Method for providing address change notification in an electronic message forwarding system
A method and system for providing address change notification in an e-mail forwarding system by providing a pre-generated e-mail address change notification to recipients selected during registration in the e-mail forwarding system. The e-mail forwarding system operating when a message is received at an e-mail forwarding computer, the message identifying the first disfavored e-mail address. The e-mail forwarding computer parses the first e-mail address from the message to determine if there is a second preferred forwarding e-mail address associated with the first e-mail address. If there is a second e-mail address associated with the first e-mail address, the e-mail forwarding computer sends the e-mail message to a third computer associated with the second e-mail address.
1. A method for providing notification of an e-mail address change and forwarding messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
registering a plurality of subscribers for an e-mail forwarding service, the step of registering comprising:
identifying disfavored e-mail addresses of the subscribers;
identifying forwarding e-mail addresses of the subscribers;
identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients;
sending a pre-generated e-mail address change notification to the identified one or more e-mail address change notification recipients; and
providing a description of the e-mail forwarding service in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification;
associating the disfavored e-mail addresses with the corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address; and
forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of registering further comprises providing a link to a subscriber registration interface in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients further comprises selecting recipients from subscribers' e-mail address books.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to the step of sending a pre-generated e-mail address change notification there is a step of sending a test message to confirm that the forwarding e-mail address is correct.
5. A method for providing notification of an e-mail address change and forwarding messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
registering a plurality of subscribers for an e-mail forwarding service, the step of registering comprising:
identifying disfavored e-mail addresses of the subscribers;
identifying forwarding e-mail addresses of the subscribers;
identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients;
sending a pre-generated e-mail address change notification to the identified one or more e-mail address change notification recipients; and
providing a description of the e-mail forwarding service in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification;
associating the disfavored e-mail addresses with the corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address; and
sending a message including confirmation data relating to the forwarding of the received message.
6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the step of registering further comprises providing a link to a subscriber registration interface in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification.
7. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the step of identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients further comprises selecting recipients from subscribers' e-mail address books.
8. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein prior to the step of sending a pre-generated e-mail address change notification there is a step of sending a test message to confirm that the forwarding e-mail address is correct.
9. A method for providing notification of an e-mail address change and forwarding messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
registering a plurality of subscribers for an e-mail forwarding service, the step of registering comprising:
identifying disfavored e-mail addresses of the subscribers;
identifying forwarding e-mail addresses of the subscribers;
identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients;
sending a pre-generated e-mail address change notification to the identified one or more e-mail address change notification recipients; and
providing a description of the e-mail forwarding service in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification;
associating the disfavored e-mail addresses with the corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
requesting permission to forward the received message from the sender; and
if permission is received, forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address.
10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of registering further comprises providing a link to a subscriber registration interface in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification.
11. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients further comprises selecting recipients from subscribers' e-mail address books.
12. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein prior to the step of sending a pre-generated e-mail address change notification there is a step of sending a test message to confirm that the forwarding e-mail address is correct.