TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: The Architecture of Mailinator

The Architecture of Mailinator

Monty Solomon (monty@roscom.com)
Sun, 4 Mar 2007 21:53:27 -0500

Paul Tyma
January 19, 2007

Almost 3.5 years ago I started the Mailinator(tm) service. I got the
bulk of the idea from my drunk roommate at the time and the first
incarnation took me all of about 3 days to code up. In some senses it
was a crazy idea. As far I know, it was the first site of its kind. A
web-based email service that allowed any incoming email to create an
inbox. No sign-up. No personal information. Send email first, check
email later.

This became ridiculously handy for things like signing up for websites
that send you one confirmation email, then save or sell or spam your
email address forever. And of course, it *is* very handy for
users. But think about it from mailinator's side. Its basically
signing up to receive spam for that address forever. That's a tall
order and one that seems to have the possibility of a terrible
demise. Someday, enough email could come in that will simply smush
Mailinator. But, as of this writing, that day isn't today.

http://mailinator.blogspot.com/2007/01/architecture-of-mailinator.html

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