Anyone know how to create on the fly e-mail addresses like craigslist do?

[dude]

Hello,

If you look at some craigslist posts like this -

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/mis/349476796.html

- you will see they use a some-random-number@craigslist.org e-mail address for replies.

Basically when someone posts something, they input their e-mail address, and then an anonymous craigslist e-mail address is created which is linked to the real e-mail address.

Anyone know how to do this?

Thank you

 

[paul]

you could append your .redirect in UNIX with something like

per-2334|bobmonkey@hotmail.com,check@yourdomain.com

here emails to per-2334@yourdomain.com will go to bobmonkey@hotmail.com and your box check@yourdomain.com , incase you get a complaint, etc.

 

[niall]

Anyone know how to do this?

Your best bet is to use an MTA like Postfix which can get its email details out of a mysql database. If someone new signs up, create a database entry with the random username and the email it is to be forwarded to, and postfix will take immediate note.

I have implemented something similar before.

Niall.

 

[dude]

Thank you both for your replies. I shall look into both your suggestions.

 

[ChristineK]

On the fly email addresses can be created using mailinator.com

There is no charge simply use a prefix such to the domain, e.g. christinek@mailinator.com as your email address. To check email received go to mailinator.com and sign in as 'christinek'. A wide, wide range of prefixes can be used. I would suggest using abstract ones to avoid seeing a load of other peoples email. I stress that these are only useful for transient email addresses.

Hope this helps, Christine.