06/01/05: BOL Email System Enhancements
Email Alias
Beginning on Monday, June 27th, BOL account holders will have the opportunity to create one permanent alternate email address, known as an alias, which will forward to their regular BOL account. Setting up an email alias is OPTIONAL. If you do not wish to setup an email alias, NO ACTION IS REQUIRED on your part.
- Alias Example: joseph.david.bruin@ucla.edu
Once created, email aliases cannot be changed and will only function as an email address. An alias cannot be used for authentication purposes (logging on to services such as dialup, email, proxy servers, etc.). Incoming email messages to either your email address or your alias, if created, will be delivered to the same account. Temporary accounts (concurrently enrolled extension students, visiting scholars, postdocs, etc.) are not eligible to create an alias.
The requirements for the alias are as follows:
- the email alias must be 3 and 40 characters in length.
- the email alias must contain at least one dot (.) character.
- the email alias must begin with a letter and end with either a letter or a number.
- the email alias can consist only of letters, numbers, and dots.
- the email alias is not case-sensitive.
For example, the account jmbruin@ucla.edu could have the email alias janet.m.bruin@ucla.edu. Mail to both addresses will arrive at the same place. The following aliases would NOT be valid:
- janetbruin.@ucla.edu (ends in a dot character)
- .janetbruin@ucla.edu (begins with a dot character)
- 1janetbruin@ucla.edu (doesn't contain a dot character)
- janet*bruin@ucla.edu (doesn't contain a dot character)
Setting up an email alias is optional. Email aliases are PERMANENT and cannot be changed. The email alias can be used as a user's preferred email address that is provided to others and used externally to UCLA. Users can set up an email alias here:
Usernames
Bruin OnLine now allows usernames to consist of a maximum of 15 characters as opposed to the current maximum length of 8 characters. This new account structure will make it easier for people to have reasonable and understandable email addresses. Once created, new usernames cannot be changed.
- Username Example: josephdbruin@ucla.edu
Current BOL account holders with usernames of 8-characters or less can use an email alias, described above, as an effective way to create a more meaningful address or mask a non-desirable address while at the same time preserving the ability to receive mail at the original email address. However, if there is a real need to change your username and its continued existence is unimportant, you will have the opportunity to select a new username based on the new rules between June 27th and May 31, 2006. Selecting a new username will immediately rename the old account to the new account and your old email and personal web page data will be transferred to the new account. Email will be forwarded from the old account to the new account for 3 months. As with current usernames, a newly selected username will be PERMANENT and cannot be changed. Username changes can be done here:
If you have any questions, please check the FAQs, as many of your questions may be answered there. Alternatively, you may contact the BOL Help Desk at (310) 267-4357, option 1, or at consult@ucla.edu.