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Getting Started |
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Q: How do I get started?
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A: 1. Create an account.
2. Validate your email address: When you sign-up, a confirmation email is sent to your email address. You'll click the link or enter the code on [[/targets/index.php|this page]].
3. Install the "New Emailias!" button on your browser. Follow instructions[[/learning/add_one_click.php|on this page]].
4. Visit a website that wants your email address.
5. Click the "New Emailias!" button on your browser to get a new address to give to that website.
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Q: Do I need to give a valid email address when I sign-up?
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A: No and yes. If you want to actually use Emailias, then you'll need to receive the "validation" email that we send to your email address. So, you'll need to give us a real email address at which you can receive an email.
If you give us a bad email address, then you won't receive that email and you won't be able to do very much with Emailias.
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Basic Info About Emailias |
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Q: What is an alias?
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A: An alias is an email address that can be set up to forward mail to your primary mailbox. For example, if you have an email address such as 12345678@myisp.com you can get an email alias such as yourname@emailias.com that will forward all mail to your 1234.5678@myisp.com address. If you decide you want to change your internet service provider, all you have to do is change your alias to redirect email to your new mailbox. Your email address will remain the same.
Aliases are alternate e-mail addresses for the same mailbox. Messages sent to your alias address will be delivered to the mailbox of your primary address.
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Q: Why would I want to use an alias?
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A: There many advantages to using alias: You no longer have to update your E-mail with everyone you know when your email address changes (perhaps switching ISPs or employers). Simply give people who contact you your alias from emailias and after changing accounts just update the address it should be forwarded to.
debbie@emailias.com is easy to remember and may be much more memorable than deb917@s1.isp.com
Aliases may be used for different people who share the same account. Mom@emailias.com, dad@emailias.com and child@emailias.com may all come to the same account but each has the appearance of a unique email.
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Q: How do you pronounce "Emailias"?
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A: The word "Emailias" is a combination of the words "Email" and "Alias". Emailias is pronounced email-ias ("ee-MAIL-ee-us"). Email is pronounced as you'd expect and ias (as in "alias") is added to the end.
Once you can say it smoothly, you can sing it to the tune of the "Aquarius" song:
"This is the dawning of the age of Emailias!"
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Q: What is an Emailias?
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A: It's an "Off Switch" for spam and other unwanted emails.
A unique channel of communication is created for every sender by the recipient which allows the recipient to monitor and control future communications, thereby enforcing email responsibility and protecting the recipient's inbox from unsolicited email
Emailias shifts the power back to the owner of the email address who now has the ability to cancel the emailias if it is abused (or for any reason) without affecting other emails.
The email address alias (or emailias) is a two-way email proxy to your real email address. Any email that an online vendor sends to an emailias is immediately forwarded to your personal email address, allowing you to read all email normally. You can reply to these emails sent through an emailias because of a technology we call "Reply-Masking".
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Q: What is the Emailias.com service?
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A: Emailias.com is a technological solution to addressing unwanted spam. It is a way to quickly create and conveniently manage an unlimited number of email address "aliases". You create and give an alias addresses to an online vendor instead of your personal email address.
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Q: Pop-up Window & "Click, Copy, Go!"?
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A: The power of Emailias lies in the convenience with which you can create an emailias. Using a common supported browser, we show you how to put a button on your browser to create an emailias. Since the button is integrated to your browser, it is always available when you are surfing the Internet.
"Click, Copy, Go!" is our fast and easy way to create a new emailias. When you come across a web page that asks for your email address, simply click on the "New Emailias!" browser button and a pop-up window will appear. This pop-up window contains a new emailias that is already configured to your account defaults (i.e. it already knows where to forward all email that it receives). Just copy the emailias from the pop-up window to the web page that is asking for your address. That's it! You're done! Go on your way! Any emails that the website sends to your emailias will be automatically forwarded to and received at your personal email address, just like any other email.
We have a good explanation page and tutorial here.
