E-mail anyone via their phone number
thinbox.com
E-mail anyone via their phone number
1–10 of 31 posts
Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number
#2I really appreciate any feedback. This is an early stage version, but I wanted to get it out there and see what people had to say before taking it too far in one direction.
Also note: Thinbox only works with U.S. phone number at this time.
Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number
#3How on earth do you get people's email addresses?
My initial instinct is that your are just farming phone numbers...
Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number
#4How on earth do you get people's email addresses? My initial instinct is that your are just farming phone numbers...
If they aren't registered, we send them a text message asking for them to reply with their phone number. Any e-mails thereafter to [YOUR_NUMBER]@thinbox.com are automatically forwarded.
Thanks for the feedback though. Admittedly, we could have put more time into the landing page.
Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number
#5How on earth do you get people's email addresses? My initial instinct is that your are just farming phone numbers...
If they aren't registered, we send them a text message asking for them to reply with their phone number. Any e-mails thereafter to [YOUR_NUMBER]@thinbox.com are automatically forwarded. Thanks for the feedback though. Admittedly, we could have put more time into the landing page.
How is it different than me just texting them directly asking for their email? I suspect they'd be more likely to send their email to me than to some random company trying to act as a middleman.
Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number
#6Earlier quoted context omitted.
If they aren't registered, we send them a text message asking for them to reply with their phone number. Any e-mails thereafter to [YOUR_NUMBER]@thinbox.com are automatically forwarded. Thanks for the feedback though. Admittedly, we could have put more time into the landing page.
How is it different than me just texting them directly asking for their email? I suspect they'd be more likely to send their email to me than to some random company trying to act as a middleman.
The idea is that it can happen automatically and seamlessly. We are planning to release a mobile sync app that will automatically "fill in the blanks" in your contact list. Basically, for any contact that has a mobile number and no email address, we'll populate the field with [Number]@thinbox.com
Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number
#7Can you explain why someone would want this? I'm not sure I've ever been in this situation before (only have someone's phone number but want to email them).
Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number
#8My main concern would be spam. At the moment I get telemarketing calls on my mobile, but with this people could spam me through my phone number. You might want to mention to people how you combat that when you send your opt in SMS
Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number
#9Can you explain why someone would want this? I'm not sure I've ever been in this situation before (only have someone's phone number but want to email them).
I think they may be on to something here. It simply means you can have one source (contact detail) to reach out into many. It may not even be a pertinent MVP for every individual, but the linkage, and potential with a bit of creative thought behind it, is pretty cool.
Full disclosure: I know / am good friends with the original post author / creator of ThinBox, but that had no influence on my comment.
Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number
#10How on earth do you get people's email addresses? My initial instinct is that your are just farming phone numbers...
If they aren't registered, we send them a text message asking for them to reply with their phone number. Any e-mails thereafter to [YOUR_NUMBER]@thinbox.com are automatically forwarded. Thanks for the feedback though. Admittedly, we could have put more time into the landing page.
Make sure you make it easy to cancel, e.g. instructions in the first text for how to block your number from the registry. People who do not have a texting plan in favor of iMessage, Skype, etc. but do not block all incoming texts by default will thank you. I got a text like this recently from AIM mobile-something-or other from some weird spammy address. The second message contained instructions on how to block any future requests, but afaik I'm going to see all the messages that were sent in the meantime on my bill at $.10/ea– I'm glad I wasn't roaming, since the price essentially triples.