How many times have you wished you could delete an email or instant message after you've sent it? BigString last week announced self-destructing IM to go along with its email protection products.BigString IM lets users send instant messages that self destruct after they are sent, and cannot be copied, logged, or screenprinted. Users can set how long the IM will last before self-destructing, and choose visual effects. Supported by advertising, it's available as a Web client or AOL AIM plug in. The product is currently aimed at individual users, but they're working on a corporate version that should be out next month. They're also working on a self-destructing chat room and products for social networking sites.

Given all the high-profile privacy cases lately, you might wonder about whether this kind of thing is totally legal. One quickly thinks of its uses for predators or even terrorists, for example. I asked BigString about the legality of the product, and was told: "We haven't found any laws against it. You're allowed to have a private conversation online."

The company also used some similarly edgy promotion. One of my favorite puns goes like this:

For safe eating, always use condiments.

But BigString had its own visual version, touting its protection with the items shown below: