who is reading our e-mail?

These days, we are often defined by our home number, our business number, our mobile number, our messenger address and of course - our email address. When we meet someone, chances are we will ask for his email within fifteen minutes of introduction. And when we get to know that he has none - isn't it a bummer? How could one live without an email address?

I keep two email addresses for two different purposes. I had to create one for my office work - and it has a trimmed inbox. The other one gets everything else - stories and confessions from friends, Pinoy jokes that come from other parts of the world, tips from membership-based self-help sites, even indecent proposals from Viagra marketing agencies. I created kudvbeenme@yahoo.com almost six years ago, the one which almost always ends up with a request for an explanation why I named it that way - but that's another story and it's not the point of this entry.

I use that second email address whenever I register to Internet sites that I find interesting. So just a few minutes ago, I found this on-line test. You know, the one where you click on your preferences and they summarize how good your life and health has been and then they tell you what you must do to stretch your life-years.

So I entered my email address and I thought of a sure-fire password that I know I would not forget. I meant it to be the code for my involvement in this test and to all the future activities I plan to do with this website so I can maximize membership. But then after giving my password, a message came on screen:

"The password you entered is not the correct one for this e-mail address. Please check both your e-mail address and your password. If your e-mail address is correct but you don't know your password, click here."

Weird. How could that website possibly know that the password I gave is not the correct one for my email address? I am not opening my emails through their website, I was just trying to get registered to their services! My email address they need because that's where they will send my test results, but not the password to that same email address - unless they plan to open my email for me too! The password I gave, again, is for the password I want to use for the website.

And here's where they offer help - that should I happen to know that my email address is correct but I do not know my password, they are guiding me to a new page - that will what? Tell me what my password is? The idea is scary that I left the site.

If a big number of people log in to a big number of websites like this - then imagine the countless free submission of email addresses and their access that's been happening! Some emails are cool, and some are funny. But some are way too personal and well, some do not need the extra pair of eyes that could come from website technicians somewhere around the globe who now holds a stack of papers with people's email addresses and their passwords.

Who is reading our email? That question must feel like the hovering shadow over your shoulder.