Anonymous Email Address - the Benefits that Stem
Spam is a flood of mail you never asked for and have no use for. Some of it is simply annoying; some carries real danger, such as a key-logging virus or other malicious software. Antivirus software helps, but you do not have to wait for a threat to reach your computer. You can cut it off much earlier.
The elegant solution
You can stay anonymous and keep spam away at the same time, and there is nothing complicated about it. Use a temporary email service: you do not enter any personal information, and by the time the page has opened, your disposable address already exists.
The first benefit is privacy. Keeping your personal details to yourself matters more than ever, and it gets harder every year as more websites ask for an address before they let you in. A disposable address answers that question without giving anything away.
The benefits of anonymous sign-ups
If a disposable address starts attracting spam, you simply stop using it and take a new one; it takes a few seconds and a single click.
No personal information stands behind the address, so the sites you give it to learn nothing about who you are. Use it for everything that is not related to your work or your finances, and your real inbox stays clean.
A few sensible rules
- Anonymous is not private. The inbox is public: anyone who types the same address can read it. Keep passwords, banking and personal conversations in your real mailbox.
- Be careful with attachments. A disposable address keeps spam out of your inbox, but a harmful file is still harmful if you open it.
- Save what you need. Letters are removed after a while, so copy a code or a link as soon as it arrives.
Why websites ask for your email at all
Most sites want an address for two reasons: to confirm that a real person signed up, and to keep writing to you afterwards. The first is fair enough; the second is where the unwanted mail comes from. A disposable address lets you pass the confirmation step and quietly opt out of everything that follows. If the site turns out to be worth it, you can always change the address in your profile to your real one later.
How to get one in practice
- Open the home page: an address is already created for you.
- Keep it as it is, or type any name you like before the @.
- Paste it into the sign-up form and wait for the letter to appear on the page.