Name convention

[Sheryl Steinke 687-3280 <STEINKE@4J.LANE.EDU>]

    I need some help with a potential problem regarding email username
    conventions.  Our school district currently has about 1500 email
    accounts for our employees and students (about 250 of these are
    students).  Parents who do volunteer work in schools can also get an
    account.

    We are anticipating a huge increase in the number of accounts in the
    next year as every teacher will be getting a computer.  There are
    already a number of smith's with accounts, and even a number of
    smith's whose first names start with j.

    Our current convention is that the first smith to get an email
    account uses smith as their email address.  The second smith becomes
    smith_e (for Ed Smith).  THen when Edith Smith wanted an account, she
    would be smith_edi.  You get the picture?  Our software limits us to
    a maximum of 12 characters for the address.

    Do any of you have any way to differentiate different classes of
    account holders within the username.  One idea that we are thinking
    about is to start all student accounts with an s; and all parent
    accounts with a p.  This strategy would not allow you to search for
    all of the smiths with accounts.  Some would be smith, some ssmith,
    and others psmith.

    If you have any suggestions about either conventions you are aware of
    yourself or could point me in the direction of someone to ask, I'd
    really appreciate it.

    Thanks,

    Sheryl Steinke
    Eugene (OR) 4J School

    steinke@4j.lane.edu