[Archived] City of Alexandria Phases Out “ci.alexandria.va.us” Web Address

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	January 5, 2006 PIO# 003-06/rdo	Steven J. Mason, Public Information Officer, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

City of Alexandria Phases Out “ci.alexandria.va.us” Web Address

The City of Alexandria has phased out its original “ci.alexandria.va.us” web address and accepts only “alexandriava.gov” in order to reduce the high volume of spam it receives through the original City employee e-mail addresses that used the original address. When the City switched to the “alexandriava.gov” address in May 2004, the original address was kept open as a convenience. However, now that 21 months have passed since the switch, the original address has been terminated.

The City began using the “ci.alexandria.va.us” address when it launched its web site in 1996. The address was chosen to conform to the naming convention at that time for local governments. Since then, many localities either never adopted a name using this convention, or have subsequently moved away from it.

Alexandria’s “alexandriava.gov” address, which was instituted in May 2004, is shorter, and easier for users to remember and repeat. Using the “dot gov” domain also emphasizes that the address is an official government site and distinguishes it from other Alexandria addresses run by third parties.

It is recommended that persons who e-mail the City and have City staff names in their computer’s address book, check to ensure (or to update) that the address used reflects the “alexandriava.gov” address. The use of the City staff names as the lead of the address (first name.last name@) has not changed. For example: william.smith@ci.alexandria.va.us has become william.smith@alexandriava.gov.

For more information, call Carol Adcock-Stearns of the City’s Network Management Division at 703.838.6333, extension 508.

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