Throwaway email addresses
31Oct03
This is so cool:
http://www.mailinator.com/mailinator/Welcome.do
Basically, any time you need an email address, but don’t want to give out your real one (think signing up for a website that requires confirmation, or meeting someone at a party… ;-) ), you just give them a mailinator address (make it up as you go). Then it’s like a public mailbox–anyone can check it, but if you come up with something unique, what are the odds? Anyway, check it out–useful stuff.
This is really what I’ve envisioned for eventsATstanford–identities that people can put on and off as they wish. for instance, right now we identify securely by SUNet ID, so we know who’s browsing. I’ve thought it would be cool to allow people to sign in as “PartyBob” or “DesignBob” and see vastly different itineraries.
Think of the new Las Vegas slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”, with people stepping outside their normal personalities. That is enabled even more online, and we should encourage it, not restrict it. Huzzah Mailinator!