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[-] gigachad@sh.itjust.works 21 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

To be fair, if it is "free" you are probably paying your mail provider with your data.

[-] cdf12345@lemm.ee 15 points 3 weeks ago

I assume he meant free like speech, not free like beer.

There are no gatekeepers to email, anyone can get a domain and their own server.

[-] quack@lemmy.zip 19 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

There are definitely gatekeepers. Even if your hosting provider isn’t blocking port 25 by default, SPF, DKIM and DMARC will see your emails going straight into the recipient’s junk folder/spam filter if not correctly configured. Hosting your own mail server at home is also a fantastic way to piss off your ISP, lose emails to downtime, have your IP blacklisted from many services and open up your environment to exploitation. It can be done but let’s not pretend that it’s easy or that there aren’t barriers to entry.

Mail servers are like filo pastry. Sure, you could go to the inconvenience and effort of making it yourself and I’m sure it’ll be very satisfying to do so. But 99% of professionals use the store bought version, and for good reason, because it’s a lot of effort for an end result that is no better and in all likelihood probably worse.

[-] Illecors@lemmy.cafe 4 points 3 weeks ago

Mostly agree, but as someone who has been hosting my own email for years I can tell it is, in fact, better.

Quick note for hosting one on a residential IP - that would no longer piss any ISP off. You would simply not deliver anything anywhere due to IP being blacklisted by default.

[-] tetris11@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC would like to have a gatekeeping word

[-] InFerNo@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago

Blacklists, greylists, whitelists. All just a big fuck you from the big vendors to anyone trying to self host.

[-] Cenzorrll@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

There are four tiers of email hosting in my mind.

Tier 1: self hosted by nerds

Tier 2: sketchy fly by night scammers

Tier 3: new hosting companies trying to offer something different than what's available

Tier 4: the big boys

I don't want anything to do with tier 2. I want tier 2 wiped off the face of earth. This means tier 1 is just not gonna happen as long as tier 2 is around.

[-] i_am_hiding@aussie.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago

My mail server is in the cabinet above my desk.

I guess you're right - my mail provider does have all my data - but my mail provider is Me!

[-] kadup@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Not necessarily. My university provides a mail box for every student and their privacy policy is quite transparent and honest. The only limitations are related to the rate you can send emails, to prevent spam.

[-] ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.net 3 points 3 weeks ago

Wouldn't recommend it.

That's like using your company email.

Ive met a bunch of people who deeply regret sending everything to their university email to have that inbox shut down after a few years. Heck, had a junior hire recently complain that her university email was the primary for her banking, and once it was shut down, she was struggling with trying to reset her password.

[-] kadup@lemmy.world -2 points 3 weeks ago

Well this discussion has turned from "there's no free emai!" to "I don't recommend using free email from your university because I heard this caused trouble to somebody else once" which is not the point, so I'm not sure how I'm supposed to reply.

[-] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Generally email that's tied to your school or job is only active as long as you are a student/employee there, and given how many services don't let you transfer email accounts at all even if you know you're about to lose access and start migrating away you might not be able to.

Best practice is to separate out business, personal and academic into separate accounts and separate devices. No personal crap distracting you from your studies, no personal stuff that might endanger your job on your work email, and no sharing your personal email with randos at your job

[-] gigachad@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

I also have a work email address, but I use it for work stuff and I lose it if I end my contract. Can you keep your university address after you graduate?

[-] bleistift2@sopuli.xyz 0 points 3 weeks ago

Or your ISP just provides you with one when you sign up.

[-] ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 weeks ago

Can never trust ISPs with that data.

They're marketing companies too. And imagine sending critical health emails to a company who wants to also sell you services, and suddenly, you get ads for it.

[-] Turret3857@infosec.pub 0 points 3 weeks ago
[-] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 1 points 3 weeks ago

I mean, not necessarily in that case I'd imagine, since one presumably pays the ISP for internet services, so any "free" things bundled with it could also simply be priced into that contract already.

[-] Turret3857@infosec.pub 1 points 3 weeks ago

That ToS definitely gives them the right to sell whatever data you provide to them though, at least in the US.

this post was submitted on 18 May 2025
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