Current Weblog Entry: Self-Destructing Emails May Lead to Less Destructive Behavior

by DA Jack Hayford

My 24 year old daughter called today and asked if I could help her out. She was in a bind. She needed me to pay for something, NOW.

Dad said "of course," and then texted her my credit card information. Actually, it's a debit card. So, a little while later I texted her again and asked did she get it, and said "PLEASE delete that message containing the personal information."

She replied "of course"...she probably had already taken care of it.

Have you seen that public service TV commercial where a high-school girl puts a picture of herself up on the school bulletin board, then thinks better of it and tries to take it down? It keeps coming back. She can't erase it. And the point of course is that when you post something on the Internet, a picture, an email, etc., at that moment you lose all control of what happens to it. Until now.

I'm starting to see a number of press reports about "self-destructing emails." Of course, if you attach pictures to them, they self-destruct also in a user-prescribed manner: 15 seconds, 30 seconds, whatever. Some services even allow you to RECALL an email you already sent, without a "self-destruct" time set.

Today I couldn't help but think about how if I had had that service (apparently there are some free ones), I would have called my daughter, told her the email with my credit card info was coming, sent it to her, and then it would disappear.

In this age of concern for heightened security in all areas, especially the Internet, this seems like a very useful tool. I got one right away and well, I feel better about sending proprietarry information now.

A YouTube video I saw of a news story pointed out that there is a huge array of helpful uses: legal, PERSONAL, time-sensitive...well,you get the point. Somehow I think politicians might find self-destructing email particulalry suited to them!

That being said, self-destructing emails may actually help thwart destructive behavior online and I'm all for that. It gets a thumbs up from me and my family.

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