A new startup promises recordless e-mail. Is this a stroke of genius that will reward the company with billions of Internet bucks, or is it the end of the world as we know it?

Right solution for the wrong problem at the worst possible time

A new Web-based messaging service is ingenious, insidious or both.

If, during the process of eradicating gophers in the backyard, you came up with a nuclear-powered solution consisting of $11 worth of duct tape, Silly Putty and a can of Raid, would you market it to the world? You would if all you saw were dollar signs, which might make you forget that others could use your discovery for things not involving furry critters (at least the cute kind).