[BBLISA] sender-specific addresses

[Edward Ned Harvey (bblisa4)]

> From: bblisa-bounces at bblisa.org [mailto:bblisa-bounces at bblisa.org] On
> Behalf Of Tom Metro
> 
> Theo Van Dinter wrote:
> > ...I came to realize that source-addressing doesn't really do me any
> > good. If it's spam, the spam filtering is good enough that I probably
> > won't notice it.
> 
> I have to admit that, although one of the big claimed benefits to using
> sender-specific addresses is that you can direct ones that have fallen
> into the hands of spammers to /dev/null, in 10+ years of using such
> addresses I've rarely done so.

Oh - I have a slightly different experience - 

In the 13-15 yrs that I've been using disposable email addresses @nedharvey.com, I agree, I have rarely (in fact, only once) needed to discard an email alias on the grounds of some vendor selling or otherwise compromising the address without my consent.  (The infringer, btw, was box.net.  I tried to write them a letter explaining that they probably have some infected computer or other breach, but in doing so, they directed me to a FAQ, where dozens of other users like me tried telling them, and they refuse to accept or believe the feedback, discussion closed.)  So I threw away the box at nedharvey.com address, and shun them, and tell everybody about it.

That being said, I have discarded several dozen addresses over the years.  The most common need is:  I join all these mailing lists, public forums, etc.  And those addresses get compromised frequently.  (bblisa, bblisa2, bblisa3, have all been compromised, and now I'm using bblisa4).  

To be fair, I have a hair trigger.  If I receive even a single junk message addressed to bblisa4, then I discard the address and rejoin with a new address.

The second most common need is:  Whenever there's a big family email announcement or something, my aunt sends mail to everyone in my family, and everyone exchanges email addresses with each other, and all my cousins and aunts and uncles with infested computers get all this information sent to them, etc.  Almost invariably (approx once a year) a couple weeks after such emails occur, I have to discard whatever alias they all got.   hehehheheheh   (Did I say "have to?" block receiving email from my family arguing about tea-party politics and stuff?)   ;-)

Closely related:

I do the same thing with my physical mail.  I tell them my address is
	Line 1:		147 Mary St
	Line 2:		From Microsoft
hehehhehe

This started sort of by accident.  Years ago, I moved to NH, and when I was new in town, I thought my address was 320 South Rd, when it was actually 313 South Rd.  I went to Citizens bank, and opened a checking account.  Then I received some mail, and the post man told me, there is no such thing as 320 and I'm 313.  So the *only* place that I gave "320" to was Citizens bank.  And then I started receiving junk mail addressed to 320, which the postman mentally corrected and delivered to me.  I went and talked to them, and they denied it.  "We never sell or share information, etc."  Which can only mean (a) they're lying, or (b) it's happening without their knowledge.  Most likely the latter.  (Just like box.net)

With physical mail, after the 320/313 incident back in 2000, I started doing the "From Line 2" thing.  In 13 years, the From Line 2 has never done any good.  All the junk mail you receive at home is either legitimate opt-in, or generic "Current Resident" stuff.  99% the latter.