I <3 Gmail.

Yesterday I found out about this cool feature that I’m sure half the world has known about for ages. However, I’m just learning about it so here I am writing about it.

Anyhow, this feature is this “+”. A simple little plus sign. Had I known about that plus sign ages ago, my spam box wouldn’t have 6270 emails in it right now (not an exaggeration unfortunately).

How the plus sign works is like this. Suppose my email address is macbookpro@gmail.com (obviously this is not my email address). Imagine I want to sign up for some contest or whatever but I’m worried about this place selling my info and me getting even more spam. Well, I just sign up with the plus sign then. I use ericasj0ys+contest@gmail.com as my registration email address. The email still gets to me (don’t ask me how, something to do with pigeons I think) but at this point, I have complete control over that specific address.

Now lets say the I didn’t win the contest I signed up for and the contest administrators sold my information. Ericasj0ys+contest@gmail.com gets flooded with nasty spam and other assorted canned meat by-products. At that point I can set up a filter pointing all emails addressed to ericasj0ys+contest@gmail.com to the Trash. The spam never makes it to my spam box, let alone my inbox.

There are many other ways to play with the plus sign. Take these for example:

• ericasj0ys+mom@gmail.com filtered directly to the archive with the label “nag” (not seriously mom, I read all your emails the moment they arrive)
• ericasj0ys+potentials@gmail.com for giving out to random men (or women if that’s what you prefer) in bars
• ericasj0ys+employment@gmail.com for resumes and job sites

The usages are limited only by your imagination.

While you’re thinking about useful Gmail stuff, check out these Greasemonkey scripts.

• Gmail Saved Searches
• Gmail Colored Labels
  

Alrighty so I’m feeling extremely chatty lately so don’t be surprised if more posts come today. Until then dear readers…

Tags:

• gmail
• spam
• filters