Re: Free Offers
- From: Duplex <double@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 20:28:48 -0500
On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 17:45:54 -0400, Barry Karas wrote:
4:28 PM 6/23/2007
Sites require that I input my name and e-mail address for 'free' offers. I
do not input the information because I suspect that the information will
be sold to junk e-mailers. (Luckily, I have a scanning program so I can
"weed out" the junk e-mail.)
There are probably some computer programs that do this 'weeding out'
before the e-mail messages reach the user's computer. The problem -- or my
problem -- with these programs is that the programs use other peoples'
opinions as to what is junk.
I receive about 70 to 100 e-mail messages per business day (about ¾ on
Saturdays and about ¼ on Sundays). As I wrote, I am lucky that I have the
scanning program. It is not that I am an expert, but I am on my PC a
lot...and I have been for 10+ years.
Another problem I encounter: Occasionally I want something but I am
reluctant to input my name and e-mail address because I suspect that I'll
also receive scads of junk email messages. I can understand the rationale
if the product is "free" (but there is no such thing as a free lunch).
However, if I am willing to pay for the product then the vendor has no
excuse to sell my e-mail address. However there is no person in authority
that I can easily and quickly contact to get an assurance that my name and
e-mail address will not be sold. Do I have to live with this problem?
If you haven't already, dump the crappy MS "browser" and use Firefox. Then
get an extension called "Temporary Inbox". It will show up in your
toolbar. When you need a short-term email address, get one from them and
use it until your transaction(s) is/are complete. It's also checked from
the toolbar. After a time the email address will disappear. But you won't
have to check it after you're done with it.
You can use the service without dropping MS' kludgy abomination (IE), but
it's not as convenient. You'll have to go to the page, get an address, use
it and go back to the page to check for mail. That might be OK for someone
accustomed to having to run a long ton of anti-whateverware. But it's not
something I'd be willing to bother with.
An alternative: sign up with several free email services, get addresses,
use them until they're overwhelmed, then pretend they never existed and
get replacements. It works, but it's still not as convenient as doing it
all from a browser. You can search for free email servers on any good
search engine (which leaves MS out in that area, too).
Finally, getting rid of the native "browser" MS puts there removes one
more avenue from their arsenal to spy on you with. That alone should be
motivation enough.
You're welcome. Have a nice day.
.
- References:
- Free Offers
- From: Barry Karas
- Free Offers
- Prev by Date: Re: Stand by ?
- Next by Date: Re: reformatting with a different cd
- Previous by thread: Re: Free Offers
- Next by thread: Solved: unrecognized external command error in command window
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
