A few weeks ago I registered for my first hotmail account. This all started because I installed Fire, a multi-protocol IM client. I went mad with power and set up all the IM usernames I could - you know, just in case.
I've had a Yahoo! login for several years now, and have never received any spam there. Well, I have, but that was from Yahoo! themselves so it's debatable. Since I've used it to register for a few sites I'm pretty impressed.
Not so with Hotmail. In the past week alone I have received 12 spam emails - most of them for male enhancement and several providing information on how to access online porn. This address has *never* been given out, so I'm appalled at the sheer volume and nature of these messages.
I know spam is nothing new and I know that Microsoft's questionable money-making strategies are nothing new. It is not a surprise to get unsolicited email at a free email account but I would have expected them to sell my address to "Partners we think will provide valuable services you're interested in" and not miscellaneous penis cream peddlers.