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What's frustrating is that very many sites know of this method and simply trim the "+uniqueid" from a gmail.com address before inserting it into their database.

jdm2212 7y ago
That's a bummer. FWIW there are a fair number of non-gmail domains that are gmail-backed (e.g. a lot of universities' email systems) so it should still work with those consistently I hope.
- rypskar 7y ago
  It don't need to be gmail-backed for + to work. I use it on my own domain without any problems and there is no gmail involved
  - __david__ 7y ago
    On my domain I made _ and . Also work the same as +, for annoying sites that somehow think + is an invalid character for email addresses.
solution3982 7y ago
>What's frustrating is that very many sites know of this method and simply trim the "+uniqueid" from a gmail.com address before inserting it into their database. Unfortunately, there is a mathematical theorem (greater idiot theorem) that makes it technically impossible to generate a new random string that becomes an inbox that goes to your inbox. How do I know that it's technically impossible? Because otherwise Gmail would have done it already, since this takes 20 minutes and fixes a glaring security issue that gives spammers access to your email that you didn't grant. I can't have an IQ 50 points higher than all Gmail engineers, so it must stand to reason that I'm the greater idiot. Hence there must be something preventing this obvious solution. QED.
- hmate9 7y ago
  Wait, isn’t this exactly what Apple is doing with Sign in with Apple?
  - solution3982 7y ago
    yes. But that doesn't mean it's possible, or Gmail would be doing it too. they have PhD's and stuff. (or used to). so for sure it isn't possible for some reason, even if someone else is doing it. what other explanation can there be? why would they just have a glaring security hole like that, allowing anyone you try to give a trackable email to with + to just remove it with a regex? It doesn't make sense. there must be some reason it can't work.
    - maimeowmeow 7y ago
      Because there is a top tier spam filter that is powered by the ai, and cloud computers? qed qft
- nothrabannosir 7y ago
  Outlook and Apple already offer this service, it’s not impossible. The + need not have been intended as a spam filter; I use it for bona fide filtering of separate clients’ projects.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
input_sh 7y ago
Pay for your email address to solve the problem. On my email provider, I can create a catchall alias: *@example.com will end up in my johndoe@example.com mailbox. So, instead of doing johndoe+hn@example.com, I can do hn@example.com.
- systemcluster 7y ago
  If your email provider does not offer a catchall alias option, this is also achievable with an email forwarder (e.g. mailgun), provided you are ok with giving another service provider access to the content of your received mails.
  - mavhc 7y ago
    If only it were possible to encrypt emails, oh well
  - manigandham 7y ago
    Technically most email is not encrypted so every single mail server in the middle also has access.
- CharlesColeman 7y ago
  > So, instead of doing johndoe+hn@example.com, I can do hn@example.com. Fastmail has an interesting variation of this that supports multiple users on the same domain: hn@johndoe.example.com. My wife and I both use that feature heavily on our domain.

jdm2212 7y ago

That's a bummer. FWIW there are a fair number of non-gmail domains that are gmail-backed (e.g. a lot of universities' email systems) so it should still work with those consistently I hope.

rypskar 7y ago
It don't need to be gmail-backed for + to work. I use it on my own domain without any problems and there is no gmail involved
- __david__ 7y ago
  On my domain I made _ and . Also work the same as +, for annoying sites that somehow think + is an invalid character for email addresses.

solution3982 7y ago

>What's frustrating is that very many sites know of this method and simply trim the "+uniqueid" from a gmail.com address before inserting it into their database. Unfortunately, there is a mathematical theorem (greater idiot theorem) that makes it technically impossible to generate a new random string that becomes an inbox that goes to your inbox. How do I know that it's technically impossible? Because otherwise Gmail would have done it already, since this takes 20 minutes and fixes a glaring security issue that gives spammers access to your email that you didn't grant. I can't have an IQ 50 points higher than all Gmail engineers, so it must stand to reason that I'm the greater idiot. Hence there must be something preventing this obvious solution. QED.

hmate9 7y ago
Wait, isn’t this exactly what Apple is doing with Sign in with Apple?
- solution3982 7y ago
  yes. But that doesn't mean it's possible, or Gmail would be doing it too. they have PhD's and stuff. (or used to). so for sure it isn't possible for some reason, even if someone else is doing it. what other explanation can there be? why would they just have a glaring security hole like that, allowing anyone you try to give a trackable email to with + to just remove it with a regex? It doesn't make sense. there must be some reason it can't work.
  - maimeowmeow 7y ago
    Because there is a top tier spam filter that is powered by the ai, and cloud computers? qed qft
nothrabannosir 7y ago
Outlook and Apple already offer this service, it’s not impossible. The + need not have been intended as a spam filter; I use it for bona fide filtering of separate clients’ projects.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

input_sh 7y ago

Pay for your email address to solve the problem. On my email provider, I can create a catchall alias: *@example.com will end up in my johndoe@example.com mailbox. So, instead of doing johndoe+hn@example.com, I can do hn@example.com.

systemcluster 7y ago
If your email provider does not offer a catchall alias option, this is also achievable with an email forwarder (e.g. mailgun), provided you are ok with giving another service provider access to the content of your received mails.
- mavhc 7y ago
  If only it were possible to encrypt emails, oh well
- manigandham 7y ago
  Technically most email is not encrypted so every single mail server in the middle also has access.
CharlesColeman 7y ago
> So, instead of doing johndoe+hn@example.com, I can do hn@example.com. Fastmail has an interesting variation of this that supports multiple users on the same domain: hn@johndoe.example.com. My wife and I both use that feature heavily on our domain.