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There's a difference between an email address and a social security number in a way that the latter will still be around if you stop paying for it or something

by dewey 6y ago

There's a difference between an email address and a social security number in a way that the latter will still be around if you stop paying for it or something happens to you. In some way (at least for this threat model) a gmail address is better than one on your own domain as it's unlikely to go away or get taken over.

noinsight 6y ago
Unless Google arbitrarily decides to close your account (as has been known to happen) with no way to contact a human to correct things...
leonidasv 6y ago
You can get locked from Gmail if Google decides to suspend your Account. It has already happened to lots of users, even G Suite ones and good luck trying to get it back. Examples on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22146082 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22146082 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22705122 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22705122 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4013799 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4013799
- paulpauper 6y ago
  Google reallly sucks in this regard. You can also lose your account if someone hacks it and google cannot determine who it belongs to, so it belongs to no one despite not being suspended.
rgovostes 6y ago
Until Google decides to recycle unused account names: https://www.wired.com/2013/06/yahoos-very-bad-idea/ https://www.wired.com/2013/06/yahoos-very-bad-idea/
PinguTS 6y ago
Why should my own domain taken over. It can be taken over as easily as someone could take over my gmail. I use my own domain on my own server with my own running mail server. Why should someone take that over? Of course someone with state level hacking experience could do that, but I am not a target for those. Script kiddies have no luck, because you can't even login from the Internet into my server you will need to VPN into first.
- dewey 6y ago
  My point wasn't about how gmail is perfect but that things that are under your control (domain you have to pay for, needs interaction from time to time) are more fragile sometimes than if they are not (social security number isn't going away).
- Moru 6y ago
  That's the whole beauty with your own domain. They don't have to touch your server at all, it's enough if they can social engineer their way into your account at the DNS provider and point your domain to their own email server. Your security isn't even considered in this case. The only thing that can save you there is how good the DNS security is.

by dewey 6y ago

noinsight 6y ago

Unless Google arbitrarily decides to close your account (as has been known to happen) with no way to contact a human to correct things...

leonidasv 6y ago

You can get locked from Gmail if Google decides to suspend your Account. It has already happened to lots of users, even G Suite ones and good luck trying to get it back. Examples on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22146082 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22146082 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22705122 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22705122 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4013799 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4013799

paulpauper 6y ago
Google reallly sucks in this regard. You can also lose your account if someone hacks it and google cannot determine who it belongs to, so it belongs to no one despite not being suspended.

rgovostes 6y ago

Until Google decides to recycle unused account names: https://www.wired.com/2013/06/yahoos-very-bad-idea/ https://www.wired.com/2013/06/yahoos-very-bad-idea/

PinguTS 6y ago

Why should my own domain taken over. It can be taken over as easily as someone could take over my gmail. I use my own domain on my own server with my own running mail server. Why should someone take that over? Of course someone with state level hacking experience could do that, but I am not a target for those. Script kiddies have no luck, because you can't even login from the Internet into my server you will need to VPN into first.

dewey 6y ago
My point wasn't about how gmail is perfect but that things that are under your control (domain you have to pay for, needs interaction from time to time) are more fragile sometimes than if they are not (social security number isn't going away).
Moru 6y ago
That's the whole beauty with your own domain. They don't have to touch your server at all, it's enough if they can social engineer their way into your account at the DNS provider and point your domain to their own email server. Your security isn't even considered in this case. The only thing that can save you there is how good the DNS security is.