Should login screens have email or email address?

[Jim Barrow]

>>Richard Combs wrote:
>Raj Nair wrote: 
 
>>On many login screens of websites and software I had found 
>>the 'email' field, which asks you to enter your email address 
>>to login. 
> 
>>I think the world email is incorrect. Instead, it should be 
>>email address or email ID at least. I did discuss this with 
>>my technical editor, but to no avail. 'This usage is common' 
>>was the reply I got. Any comments?

>Yes, three: 

>1) If you've seen it on "many login screens," then that confirms >that your editor is correct, doesn't it? And if it's common, then
>most >of us have seen it many times and understand it >immediately.  

>2) Adding the word "address" neither hurts nor helps; adding "ID" >is a really bad idea because most of us have never encountered the >phrase "email ID" and may be a bit confused by it. 

>3) If I were you, I wouldn't give my boss the idea that I have so >little to do that I can obsess over such a trivial matter. :-) 

I've actually had a little fun with situations like these in the past.  Whenever I need to include instructions/screenshots that need to include email addresses/login IDs etc., I change these so that my identifying information is not displayed.  Instead, I use "dummy" IDs that reflect the company that I'm working for.

When I worked for the Mouse House I would use IDs such as these:  MMouse at Disney.com or Minnie123!, so long as the dummy IDs that I created used the correct naming convention.

- Jim