What is KickNotes?

KickNotes is a completely free service used to send and receive self-destructing online messages.

What are "self-destructing" messages, and how do they work?

Self-destructing messages are messages that are configured to delete themselves at a certain point. When composing a message on KickNotes, you can set the maximum number of times the message can be viewed, the amount of time that the message actually exists, or both.

Using KickNotes, you can (for example) compose a message which will delete itself after the first time it's viewed. You can also compose a message which will delete itself after ten minutes but can be viewed an unlimited number of times within those ten minutes. You can even compose a message which self destructs after ten views or ten minutes (whichever comes first). With KickNotes, you're in control of your messages!

Why KickNotes?

There are many reasons to use KickNotes. In today's age of shared computers, employer-screened e-mail, viruses, spyware, trojans, and other threats, it can be tough keeping your personal correspondences safe.

To make things even more difficult, even if you've fully secured your PC from the latest viruses and spyware, what guarantee do you have that the person on the other end has done the same? How do you know that your personal information is safe on their PC?

With KickNotes, you're given that extra level of security -- and that additional piece of mind. With the ability to create and send self-destructing messages, your most personal correspondences will be long gone in the event that they end up in the wrong hands.

If someone clicks on a link to a KickNotes message which has self destructed, they're simply told that the message no longer exists. Once a KickNotes message self destructs, it's gone! Not even the message creator can retrieve the original message.

Is KickNotes really free? What's the catch?

There is no catch. KickNotes is completely free to use. The KickNotes business model is based strictly on advertising revenue. The small, unobtrusive banners displayed on KickNotes pages provides just enough operating income to keep KickNotes free for everyone to use.

How do I use KickNotes?

To send a KickNote, simply log onto www.kicknotes.com, enter your message, and set your "destruction critera". Once you've created your message, you'll be given a KickNotes link (URL) to your message. You can then copy your KickNotes link into e-mail, IMs, etc. You'll also have the option of e-mailing the link to a friend directly from the KickNotes site.

To receive a KickNote, simply click on the KickNotes link given to you, and you'll be taken directly to your message. It's that easy!

What's the difference between mixed, plain text, and pure HTML formatting?

KickNotes provides three different ways of formatting your message: mixed text/HTML, plain text, and pure HTML.

In mixed text/HTML mode, you can use HTML code freely, but paragraph formatting (line breaks) is preserved. This mode makes it easy to change font sizes, styles, and colors using HTML without having to worry about using <p> or <br> tags.

In plain text mode, your message is displayed exactly as it is entered. Any HTML code used will not be interpreted.

In pure HTML mode, your message is displayed as HTML with no "automatic" paragraph formatting done by KickNotes. White space and line breaks are ignored. While pure HTML mode may not be the ideal mode for writing a simple message, it's the perfect mode to use if you want to copy the source of an entire HTML page into a message.

The example below shows the effect of each of the three available formatting modes on a message.