Yahoo today announced an update that volition allow people to sign up to use its services and make new Yahoo accounts — but with any email address. No longer will you demand to create a Yahoo email address if you want to use, say, Yahoo Fantasy Sports.

Yahoo senior product director Assaf Kremer makes a telling admission in providing an example that explains this change in a blog post:

Meet Jack. Jack wants to play Yahoo Fantasy Sports so he can have some Tourney Pick'em fun. Similar most people, Jack already has an e-mail address. It isn't a Yahoo e-mail address, though.

Yesterday, Jack would have had to create a new Yahoo email address just to sign up for Yahoo Sports Tourney Option'em. That'southward non fair to Jack and just doesn't make sense. (Emphasis mine.)

The adjustment to identity requirements hither is a bit reminiscent of Google's blueprint of decoupling Google+ from its services, including YouTube.

Yahoo has been shaking up a lot of its assets lately. The company said in February that it would lay off 15 percent of its employees. Shortly after that the company appear changes at Yahoo Labs with two big departures.

Today'southward alter will be rolling out to Yahoo features other than Yahoo Fantasy Sports "soon," Kremer wrote.

Note that Yahoo Mail supports multiple types of email accounts, including AOL and Outlook.

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