Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing

#1

Post by shawndumas » Wed, Dec 18, 2013, 2:08 AM UTC

Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing
macdrifter.com

Re: Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing

#2

Post by error54 » Wed, Dec 18, 2013, 3:01 AM UTC

I use the user+company@gmail.com alias when I can but MANY websites don't support that as a valid email address. Even tech companies that should know better.

Re: Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing

#3

Post by slvrspoon » Wed, Dec 18, 2013, 3:08 AM UTC

abine provides dynamic aliasing to any target inbox you prefer, free. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/maskme/dpkiidbpeij...

Re: Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing

#4

Post by dazzla » Wed, Dec 18, 2013, 3:18 AM UTC

For many years I've used my own domain for emails with a wild card forward to whatever my current email address is. So whenever I'm asked for an email address I use company@myemaildomain.com. So I don't have to worry about support for the + and no part of my actual email address is ever revealed. It also makes it easy for me to switch email providers.

Re: Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing

#5

Post by mikeknoop » Wed, Dec 18, 2013, 3:30 AM UTC

error54 wrote: post #2

I use the user+company@gmail.com alias when I can but MANY websites don't support that as a valid email address. Even tech companies that should know better.

I've been receiving jcpenney spam for years because while their account system allows you to sign up with a "+" their unsubscribe system doesn't.

Re: Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing

#6

Post by rahimnathwani » Wed, Dec 18, 2013, 3:38 AM UTC

error54 wrote: post #2

I use the user+company@gmail.com alias when I can but MANY websites don't support that as a valid email address. Even tech companies that should know better.

They _do_ know better (i.e. they know you use it for filtering) and that's why they don't accept it.

I don't like it either, but it's a reasonable choice for them to make.

Re: Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing

#7

Post by applecore » Wed, Dec 18, 2013, 3:55 AM UTC

What's stopping spammers from ignoring what comes after the plus?

Re: Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing

#8

Post by vsviridov » Wed, Dec 18, 2013, 3:59 AM UTC

I use this approach in conjunction with server-side sieve, that sorts messages into individual folders.

if envelope :detail :matches "to" "*" { set :lower :upperfirst "name" "${1}"; fileinto :create "INBOX.${name}"; stop; }

Re: Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing

#9

Post by vsviridov » Wed, Dec 18, 2013, 3:59 AM UTC

applecore wrote: post #7

What's stopping spammers from ignoring what comes after the plus?

Too much effort. They mostly go for fire-and-forget strategy. Any additional processing time means less sent emails = less profit.

Re: Avoiding Spam with Email Aliasing

#10

Post by chinpokomon » Wed, Dec 18, 2013, 4:09 AM UTC

rahimnathwani wrote: post #6

error54 wrote: post #2

I use the user+company@gmail.com alias when I can but MANY websites don't support that as a valid email address. Even tech companies that should know better.

They _do_ know better (i.e. they know you use it for filtering) and that's why they don't accept it. I don't like it either, but it's a reasonable choice for them to make.

I completely disagree! This is not a reasonable choice. Email forms must confirm to the RFC standards or else there is no standard. The biggest offender I've run into is Yahoo. Yahoo's email address filtering won't allow me to use my email address because they reject my TLD. Even lousier, their technical support form also rejects my email address, so I can't even send them email to have them correct the problem.