there are lots of sites that want your email address to sign up..there are also a lot of sites that don't need your email address, and sites I don't trust.
I use several levels of disposable email addresses and find they all have their place.
I use http://mailinator.com/ for things where I just want to get past the front door and read some content (forum signups, newspapers, registering BugMeNot accounts, etc.).
I use http://sneakemail.com/ when I sign up for things I want to use regularly/longer term, but that I might want to get rid of later or might be compromised in some way in the future (or might turn to overly aggressive marketing).
Finally, if I need to make up a disposable email address on the spot and can't get to sneakemail, I have a naming convention that uses my own domain (e.g. if I need to fill in my email address on a paper form for a competition, exhibition, event, etc.), and I can whitelist/block mail to that address as required.
If you have your own domain, a catch-all email address and some good filtering options then you can replace sneakemail completely (I just found that before I bought my domain).
So many sites require an email address for the most tenous of reasons - so I thnk there's definitely a case for disposable ones. I don't think there's any more or less opportunity for malice than using a webmail account.
For one time registration those sites are great. For longer term ones, like surferbill said, that might get compromised I make mail-in databases on my own servers and can remove those accounts when necessary. I increment them by one
I add stuff on to my e-mail address so I can tell which site is sending it to me, like XXXX+jk@xxx.xxx for Jaiku, for example. That way, I can check where the spam is coming from.
Or I could, if I had gotten round to setting up my filters. I keep meaning to, but never get there.
Oh, and I forgot. I find it really frustrating that some sites actually check whether your e-mail address is in a valid format, but don't know about the "+" (which is part of the standard). They insist it's not a valid e-mail address, when it is.
10 comments so far
They're very convenient sometimes, and a good way to stop spam!
2 years, 6 months ago by Y83ross
they are good, just delete any important info after using them or just don't use them for important stuff
2 years, 6 months ago by JDogg
try a better service, 2prong.com they don't expire... just close the browser to end your session.... ^_^
2 years, 6 months ago by raynos13
can't really see the need for a 15min. email address. Unless you are on seady side of life.
2 years, 6 months ago by AndrewSydney
there are lots of sites that want your email address to sign up..there are also a lot of sites that don't need your email address, and sites I don't trust.
2 years, 6 months ago by Y83ross
I use several levels of disposable email addresses and find they all have their place.
I use http://mailinator.com/ for things where I just want to get past the front door and read some content (forum signups, newspapers, registering BugMeNot accounts, etc.).
I use http://sneakemail.com/ when I sign up for things I want to use regularly/longer term, but that I might want to get rid of later or might be compromised in some way in the future (or might turn to overly aggressive marketing).
Finally, if I need to make up a disposable email address on the spot and can't get to sneakemail, I have a naming convention that uses my own domain (e.g. if I need to fill in my email address on a paper form for a competition, exhibition, event, etc.), and I can whitelist/block mail to that address as required.
If you have your own domain, a catch-all email address and some good filtering options then you can replace sneakemail completely (I just found that before I bought my domain).
2 years, 6 months ago by surferbill
So many sites require an email address for the most tenous of reasons - so I thnk there's definitely a case for disposable ones. I don't think there's any more or less opportunity for malice than using a webmail account.
2 years, 6 months ago by dzakstar
For one time registration those sites are great. For longer term ones, like surferbill said, that might get compromised I make mail-in databases on my own servers and can remove those accounts when necessary. I increment them by one
2 years, 6 months ago by IdoNotes
I add stuff on to my e-mail address so I can tell which site is sending it to me, like XXXX+jk@xxx.xxx for Jaiku, for example. That way, I can check where the spam is coming from.
Or I could, if I had gotten round to setting up my filters. I keep meaning to, but never get there.
2 years, 6 months ago by Anome
Oh, and I forgot. I find it really frustrating that some sites actually check whether your e-mail address is in a valid format, but don't know about the "+" (which is part of the standard). They insist it's not a valid e-mail address, when it is.
2 years, 6 months ago by Anome