Hotmail users get 'aliases' to battle spam
- — 08 February, 2011 04:44
Hotmail has stolen a rare lead on Googles Gmail with a new security feature that lets webmail users create temporary email addresses which can later be discarded.
The new aliases can be used to create up to five secondary email identities that link back to a users main email account as a way of interacting with online services on a temporary basis. Once the need for this relationship has ended, users can turn off or delete the alias to avoid receiving marketing or spam.
To ease management of the five possible aliases, Hotmail can route mail from each into different folders or mark them using different symbols for clear identification.
Weve all been in a situation when we have to sign up for or buy something, like a car or a holiday, and provide our email address. Most likely, its something or somewhere were not likely to visit again anytime soon, said Hotmail product manager, Bryan Saftler.
Saftler pointed out that email addresses are now used for more than simple messaging with select acquaintances, and now form the frontline of many peoples digital identity. Managing this through one identify can be difficult, which encourages some to create multiple email accounts.
Thats where services such as Hotmail win out. The company will, presumably, no longer have to manage large numbers of empty email accounts for people who only created them for a short-term reason. That means less management.
The limitation is the five alias limit in any year, or 15 in total. No doubt this is to stop a minority of users or spammers going mad with the number of aliases that hang off one primary account.
As Microsoft worked out long ago, the bigger picture is identity itself.
The Internet is crying out for users to interact with a large number of services using broker services, which is where Windows Live ID and Google identities might in future come in. Users wouldnt log in or exchange information with these services but the service extracts the user data from the broker on a temporary basis that deletes traces when the transaction is finished.
This can already be done with Microsofts Passport Network or Windows Live ID but depends on that filtering down to larger numbers of sites, which it has yet to do. De facto identity companies such as Facebook now look more likely to steal this crown but Hotmail aliases might yet be a way for Microsoft to claw back some lost ground.
Comments
Bruce
Fri 23/12/2011 - 12:52
Im having problems with live mail. interrupting my system and requesting information I cannot remember about my past emails. I wish to quit live.mail...
mohamed ahmed
Sat 10/03/2012 - 18:48
i have a problem about my email i have not used my email more than two monthes because of when i want to sign in the answer its giving me is your acount has been blocked
we sent your acount number to fardowso whom i dont know
so iwold like to assist me if possible
idont have another email to use please send me any inforation to this email ilkacase40@hptmail.com
Sony Douyon
Mon 09/04/2012 - 07:18
I Have a problem about my email Account.I have not use my email for a long period of time when I come back to sign in their told me my account have been blocked because someone use my account to send improper email that was not me I went to a computer to enter my cell number for code to sign in they said my phone is not listed I don,t know what to do. I Can receive email but I cannot send email but I like windows live if this problem not resolve I Have to go.
Peggy Sowell
Thu 03/05/2012 - 13:37
I hope I haven't cause any trouble for yahoo/ I though they wanted a new password. I'm no expert on computers. Help Me. Peggy Sowell
cabdulqadir
Sun 20/05/2012 - 07:25
please alow my account to accesse Inbox do not put my massege Spam my account hotmail alow to use my account
joew
Fri 05/08/2011 - 09:20
I recently received a notice from Yahoo mail that they were going to start snooping into the contents of their email customer's messages to search for info about their personal likes and dislikes in order to send spam messages. This is an invasion of anyone's privacy in that its like the postman opening letters before they go into the mail box. I hope Hotmail is not lowering itself to this status!