# Fuck You, Membership-Required-To-Browse Online Stores **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 28, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521 "2013-05-28T04:17:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/41 "2013-05-30T18:03:49Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I think most sites that want registration have been hip to mailinator (and its variants) for a long time now. I have certainly had attempts to use it rejected. ☹ Still worth a shot, try [fakeaddress@notmailinator.com](mailto:fakeaddress@notmailinator.com) or a variant: ``` bobmail.info binkmail.com fropp.com safetymail.info fishingoo.com lipperlloo.info burgundy1.com tradermail.info zippymail.info devnullmail.com chammy.info notmailinator.com mailinator.net letthemeatspam.info supergreatmail.com thisisnotmyrealemail.com sogetthis.com sendspamhere.com spamherelots.com spamama.uk.to ``` I can see this being an arms race between sites and mailinator, and mailinator will win. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/42 "2013-05-30T18:58:58Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > **Amateur Barbarian** is one of the few who has it figured out! Thanks for the recognition. In a word, folks, all this shit is about tracking you as a consumer. Every dodge, every little gimmick that gets you to fork over some piece of personal information, especially a “tracking key” like a phone number or email address, is used to build a profile of not just you, but every group you fit into - the better to control your buying environment and target your wallet ever more accurately. It isn’t done by individual companies like Eddie Bauer or NewEgg or whoever. The data is passed up the chain and managed by mega-targeters like Acxiom. If the idea of a privately held, nearly secret corporation accountable to absolutely no one (not even the tepid, ineffectual accountability we have from government agencies) accumulating truly massive amounts of data on every individual who can be tracked doesn’t unsettle you… okay. Happy shopping and darn you’re a smart kitty for using a fake-out email address. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/43 "2013-05-30T19:03:51Z")
So instead of buying goods and services through businesses, I should…? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/44 "2013-05-30T19:06:49Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > So instead of buying goods and services through businesses, I should…? Wrong question, because of course we all do have to buy goods and services. The right question is why should you have to sacrifice your privacy and control and make yourself subject to endless manipulation to do so. My answer is we shouldn’t, and it’s time to say we won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/45 "2013-05-30T19:07:38Z")
By…? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/46 "2013-05-30T19:17:09Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > By…? Comprehensive answer forthcoming. I will stand behind and validate every word I’ve said here (on the SDMB) on this topic. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/47 "2013-05-30T19:40:38Z")
I see. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/48 "2013-05-31T01:34:54Z")
I recently searched for car rentals and hotels for my daughter’s upcoming trip to San Fran. Since then, I’ve gotten inundated with both targeted ads on message boards and emails from discounters. I know it’s related to all this profiling and tracking nonsense. I was all set to be I’d be indignant over my loss of privacy, except that I ended up booking a car for over $200 less than I’d been able to find on my own. Bastards! ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/49 "2013-05-31T02:37:47Z")
It’s more fun using an enemy’s email address. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/50 "2013-05-31T05:59:55Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Wrong question, because of course we all do have to buy goods and services. > > The right question is why should you have to sacrifice your privacy and control and make yourself subject to endless manipulation to do so. > > My answer is we shouldn’t, and it’s time to say we won’t. I will acknowledge, somewhat, that it’s helpful to know what people buy. I certainly reap the benefits of Amazon’s recommendations for me. What I really resent, though, is giving up my info if I’m just going to browse. I don’t want to make up another damned login and password just to BROWSE. I’m really not receiving any benefit from providing that information, other than the dubious pleasure of browsing that site…and the thing is, I can almost certainly find some other site to shop. The only info that an online store really needs is my shipping address, billing address, credit card info, and credit card security code, for most items. In most cases, if I make an account with that store, the store is really the only one who benefits, I don’t get any benefits at all. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/51 "2013-06-03T17:56:55Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Thanks for the recognition. > > In a word, folks, all this shit is about tracking you as a consumer. Every dodge, every little gimmick that gets you to fork over some piece of personal information, especially a “tracking key” like a phone number or email address, is used to build a profile of not just you, but every group you fit into - the better to control your buying environment and target your wallet ever more accurately. > > It isn’t done by individual companies like Eddie Bauer or NewEgg or whoever. The data is passed up the chain and managed by mega-targeters like Acxiom. If the idea of a privately held, nearly secret corporation accountable to absolutely no one (not even the tepid, ineffectual accountability we have from government agencies) accumulating truly massive amounts of data on every individual who can be tracked doesn’t unsettle you… okay. Happy shopping and darn you’re a smart kitty for using a fake-out email address. You’re kinda tarded. > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Comprehensive answer forthcoming. I will stand behind and validate every word I’ve said here (on the SDMB) on this topic. Waiting patiently for comprehensive answer. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521/52 "2013-06-03T18:05:02Z")
I like to enter the email addresses of other companies that want me to give them my email address. I never get the activation message, but the resulting circle of pointless data mining makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-membership-required-to-browse-online-stores/659521.md?page=2)