How to Hide Your ID online with Anonymous Email

The world of the digital web has given us amazing and unprecedented access to information, people and resources that were once unthinkable for some and only available in small libraries to others. Small communities once segregated by open expanses of land are now tightly joined with people around the world. Unfortunately with all that sharing has come a need for anonymous email and the need to remain anonymous.
This is due mainly to the fact that your personal information is widely accessible to not just hackers and spammers but government agencies and people strung out on marketing strategy trying to bleed every dime out of you that was possible. We should all have a healthy concern for remaining anonymous where possible, so here are a number of tips to help you stay anonymous on the web.

Install a Firewall - The firewall isn't exactly the last line of defense between your PC and an infiltrator but it is one of the most robust. Take note however that not all firewalls are created equal. Operating system based firewalls are rather sparse on options and a miss click at the wrong time can leave you wide open to an attack. The most powerful firewalls allow you to monitor all ports and traffic in real time but require a much greater understanding of how the machine works to be effective. You will need to find a good balance for yourself. A good consumer level firewall is ZoneAlarm.
Use an Anonymous Proxy - There are free services as well as paid services that grant you the ability to surf anonymously on the web. The paid services are the most ideal because you're allotted more bandwidth and a cleaner route online. Free services, like Tor, don't cost you anything but connections are often extremely slow as you're routed through an array of online services to hide your "footprints"
Ecrypt your Data - Some operating systems such as a few versions of Windows 7 include encryption software such as BitLocker. Again, prepackaged software doesn't exactly offer the best control or security. Try a program like TrueCrypt which encrypts data to a level that even the government would have a difficult time cracking.
Use Meta Search - You find the idea of some of the major search engines having the options to auction off or freely link your search queries or mishandle your IP a bit disconcerting. One way around this is to use a meta search engine that does not tell these corporations anything about the querent. Metacrawler is an example of one such meta engine.
Email safely - If you want to send an email then send an anonymous email. There are few quality services remaining that will actually let you send an anonymous email through their services without fear of being traced or having your data sold.
Disguise your Machine - When you are online there is always the threat of machine identifying code being slipped out through the cracks. These numbers, like your CPU ID and MAC address can be blocked or hidden behind false numbers with certain applications. Do research on applications that mask your machines identity.
Use Social Privacy - If you feel you must use social networking sites like Facebook you need to take the time to shut down as much of the over-sharing options as you can. It is best to not even enter your state or town if possible. If you have M.I.P multiple internet personalities you need to maintain disassociation between them.