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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by spoc on April 3, 2004, at 15:25:02
Hi everyone,
I have noticed that a lot of people here open free accounts somewhere so that they can give out an email address and risk less from having it be found and used by spammers or whatever. I don't know if the following is any easier than that, and maybe it is virtually the same thing. But there are a lot of free services that issue you any number of encrypted versions of your real, permanent screenname, on demand. You can generate one for each use you have, give it a name to remind yourself where you issued it, then be able to tell where the spammer picked it up and delete that one if it's becoming a problem for any reason.
I have generated these encypted email addresses (that forward to my real one) to post at message boards; to make inquiries at a website; to order products over the Internet, etc.; and then if I see that one of them is being spammed I can just blow up that "bridge" to me (and notify anyone I need to in advance).
The free "encrypting" service I use is sneakemail.com. If you create an account don't let the strange-sounding options it gives you when you go to generate a screenname confuse you -- all you need to do is click to Create a new address, then fill in the Label slot so you'll remember what use goes with what name. That will also be the label name that is displayed in the "Details" area of any subsequent unwanted email you receive, so you can detect where it was picked up.
These encrypted addresses are automatically generated as a bunch of nonsensical numbers and letters, in front of "@sneakemail.com." For example -- and this is NOT a real one: z7h993w02@sneakemail.com.
Note that when you *reply* to email forwarded to your real screenname in this way, your real address will continue to be encrypted unless you give it out yourself to a sender. The *sender's* email address will be encrypted too when you receive it, so be careful that you don't hastily assume it's spam! Under "Details" in incoming mail, you will also find the sender's real address (but they can't do the same to find yours).
You can also originate outgoing email from the sneakemail site. There are expanded memberships available for just a few dollars a month if you want more options, such as being able to originate email from your own isp account rather than through logging onto the sneakemail site; or having more bandwidth (storage/forwarding space per month) on the site than you get with a free account.
Sorry so detailed; I probably needed to do no more than say "Hey, go check out sneakemail.com (or the like)!" Alas, that's just me I guess. Hope this will be useful to someone! : )
Posted by Fallen4myT on April 4, 2004, at 0:26:47
In reply to Another way to give out your email address, posted by spoc on April 3, 2004, at 15:25:02
SNeakmail...eh I was wondering how we might email cause I sure dont want to give my email addy out and many do post them on here..... :)
GREAT IDEA SPOC.....AND I CAN SWEAR IN EMAILS LOL
Posted by spoc on April 4, 2004, at 12:12:08
In reply to Re: Another way to give out your email address » spoc, posted by Fallen4myT on April 4, 2004, at 0:26:47
(*The site name spelling "sneakemail" is correct, odd as it is!)
I had an idea I think would work for a *responder* wanting to send email to a provided sneakemail address, but not wanting their own real email address to be discoverable under the "Details" area of the email. I think if that person also opens a free sneakemail account and then generates an encrypted address to *send* outgoing email through the site (or from their own isp account for $2.00/month), they could use that address to respond to someone who gave a sneakemail address at this site. So people here could also do that at any time they want to send mail to anyone, whether at a "real" or an encrypted address.
I don't mean to advocate excessive worry about privacy or anything, I just have an obsessive compulsive tendency to leave no stone unturned on any subject! : )
Posted by spoc on April 4, 2004, at 12:42:43
In reply to Re: Another way to give out your email address » spoc, posted by Fallen4myT on April 4, 2004, at 0:26:47
> SNeakmail...eh I was wondering how we might email cause I sure dont want to give my email addy out and many do post them on here..... :)
> GREAT IDEA SPOC.....AND I CAN SWEAR IN EMAILS LOL
---------------
Ok, I can take it! If ever you feel like it, here is a real address I just generated, '...at sneakemail dot com': fpb6ayk02Like I mentioned, I see that many people here go to Yahoo or Hotmail and open free accounts to send and receive from, and while I've never done it that way, I'm thinking this is even easier and quicker. You can crank out and/or delete new addresses with just a couple clicks. But of course you can't choose your sending name with these encrypting sites...So if that's important to you you might want to check out one of those instead. I assume there are others too.
Let me know if you have questions about anything after you try to set up and start using an account -- it can sound more complicated than it is because they give martian-sounding options that in reality you can just skip. Just log in; scroll down the next page past info on the optional upgrade and click 'No thanks, I'm still evaluating (which has no limit in reality)'; then click 'Create'; 'Label' the purpose to remind yourself (and add 'Notes' to yourself if you want to); and click to create it. The site stores all your old ones so you don't need to write them down. If you want to edit them or send from them, just click on them in your list.
Posted by Fallen4myT on April 4, 2004, at 21:21:09
In reply to Re: go ahead, indulge that potty mouth! : ) » Fallen4myT, posted by spoc on April 4, 2004, at 12:42:43
Lol Spoc I did..see your email....I did not do sneaky
> > SNeakmail...eh I was wondering how we might email cause I sure dont want to give my email addy out and many do post them on here..... :)
> > GREAT IDEA SPOC.....AND I CAN SWEAR IN EMAILS LOL
> ---------------
> Ok, I can take it! If ever you feel like it, here is a real address I just generated, '...at sneakemail dot com': fpb6ayk02
>
> Like I mentioned, I see that many people here go to Yahoo or Hotmail and open free accounts to send and receive from, and while I've never done it that way, I'm thinking this is even easier and quicker. You can crank out and/or delete new addresses with just a couple clicks. But of course you can't choose your sending name with these encrypting sites...So if that's important to you you might want to check out one of those instead. I assume there are others too.
>
> Let me know if you have questions about anything after you try to set up and start using an account -- it can sound more complicated than it is because they give martian-sounding options that in reality you can just skip. Just log in; scroll down the next page past info on the optional upgrade and click 'No thanks, I'm still evaluating (which has no limit in reality)'; then click 'Create'; 'Label' the purpose to remind yourself (and add 'Notes' to yourself if you want to); and click to create it. The site stores all your old ones so you don't need to write them down. If you want to edit them or send from them, just click on them in your list.
This is the end of the thread.
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