Virtual mailbox

1. A method for enhancing the efficiency of e-mail receipt and storage on an e-mail server by decoupling a user e-mail identity from a specific e-mail account, the method comprising:

providing a generic mailbox on an e-mail server for storing e-mail messages addressed to different users, said generic mailbox being associated with a generic name;

receiving an e-mail message addressed according to a user e-mail identity, wherein the user e-mail identity comprises a username and wherein said username differs from said generic name;

adjusting at least one header of said e-mail message according to said generic name;

adding the user e-mail identity to a field of said e-mail message; and

storing said e-mail message in said generic mailbox.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: retrieving said e-mail message from said generic mailbox according to the user e-mail identity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said username forms a portion of an e-mail address for addressing said e-mail message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said adding the user e-mail identity to a field of said e-mail message comprises adding the username and a password to separate fields of the e-mail message, said username and password are required for retrieving said e-mail message.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said e-mail message is transmitted according to SMTP (simple message transfer protocol), and wherein said password and said username are added to separate X-fields of a header of said e-mail message.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said e-mail message is retrieved through an e-mail client, and wherein said e-mail client provides said username.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said e-mail client further provides said password.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein said password is automatically generated.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said password is sent to the user.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said password is sent to the user in an SMS (short message service) message.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said e-mail message is transmitted according to SMTP (simple message transfer protocol), and wherein said adding the user e-mail identity comprises adding the user e-mail identity to an X-field of a header of said e-mail message.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said receiving said e-mail message further comprises:

determining whether said e-mail message is a first message received for the user e-mail identity;

if said e-mail message is said first message, associating the user e-mail identity with said generic mailbox.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said associating the user e-mail identity with said generic mailbox further comprises associating a password with said e-mail message.

14. A method for sharing a mailbox by a plurality of users on an e-mail server, comprising:

associating each user with a separate user e-mail identity;

associating a plurality of user e-mail identities with the mailbox;

if an e-mail message is received by the e-mail server, said e-mail message being addressed according to a user e-mail identity, storing said e-mail message in the mailbox;

adding the user e-mail identity to a field of said e-mail message; and

permitting the user to retrieve said e-mail message after the user provides said user e-mail identity to the e-mail server.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein a size of the mailbox is flexibly determined according to a collective size of a plurality of e-mail messages stored in the mailbox.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said user e-mail identity is decoupled from a specific e-mail account, such that said specific e-mail account for said user e-mail identity is not provided on said e-mail server.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein said generic mailbox is associated with a generic name, said generic name differing from said user e-mail identity, and wherein said storing said e-mail message further comprises adjusting at least one header of said e-mail message according to said generic name.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein said user email identity comprises a username and wherein said adding the user e-mail identity to a field of said e-mail message comprises adding the username and a password to separate fields of the e-mail message, said username and password are required for retrieving said e-mail message.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said e-mail message is transmitted according to SMTP (simple message transfer protocol), and wherein the username and password are added to separate X-fields of a header of said e-mail message.

20. A system for enhancing the efficiency of e-mail receipt and storage on an e-mail server by decoupling a user e-mail identity from a specific e-mail account, comprising:

(a) an e-mail server having a generic mailbox for storing e-mail messages addressed to different users;

(b) an e-mail processor module at said e-mail server for processing an e-mail message being addressed according to a user e-mail identity, wherein the user e-mail identity is associated with said generic mailbox, said processing comprising adding the user e-mail identity to a field of said e-mail message; and

(c) an e-mail client for being capable of retrieving only an e-mail message from said generic mailbox being addressed according to the user e-mail identity.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein said user email identity comprises a username and wherein adding the user e-mail identity to a field of said e-mail message comprises adding the username and a password to separate fields of the e-mail message, said username and password are required for retrieving said e-mail message.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said e-mail message is transmitted according to SMTP (simple message transfer protocol), and wherein the username and password are added to separate X-fields of a header of said e-mail message.

23. A method for decoupling a user e-mail identity from a specific e-mail account, comprising:

providing a generic mailbox for storing e-mail messages addressed to different users;

receiving an e-mail message addressed according to the user e-mail identity;

storing said e-mail message in said generic mailbox;

adding the user e-mail identity to a field of said e-mail message; and

retrieving said e-mail message according to the user e-mail identity from said generic mailbox, such that only an e-mail message being addressed according to the user e-mail identity is retreivable from said generic mailbox by the user.

24. A method for decoupling a user e-mail identity from a specific e-mail account, comprising:

providing a generic mailbox for storing e-mail messages for a plurality of users, said generic mailbox being associated with a generic name;

receiving an e-mail message addressed according to the user e-mail identity, said e-mail message is transmitted according to SMTP (simple message transfer protocol), wherein the user e-mail identity differs from said generic name and wherein the user e-mail identity comprises a username;

adjusting at least one header of said e-mail message according to said generic name;

adding the username and a password to separate X-fields of the header of said e-mail message;

storing said e-mail message in said generic mailbox; and

retrieving said e-mail message from said generic mailbox according to said username and password.