Google Profile.
Vanity URLs are available across all Google Accounts but you can pick a custom username for your Google Profile (like this) only if your Google Account is not associated with a Gmail address.
Gmail users have two choices – they can either continue using the default cryptic URL for their Google Profile (like this) or they can have their Google email username in the Google profile URL.
Now that may sound tempting because a URL like google.com/profiles/google_username is definitely search friendly and more easy to remember than google.com/profiles/121221 but before you jump, here’s a quick warning.
When you add your Gmail user name to the Google Profile, you are indirectly exposing your email address to spammers. They can simply take the username from any Google Profile, append @gmail.com and they have gold in their hands because its you real Gmail address.
All public Google Profiles are indexed in search engines so think twice before turning vanity URLs with your Gmail username. Hat tip Seer.
Related: Get a @googlemail.com address
Find this article at: http://www.labnol.org/internet/email/gmail-address-in-google-profile/8219/
Tags: Archives, exclusive, gmail, google profiles, spam, Email
Reader Comments
I’ve stopped worrying about spam now. Thanks to gmail’s good spam filtering. :)
Written by Swaroop on 04.16.09
damn!
i did it already :(
now i have to trust on the gmail’s spam filter
*prepares for onslaught of more spam inside the gmail inbox*
~S
Written by Sudarshan on 04.16.09
If you are one of those people (like me) who didn’t know about this spam loophole, and *have* set their profile name to their email address, don’t worry. Google lets you set the profile url back to a cryptic unique string of numbers.
Written by Sandip Bhattacharya on 04.16.09
gmail’s spam filter is extremly strong.i’ve been using gmail for 2 yrs, not a single problem
Written by nsk on 04.16.09
Now tell me how to delete this google profile
Written by amit on 04.16.09
Now tell me how to delete this google profile
Sorry, forgot to add great post! Can’t wait to see your next post!
Written by amit on 04.17.09
Gmail’s spam filtering is amazing really, Btw you’ve given quite a nice tip Amit. Thanks!
Written by Shahab khan on 04.17.09
Hi Amit, I Think this is the reason why GMail has best spam filtering.
and even I go for vanity URL I am damn sure that spam filter won’t let me read any extra mail which I don’t want to!!!!
Well a great post which should definitely be appreciated,
I have a question in My mind…is Does google care about all these, that User won’t get any spam or other things??
Written by Sushant on 04.20.09