Rethinking Email

jeffpan · 6 Dec 2021, 10:43 AM

https://liw.fi/rethinking-email/
A nice reading.

chrisretusn · 6 Dec 2021, 05:28 PM

Yes it was. Some of what he says resonates with me. Some not so much. Overall I enjoyed reading that.

I started with email a long time ago. It was just POP mail back then, servers did not have a lot of space. You fired up your email client, dialed up and connected to my ISP, fetched and deleted the messages in the Inbox, disconnected and started reading. Folders were only with in my client, as the server basically only had an Inbox. Any replies were queued up for the next connection. I sort of miss those days. It was simple. Every ISP had an email domain back then too.

I am not a fan of HTML messages, unfortunately I get some that need the capability; which my client does, but not by default.

I am good with signatures, I use gpg signature with some of my accounts. Sort of in the hopes that one of those I send messages to know what they are for and how to us it. Meaning we could communicate securely via gpg encryption. Not sure about stamps though.

I am not keen on digital identities, even though I already sort of have one based on my cell phone, especially when Google makes me give them my number.

He is right about good messages ending up in spam, I have key accounts that POP3 that I need to check spam, rather than log in here at the computer I just use their respective Apps to check Junk or Spam, indicate as not spam so when I POP the account that message get download. Some services do not appear to listen when I indicate a message as not spam.

There is a lot to digest in that article. A lot of it makes sense. I prefer email over any other form of communication.

janusz · 6 Dec 2021, 09:47 PM

The article mentions (among other things) certain contradictory email features. Some examples:
- "Anyone can email anyone" versus "Spam is a result of the desirable feature that anyone can email anyone"
- "Anyone can set up their own server, assuming time, know-how, and a little money" versus "We’re moving towards a future where hosting email yourself makes you suspicious. It’s already the case that it is difficult for a self-hosted email server to reach people on Gmail"

6 Dec 2021, 10:43 AM	#1
jeffpan The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Macao Posts: 2,131 Representative of: tls-mail.com	Rethinking Email https://liw.fi/rethinking-email/ A nice reading.

6 Dec 2021, 05:28 PM	#2
chrisretusn Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Philippines Posts: 843	Yes it was. Some of what he says resonates with me. Some not so much. Overall I enjoyed reading that. I started with email a long time ago. It was just POP mail back then, servers did not have a lot of space. You fired up your email client, dialed up and connected to my ISP, fetched and deleted the messages in the Inbox, disconnected and started reading. Folders were only with in my client, as the server basically only had an Inbox. Any replies were queued up for the next connection. I sort of miss those days. It was simple. Every ISP had an email domain back then too. I am not a fan of HTML messages, unfortunately I get some that need the capability; which my client does, but not by default. I am good with signatures, I use gpg signature with some of my accounts. Sort of in the hopes that one of those I send messages to know what they are for and how to us it. Meaning we could communicate securely via gpg encryption. Not sure about stamps though. I am not keen on digital identities, even though I already sort of have one based on my cell phone, especially when Google makes me give them my number. He is right about good messages ending up in spam, I have key accounts that POP3 that I need to check spam, rather than log in here at the computer I just use their respective Apps to check Junk or Spam, indicate as not spam so when I POP the account that message get download. Some services do not appear to listen when I indicate a message as not spam. There is a lot to digest in that article. A lot of it makes sense. I prefer email over any other form of communication.

6 Dec 2021, 09:47 PM	#3
janusz The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: EU Posts: 4,943	The article mentions (among other things) certain contradictory email features. Some examples: - "Anyone can email anyone" versus "Spam is a result of the desirable feature that anyone can email anyone" - "Anyone can set up their own server, assuming time, know-how, and a little money" versus "We’re moving towards a future where hosting email yourself makes you suspicious. It’s already the case that it is difficult for a self-hosted email server to reach people on Gmail"