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Q: Automatic Emailias-Webpage Association?
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A: When you create an emailias using the pop-up window, the emailias is automatically associated with the web page that you were viewing. This means that if you ever go back to any page on that website, you can click on the "New Emailias!" browser button and we will remind you that you already have an emailias created for that website. You'll then have the choice of re-using that same emailias or creating another new emailias.
This feature is helpful for websites that use your email address as a login ID for their site.
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Q: Types of Emailiases?
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A: In the pop-up window, there is a control that sets the emailias type.
Standard Emailiases
By default, a "Standard" emailias is created. This means that it is an emailias for you, that will send email to your personal email address.
Friend Emailiases
Emailias also lets you create a "Friend" emailias. A Friend emailias is one that allows you to forward an email to the address of a friend. You would create a Friend emailias whenever you want to have a website send an email to a friend.
Being the considerate friend that you are, you would use Friend emailiases to protect your friend's email addresses, just like you use emailiases to protect your own address. This means that if the website decides to sell your friend's address, then they're only selling an emailias (which can be turned off), and not their actual personal email address. They'll thank you for that! A Friend emailias is actually only useful for one email. One the website sends an email to an Friend emailias, that emailias is deleted. This means that the website really can't sell the address at all--it doesn't work any more! This lets you get the information to your friend, but keeps the website from being able to abuse that email address later.
Pair Emailiases
The last emailias type is a "Pair". The Pair is actually just a convenient way to create a Standard and a Friend emailias at the same time. This is convenient way to create a "To" and "From" pair of addresses for websites that require two addresses. Online greeting card sites frequently require two addresses: who the card is from, and who the card is to.
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Pricing and Payment |
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Q: How much does Emailias cost?
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A: Emailias costs $19.95 (USD) per year.
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Q: How can I pay for Emailias
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A: Emailias allows payment only by credit card. We do not currently support other payment systems such as PayPal. We also do not accept checks or cash.
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Q: How do I upgrade my membership?
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A: You may upgrade from your initial trial membership at any time. There is a renewal link at the top of each web page.
Whenever you upgrade, the full length of your trial membership is included in your upgrade. For example, if you upgrade your membership at the start of your 60-day trial membership, then you will have a full membership for 1 year plus 60 days.
This same policy applies to membership renewals: if you renew your membership, then you will receive full credit for any time remaining on your existing membership.
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Q: How do I renew my membership?
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A: At about 25 days prior to your membership expiration, a link will appear on the top of the web pages when you visit the Emailias website. You can then renew at any time. If you renew immediately, then all remaining time on your current membership will be credited to your renewal (i.e. you don't lose any membership time by renewing earlier).
We'll also send you expiration reminder emails. These are sent at about 15 days, 5 days, and 1 day prior to your account expiration.
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Q: Does Emailias remember my credit card?
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A: No. Emailias does not store or remember your credit card information at all.
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Q: Do you automatically renew and charge my credit card?
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A: No. You will only be charged when you want to become a member or renew each year. Emailias does not charge your credit card. In fact, Emailias does not save your credit card information.
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Q: Can I pay with PayPal?
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A: No. Emailias does not currently integrate with PayPal. Using a credit card is the only way to pay for your membership.
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Q: Can I renew for more than one year?
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A: No. You may renew for up to 1 year. You will be reminded that your account is expiring. This is done by sending an email to your default target email address.
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Compatability & System Requirements |
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Q: Do I need special software to use Emailias?
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A: No. Emailias works through your browser and through your existing email reader. You don't even need a plugin to use Emailias.
We have a good page all about System Requirements here.
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Q: Is it compatible with all types of e-mail programs?
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A: Yes. Emailias works with all types of e-mail programs including stand-alone programs like Eudora and Outlook, and web-based e-mail programs such as Hotmail, YahooMail, ExciteMail, etc.
It also works with all types of internet access providers, including AOL, Earthlink, Compuserve, as well as cable modems and DSL modems.
