Hello I’ve got a few questions about custom domains.
1 Is there anyway to use a FirstNameLastName domain for registering for services without doxxing myself while still receiving the benefit of a custom domain?
2 What is the best structure for creating emails for services? For example I’m currently using <ServiceName>@CDexample.com but the downside of this is if someone knows your domain they can effectively figure out what services you use and this possibly could be used for osint and doxx you.
3 Should I use my custom domain for Banking and other financial related services?
4 Is there any point to use a service like addy.io with with a single custom domain?
5 If i use my custom domain on my cv would my whole domain forever be correlated with my other personal data on my cv and sold to data brokers?
6 Is there any point to own more than one domain?
I have no doubt the answers to my questions lay in the questions themself but I’ve thought so much about this i just wanted to ask someone.
Thank you, -Zoma
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Yes, either use someone else’s name or make one up.
Yes but it’s unlikely. You can’t (typically) get a list of addresses from a mail server.
Personal preference.
Personal preference.
Yes, but this is probably low-consequence, at least for the near future.
Yes.
That’s more-or-less how I use Fastmail’s catchall/wildcard alias feature.
How would someone know that what services you use based on that? To do that they would need to know what email addresses you’ve actually created/used. In any case, you could salt each local-part so it can’t be trivially guessed.
I use mine for nearly everything.
Perhaps. When I want an extra layer of anonymity, I use a Fastmail’s masked email that’s not associated with my domain.
Thanks for the reply, my concern for question 2 was if someone knows my domain they could discover my paypal account just by searching paypal@MyDomain.com if i where to follow that naming system which most people seem to do. Some services let you search by email.
As I hinted at, you could add some random garbage to each address so it can’t be guessed.
Example:
paypal@MyDomain.com→paypal-x4t@MyDomain.comAnd if you start getting spam at one of your addresses, likely because one of your service providers either sells your info or gets their database stolen, you can tell fastmail to blackhole that one specific address.
Frongt’s answer is great. Another couple of thoughts:
For the domain name, do you want firstlast.com specifically, or could something close work (maybe you already have it and there’s no more choice to be made)? I opted for a derivative of my name in order to keep it professional and for it to not become outdated. If you’re Taylor Robin Smith, would something like tarsm.com work? Without already knowing your name, it appears random. Any service that could reasonably make the connection probably already has your name anyway.
One side note: when choosing your TLD, I suggest one of the “classic” ones – .com, .net, or a country. I’ve run across some forms where the email validator rejects the newer ones like .works. Not a lot, but even one is inconvenient.
For the service naming, I do like you suggested for the name, but I just use a catchall. There’s no address actually created, my mail host just sends anything to my main mailbox – me@mydomain.com receives lemmy@mydomain.com, business@mydomain.com, or farts@mydomain.com. To my knowledge, the only way to tell I actually use a given address is to check my inbox.
I personally use a service like addy for less personal things, e.g. signing up for an account on a forum, signing up to newsletters, etc.
I use a custom domain with a catchall inbox for things I may need to contact someone over, or need a sense of legitimacy, e.g. buying something online, online account with doctor/insurance/government/etc, I give every service a slightly different email address so I can always tell where someone got it from (or who sold my data).
And one that I share with a limited set of friends and family.
I don’t see why you’d need a firstnamelastname.com domain, just find a common domain tld (com, net, etc) and buy something short and easily pronounceable or spellable in the off chance you have to give an email address IRL. When you want to put an email on a CV, use firstnamelastname@domain.com, that’s just as professional so long as your domain isn’t balls.com or something.
I mean. If you’re in porn, that might get you an interview.
I was this close || to getting please.me.uk many years ago. SWMBO told mey I wasn’t allowed it. Ended up going with pleas-spam.me.uk at the time.
On coming back to NZ to live I had buggerme.co.nz for many years and used the name Ben Dover as the addy on it