How to win friends

D. Hugh Redelmeier hugh-pmF8o41NoarQT0dZR+AlfA at public.gmane.org
Fri Nov 12 16:38:37 UTC 2010


| From: James Knott <james.knott-bJEeYj9oJeDQT0dZR+AlfA at public.gmane.org>

| A few months ago, I was filling in an online form, that wouldn't accept email
| addresses, such as mine that have a period in the name part.  Fortunately, I
| have another address, which I wound up using.

A lot don't take + in email address usernames.  + is perfectly legal
according to the RFC.

+ has an interesting effect, at least with sendmail.  For delivering,
sendmail ignores but preserves everything after the +.  You can use
this create variants of your email address and use them to track down
who passed your email address around.  So, for example, you could tell
Future that your email address is peter+future-hcDgGtZH8xPowKkBSvOlow at public.gmane.org  Mail to
that address would be delivered to peter-hcDgGtZH8xPowKkBSvOlow at public.gmane.org  But you would
know that any mail to peter+future-hcDgGtZH8xNBDgjK7y7TUQ at public.gmane.org came because Future
gave out your address.
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