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Q: Will Emailias work on a Macintosh or Linux computer?
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A: Absolutely. Emailias works on all major operating systems.
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Technical Terms |
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Q: Emailias
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A: We've already introduced the term Emailias, but it is repeated here for your convenience. The Emailias is an email address alias that relays email to a personal email address. An emailais is given to a website instead of the personal email address to keep that personal address private and controlled.
We have a good page describing all about Emailiases here.
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Q: What's a "Retired Emailias"?
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A: A Retired Emailias is an emailias address that you used to get a lot of spam through, but you "retired" it by replacing it with another address. This is not the same as deleting an address.
We have a good page all about Retired Emailiases here.
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Q: What are Targets?
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A: A "Target" is a personal email address that receives email that is relayed through an Emailias. Your personal email address is a Target. You must have at least one Target in your Emailias account. You may register more than one Target, but an emailias will only relay email to one Target.
There are two types of Targets: "Normal" and "Good Friend".
A Normal Target is an email address that you own. Normal Targets must be validated. An email is sent to a Normal Target when you enter the new address into your account. You must be able to receive that email and use the information in it to "validate" your Target. Only "validated" Targets may be used to receive email relayed by an emailias.
A Good Friend Target is a personal address of a friend. You may create a Good Friend Target, but you may only use that Target for Friend emailiases. You don't need to create a Good Friend Target to create Friend emailiases (you can just enter the friend's address when you create the Friend emailias). The Good Friend Target just lets you save friend's addresses in your account that you frequently create emailiase for.
We have a good page all about Targets here.
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Q: What is "Reply Masking"?
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A: Emailias uses a technique called "reply-masking" to help protect your identity but still allow you to reply to emails. When you use your mail reader to reply to an email that came through an emailias, the email's envelope information is changed to appear like it came from your emailias, instead of from your personal email address. This keeps your personal email address private, and allows you to communicate with the online vendor as if the emailias were your personal email address.
You do not need to do anything special to use reply-masking. It happens automatically when you use an emailias instead of your personal email address.
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Q: What's different between Basic vs. Advanced User Modes?
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A: Before we get into "Folders", "Presets" and "Expiration", we'll discuss Basic vs. Advanced User Mode. The User Mode is a way to simplify the interface. Much of the power of Emailias can be used in Basic User Mode, but there are a few features that many people will find helpful to better use the Emailias website.
Basic User Mode exists to keep the website interface simple. As a person becomes more familiar with the terms and concepts of Emailias, they will probably use the Advanced User Mode. In Basic User Mode, you will use the following concepts (described above):
* Emailiases
* Targets
* Basic Folders
Advanced User Mode has more functionality that allows a user to better organize their emailiases and have more control over their Emailiases. As a person becomes more familiar the concepts inteh Basic User Mode, they will more easily understand the following concepts in the Advanced User Mode:
* Advanced Folders
* Presets
* Emailias Expiration
* Email Header Controls
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Q: What are Folders?
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A: A Folder is a way to organize emailiases. Most operating systems today (Microsoft Windows, Macintosh) organize files into "folders". In this way, a Emailias Folder groups similar emailiases together. In Basic User Mode, there are three folders:
* My Emailiases
* Friend
* Disabled
My Emailiases:
The "My Emailiases" folder contains all "Standard" Emailiases that you create. You may quickly discover that you'd like to create other folders to better organize your Emailiases into groups (i.e Shopping, Newsletters, Websavers). You can create other folders only in Advanced User Mode.
Friend Folder:
The "Friend" Folder contains all Friend Emailiases that you create. Remember that Friend Emailiases are only good for one email, so they may get deleted from this folder fairly quickly after they're created. You may not rename or move Emailiases into or out of this folder.
Disabled Folder:
The "Disabled" Folder is a special folder that contains Emailiases that are currently "Disabled". The disabled Emailiases really aren't "in" this folder, but this folder is a convenient way to see only the disabled Emailiases (the Emailias is still contained in the folder that it was created for). If you understand database theory, this folder is like a "view" into the disabled Emailiases of all other folders.
