Bob Wertz

A friend was digging through some college artifacts and found my 32-year-old business card from when I was an officer with Carolina Productions, the University of South Carolina student programming board. She sent me a picture and I noticed something funny: I still have the same email address.

I came to USC as a student in 1993 and got my first email address. I used that email address with a command line system until I graduated in 1997. At some point years later — I became an adjunct instructor and was able to reclaim that address and use it as an IMAP account. When I became full-time staff, I continued to use the same email address, this time connected to Microsoft 365.

I’ve had several home addresses and a couple of phone numbers since 1993. Those were connected to my physical location or my service provider so as I moved, things changed. By contrast, I’ve had two of my three main personal domains — sketchbookb.com and bobwertz.com — for almost two decades.¹ I’ve changed my hosting service a couple of times, but the URL remains the same.

One of the benefits of domain-based identity systems used on the web and in email is permanence. Social media platforms come and go, and when you are connected to them, it’s like a physical address. When you move or the service disappears, the address changes. But as long as you renew the domains², you can maintain your digital identity, even as technology advances or you change providers. I really like the domain-based usernames on Bluesky and I hope other services follow suit. Hopefully in 30 years, I’ll find one of my current Sketchbook B business cards and still be able to go to my website.

Bob Wertz is a type designer, Ph.D. student and researcher living in Columbia, South Carolina. He’s been blogging since 2008.