It’s easy to spoil a good email address by allowing too many irritating sources to grab ahold of it. Hotmail is addressing the problem by allowing users to set up dummy accounts that forward mail to a master inbox. You can set up an alternate address that you use to register for silly website giveaways or people you don’t trust, then delete that account if it becomes a spam faucet.

CNet reports users can create up to five alternate email addresses, which are manageable from the main account’s inbox, and spoke to the Windows Live director of product management about the new feature:

Today we all often have multiple e-mail accounts for many different reasons. One of which is that I don’t want to give my real address out to any site in the world. I might be worried they’ll spam me with newsletters, or they might resell it to other marketers. Who knows what can happen?”

Tech-savvy email jockeys have managed to pull off similar setups on their own, so this isn’t exactly groundbreaking. But hey, at least Hotmail is still trying.

Hotmail launches accounts you can throw away [CNet via Slashdot]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.