Is Post Secret Voicemail Related to PostSecret?

Updated

Post Secret Voicemail (postsecretvoicemail.com) is a separate web app that shares a name with the well-known PostSecret project, but the site's own page evidence does not state any official affiliation with it. The homepage only shows the tagline "Tell a secret, hear a secret" and a notice that JavaScript must be enabled to run the app. There is no visible claim of partnership, endorsement, or ownership by PostSecret or its founder. If you need certainty about who runs the site, treat it as an independent project unless the site itself says otherwise.

What the site actually shows

The available page evidence is minimal:

  • Tagline: "Tell a secret, hear a secret."
  • Technical notice: "You need to enable JavaScript to run this app."
  • No headings, no about page text, no ownership statement in the captured content.

That means the only verifiable facts are the domain name, the tagline, and the JavaScript requirement. Nothing on the page confirms or denies a link to PostSecret.

Why the name causes confusion

PostSecret is a long-running community art project where people mail in anonymous secrets on postcards; it later expanded into books, events, and a voicemail component. Because "Post Secret Voicemail" combines the project's name with the word "voicemail," it is easy to assume it is the official voicemail arm of PostSecret.

Name similarity alone is not evidence of affiliation. Independent developers often register domains that echo a popular brand, and a tagline like "Tell a secret, hear a secret" describes a generic concept rather than a specific organization.

How to tell an independent project from an official one

Use the same checks you would apply to any site with a familiar-sounding name:

Check What to look for What it means
Ownership statement An "About," "Contact," or footer naming the operator Official projects usually identify themselves
Links to the parent brand Links to postsecret.com or official social accounts Cross-linking suggests a real relationship
Brand assets Official logos, trademarks, or copyright lines Absence suggests an independent build
Domain registration WHOIS records showing the registrant Helps identify who actually owns the domain
Public statements Posts from the original project acknowledging the site The strongest confirmation of a link

If none of these appear, the safe assumption is that the two are unrelated.

What to do before sharing a secret

Because the page evidence does not describe how submissions are stored, who can hear them, or whether they are anonymous, you cannot verify privacy handling from the homepage alone. Before recording anything sensitive:

  1. Enable JavaScript and load the app to see what it actually asks for.
  2. Look for a privacy policy, terms of use, or contact page inside the app.
  3. Check whether the site requests an account, email, or phone number.
  4. Search for independent reviews or discussions about the domain.
  5. If you cannot find clear ownership and privacy information, avoid sharing anything you would not want attributed to you.

The tagline promises secrecy, but a tagline is not a privacy policy.

Bottom line

Post Secret Voicemail uses a name that strongly resembles PostSecret, yet the site's own content provides no evidence of an official connection. Until the site publishes ownership details, cross-links, or a statement from the original project, treat it as an independent app and verify its privacy practices yourself before submitting a secret.