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Once, long ago, magazines had their own, separate identities. Typically, this included their own, separate editorial and business staffs, and even often their own real estate. When Si Newhouse bought The New Yorker, for example, he promised that he wouldn't integrate the magazine into Conde Nast, today its business operations are unified with the rest of the company, and the its staff toils in 4 Times Square.

But at least The New Yorker — like several other high-profile Conde titles — had one thing: its own email address. The rabble might all share an @condenast.com domain, but there was also the more rarified @newyorker.com, or @vf.com, for the truly elect.

Not for much longer, though:

Effective tomorrow all OUTGOING electronic mail for Conde Nast Publications employees will be sent using the following address format: firstname_lastname@condenast.com.

The full memo — and save yourselves the effort Conde tech guys, this one wasn't forwarded from a CNP account — is after the jump.

From: Buese, John Sent: Thu 1/26/2006 8:50 AM To: Conde Nast Publications - Mail Announcement All Subject: Important Announcement Regarding Cond Nast Email Addresses

Effective tomorrow all OUTGOING electronic mail for Conde Nast Publications employees will be sent using the following address format: firstname_lastname@condenast.com.

Many employees have already been using this format and they will continueto send and receive email exactly as before. However email for a significant number of employees was being sent using a variety of other magazine or division specific addresses. These addresses will now be converted to the new format. The only exceptions to this change will be Parade, Cond Net and the FCP Trade groups who will continue to send email using their existing addresses.

For INCOMING email all employees will also be able to receive mail addressed to the new format. Please note that in addition to being able to receive email using the firstname_lastname@condenast.com format, all INCOMING email address "aliases" ( e.g. firstname_lastname@wired.com) will continue to work as before thereby ensuring that inbound email will be uninterrupted.