Other Folders:
Using Advanced User Mode, you can create sub-folders of the "My Emailiases" folder to help organize your Emailiases. You are not limited to any number of Folders, and you can always create more sub-folders within sub-folders.
We have a good page all about Folders here.
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Q: What are Presets?
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A: Firstly, think of the "Presets" on your car radio. By clicking on one of the presets, the radio automatically changes to a new radio station that you've already specified. Some of the fancier radios even change the bass/treble settings for the music type. In any case, you can choose the settings that will result for when you press that button in the future.
An Emailias "Preset" is a way of grouping settings together. For an Emailias, you can specify many settings: its Target, Folder, any expiration information. You can create a Preset to group your favorite settings into a single button-click. For example, you may create a Preset named "Shopping 1 Week", which means: use my home Target, store the Emailias in my "Shopping" Folder, and delete the Emamilias after 1 Week.
Presets are only available in Advanced User Mode. They are convenient to keep track of bunch of Emailiases that always have the same settings. So, if you want to change the Target for all Emailiases using your "Shopping" Preset, then you just have to change the Target for the Preset, instead of changing the Target on each individual Emailias.
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Q: Emailias Expiration
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A: In Advanced User Mode, there is "Emailias Expiration". This is a way for you to specify how long an Emailias should exist. You've already seen an example of "expiration" with the Friend Emailias, which gets deleted after one email has been relayed.
There are two basic types of expiration: Disable or Delete.
An Emailias that is "disabled" still exists in your account but does not forward the email to its Target. Any email that is sent to a disabled Emailias appears (to the sender) that it was received normally. This may be useful if you want to keep an email address for an online shopping website, but don't want to receive all of the junk mail that they send out between your orders.
An Emailias that is "deleted" is removed from your account. Any email that is sent to that emailias gets bounced back to the sender, telling them that the email address is no longer valid. If you receive junk mail from a website, you may be just annoyed enough that you'll never want email from them again. In this case, you can delete the address, and they'll never be able to send you email again (unless you give them another emailias later).
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Q: What are Email Header Controls?
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A: The emails that are relayed through an Emailias have an "Emailias Header" inserted at the top of the message. This done for a few reasons. Often, when an email is sent from a website, it is sent to a bunch of recipients using the "Bcc" header, which means that your email address isn't listed in the recipients list. Therefore, you may not be able to tell how they sent the email to you. The header that we put at the top of your email message contains the Emailias that they used to send the email to you. We also include a link to the properties page for the Emailias, so that you can easily make notes, change settings for the Emailias, or delete it (if you like). In Advanced User Mode, you may specify the information that you'd like to have included in this Email Header. You may even choose to have no email header inserted at all. For technical reasons, some emails may not be able to have the header inserted, but we try our best.
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Sending and Receiving Emails |
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Q: Is there a size limit for emails?
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A: The current limit is 50 MB. This is a very large size, and it has always been this way. This size limit hasn't been mis-used, so we have been able to leave it at this large size.
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Q: Can I add an attachment to an email?
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A: No and yes. If you are using the Emailias website to send an email, then there is not a way to add an attachment.
However, if you want to reply to an email that in your own email client, then you will can add an attachment to be sent with your reply.
If you want to send a new email (and not a reply), then you will have to use the '''Reply-Generator''' feature. This feature is used by first going to the '''Properties''' page for the emailias that you want to use, then click on the '''Reply-Generator''' link on th left side menu.
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Security |
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Q: Will my name and email address be sold to other companies?
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A: No. Please read our privacy statement for full assurance.
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Q: Is an emailias more private or secure than a normal email?
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A: No. An Emailias provides greater protection of personal privacy by ensuring that an email address can not be transferred to commercial parties without your knowledge. Although privacy is enhanced Emailias does not make your email any more secure.
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