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Discussion on: How many email addresses do you use?

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tux0r profile image
tux0r

I usually make a new mail alias for any service which I join. I currently have 126 aliases if I'm not mistaken. Plus four regular inboxes.

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phlash profile image
Phil Ashby

Similar here, all via my own vanity domain (ashbysoft.com) and front-end relay service so where my email is really hosted never gets revealed, and I can change ISP or email provider to suit me without anyone else being affected.

Has turned out to be interesting when checking on haveibeenpwned.com. Worst offender for selling my data, /then/ having an undisclosed breach was a Mac parts reseller back in '09.

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sudiukil profile image
Quentin Sonrel

What's the point of making so much aliases?

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ferricoxide profile image
Thomas H Jones II

Additionally:

  • Makes setting up auto-sorting or -forwarding filters dead-easy
  • If a given site decides to ignore previously-set email preferences and spamming you, rather than relying on an "unsubscribe", you just nuke the alias and they start getting 550s for their trouble
  • Combined with a password-manager, every site you visit has both a unique password and address. Marginally more security than only having one or the other unique

...and it's not just data breaches you need to worry about, it's sites selling your address. When you get an email from the "wrong source" for a given destination, you can send site you actually gave the address to an email asking "did you sell my address or get hacked and not bother to tell me." Either way: a good way to know who you should continue doing business with.

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sudiukil profile image
Quentin Sonrel

Yeah, all those things made me consider doing the same (if I'm not too lazy to do so, ahah), that's actually pretty awesome, I can't believe I never thought of it.

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tux0r profile image
tux0r

If any of those services has a data breach, I know which one it was, and changing the address for this one service is probably notably easier than for a dozen of services.

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sudiukil profile image
Quentin Sonrel

Makes sense, thanks.