Posted on May 23, 2006 at 10:08 AM in @earthlink
Note: The below is an archived entry from Earthling, formerly EarthLink's official blog. The blog itself has been decommissioned and is no longer updated, and comments are trackbacks are no longer accepted.
Product Manager and fellow sushi enthusiast Julie Van Leuven stopped by my desk yesterday to show me a new feature for EarthLink Web Mail that they've rolled out as a private beta. It's called Protection Pack, and it lives at www.protectionpack.net. Once you turn it on, it creates disposable e-mail addresses for you so that you can safely give away your contact information to anyone you do business with while keeping it safe from robots, spammers, and overly aggressive e-mail marketing schemes. It puts the e-mail to your disposable addresses in separate folders that you can control or delete if they get too much spam.
I've been using similar functionality from a geekier product called Sneakemail (developed by my friend Kevin Swope) for about five years. In fact, Delta's SkyMiles program still only knows me by my disposable e-mail address. I think it's a great idea to bundle something like this in with your Webmail client, so you don't have to visit a separate site to manage it.
The Beta program for testing Protection Pack is currently closed to the public, but if you're an EarthLink customer, you may get something in the mail in the next few weeks inviting you to try it. If you become part of the beta program, please come back to Earthling and tell me what you think.
Comments
I've been using SpamGourmet.com for years and it works very well, although to your point it is a separate service. The single biggest tip I can offer to everyone is that you should very, very rarely ever give out your "golden" email address--no matter who's asking or how valid or trusted the requester is. Murphy's law probably indicates that the next time you receive an email from your friend/relative/business associate, it'll be a mass email forward asking you to "boycott the gas company" or "send this to 15 friends for good luck."
Posted by Ashley | May 23, 2006 11:55 AM
This idea sounds VERY nice if without additional cost.
Posted by litew8 | June 1, 2006 2:10 AM
sign me up for your anonymous e mail addresses
Posted by rose gaskill | July 5, 2006 12:11 PM
I Need a antivirus Please
Posted by April | July 19, 2006 9:03 PM
keep up the good works
Posted by carleen barnes | August 4, 2006 7:02 PM
I am paranoid when I receive e-mail which supposedly comes from Earthlink. The flakes of the world are SO creative (and thieves!) that I hesitate to sign-up even though items appear to have the Earthlink logo next to the E-mail. THIS, I presume is the real deal?? JOHN
Posted by John | August 23, 2006 7:36 AM
Hi John,
It's the real deal. I'm right now writing up a blog entry about it moving from beta to fully launched. I'll have it up on the blog shortly.
Posted by Dave Coustan | August 23, 2006 12:39 PM