[wrycoder]

I thought that gmail ignored the period, and would not allow registering one of those accounts if the other one already existed.

[Brajeshwar]

Well then, they didn't or it is relaxed now. I'm at the receiving end.

[em-bee]

more likely some people just don't know how to write their own email address. or typos.

[muro]

Pretty sure the dot is still ignored