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Send A ‘Self Destructing’ Message

Posted Oct 10, 2008 by Jason Faulkner  

A rather unique idea I ran across the other day is a site which allows you to send a one time ’self destructing’ message. Using Privnote, you simply create a message you want to send and it generates a link for you. You then email this link to whomever you would like to read the message. After they have read the message (by clicking the link), the message is automatically ‘destroyed’ so the link will not work anymore.

I really cannot think of a practical application for this, but it is a pretty interesting idea.

8 Comment(s)

  1. sugarbear18 said:
    10/11/2008 12:05 am

    Maybe it`s not meant to be a practical app. Maybe it`s just for fun.It might be a good stress releiver.

    [Reply]

  2. jimmy said:
    10/11/2008 8:46 am

    Here some use cases of privnote:

    http://groups.google.com/group/privnote-experience/web/use-examples

    [Reply]

  3. intermediary said:
    10/11/2008 1:03 pm

    makes me wonder if the note is completely destroyed or just hidden such that the link doesnt work anymore. if the note is indeed destroyed, then people can use it for prison break style communication, like those covert operation communications like in the FBI and CIA. or better still to be on the right side of the law, an informer to the above mentioned agencies could use it. well provided that you can be sure that your box is not intercepted. you wanted practical, there is practical

    [Reply]

  4. David said:
    10/11/2008 1:46 pm

    Perhaps I`m missing something here but I thought the idea was to stop messages being forwarded and otherwise distibuted around the web. However, (I thought to myself), what`s to stop your recipient copying, pasting and re-sending. In fact, after testing it, there is a rider to that effect under the message;
    “This note has been destroyed, so if you want to keep its content, you must copy it before closing this page.”
    So, dare I say, what`s the point?

    [Reply]

  5. biggeek said:
    10/11/2008 6:40 pm

    practical application: email back and forth with a secret lover.

    [Reply]

  6. @AustinAaron said:
    10/13/2008 11:45 pm

    Works great for one-time deals, exclusive invites, and internet cheating. Send it to some broad you’re trying to get at, she reads it, no paper trail.

    Hit me up on twitter.

    [Reply]

  7. Sahar R.J said:
    10/17/2008 1:25 am

    It is very interesting. I am wonder if the note is completely destroyed or just hidden such that the link doesn’t work anymore. if the note is indeed destroyed, then people can use it for prison break style.
    Thats a great deal….

    [Reply]

  8. Michael Robinson said:
    11/8/2008 3:36 pm

    At times a script needs only to appear to have practical applications to the end-user for it to be of benefit to its creator or webmaster.

    [Reply]

1 Trackback(s)

  1. Hide Text Within Another File | PCMech on Nov 8, 2008

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