Yahoo is giving its users a chance to switch to a shorter, more convenient user ID. In July, the company will reset each and every Yahoo ID that's been dormant for a period of 12 months, once again freeing up those usernames for public registration. Describing the cleaning as Yahoo's "next big push," senior vice president Jay Rossiter writes that "we want to give our loyal users and new folks the opportunity to sign up for the Yahoo! ID they’ve always wanted."

In mid-July, existing and new users will have the opportunity to reserve their ideal username. Unfortunately you won't know whether you've successfully scored your top pick until a month later, in August. If you've been ignoring a Yahoo account for months (or even years), this doesn't necessarily mean you'll be losing it. As long as you sign into any Yahoo service before July 15th, your ID will remain yours to keep.