Microsoft offers throwaway and junkyard emails

Hotmail service adds more features that will allow users to have disposable email addresses. Microsoft is now making it even easier for users to redirect their mail to existing primary address. While Hotmail users can already avail of add a +sign and a word to the first part of their email address to create a sub-address, under new rules people will be able to add up to five new email addresses per year. Messages will be sent to a folder within your primary email.

Windows Live director Dharmesh Mehta used the Windows Live blog to explain the changes: "Let’s say you’re in the market for a new car. There are a bunch of websites that will email you price quotes, sales alerts, etc. During your car search, these messages are helpful, but once you’re done, they become clutter that can be difficult to stop. By using an alias on these websites instead of your main email address, you can avoid this."

Microsoft reckons the average person has three email addresses for different parts of their lives, or spam. The software giant points out that maintaining three accounts, presumably with three different passwords, is a pain.