7 ms·

Actually, let me put my money where my mouth is. Just signed up for Fastmail. Email and privacy is worth way more than than $5/month. I know not everyone is in

by pgt 6y ago

Actually, let me put my money where my mouth is. Just signed up for Fastmail. Email and privacy is worth way more than than $5/month. I know not everyone is in that position, but I pay more for Spotify and GitHub already.

duiker101 6y ago
Getting a Fastmail was my first step toward de-googling myself. Have been super happy with them. They are really stirring email in the right direction. Their effort on JMAP is also very much appreciated.
isoprophlex 6y ago
Get a fun custom tld while youre at it. Fastmail has very good and convenient custom domain support. I did that when getting rid of gmail (have firstname@lastname.email), it still makes me feel cool and defiant every time I enter it somewhere.
- duiker101 6y ago
  I use surname.io and I can't believe the amount of people that ask me if .io is not a mistake. Makes me realise how much I live a bit in a tech bubble.
  - RegnisGnaw 6y ago
    I have me@firstname.lastname -- so many double takes when I give it out in person or over the phone
  - nvrspyx 6y ago
    My surname ends in "io" and I've been trying to get my <partial_surname>.io domain for years. It's a shame that it's being squatted, especially considering the only people with that surname are directly related to me (great grandpa legally changed his last name to something made up when he left a certain criminal group) and don't do anything with tech. I've been relegated to using a <surname>.me domain.
    - duiker101 6y ago
      If they are related you should find them and ask for it! Have you tried to whois the domain? About the tech bubble, if you are on HN, you are already in the bubble :D There are so many people that have never ever heard of any domain that is not com/net/org/country
      - nvrspyx 6y ago
        Unfortunately, they're not related. My surname is also pretty short, so the first part (e.g. minus the "io") is set up to be a decent acronym...for something.
- amenod 6y ago
  Want to be really cool and defiant? Go with gmail@firstname.lastname.com - and then you can enjoy explaining to people that no, you didn't make a mistake... ;)
sdan 6y ago
Fastmail is amazing. I have like 20 domains I have from old side projects I can easily setup email + catchall addresses from and go wild with them. So much customization + UI doesn't look bad as Gmails (I switched after Gmail's horrid design update to include all that padding) and a ton of functionality with Apple/etc. devices. And you can host websites directly from fastmail! Can't ask anything more from fastmail.
beardedetim 6y ago
This was the first and best step I have taken in getting off Google services. And, as a plus, Fastmail is _freaking awesome_. I cannot believe I allowed myself to have ads in my _email_ client.
coldpie 6y ago
Switching email addresses is somewhere between very hard and impossible. I have a Fastmail, which I now use for new sign-ups, but I have lots of accounts on my Gmail address which I don't want to lose. So effectively I'll have two email addresses forever. Worse things have happened, I suppose.
- gumby 6y ago
  1 - get yourself a domain and use that as your mail address going forward. Then your mail address can be independent of your provider. 2 - Point it at your mail provider, say fastmail. 3 - Tell gmail to forward all your mail to your new address. 4 - Ask your friends to use your new address. Make sure your mail client uses it as the from address. 4 - <wait a little while and then>: Put a rule in your mail client to highlight (flag or colour or whatever) all messages that were forwarded from gmail. This will help you figure update people, companies, mailing lists etc.
  - philjohn 6y ago
    That works fairly well for most needs, but you will more than likely hit an issue with that one website or company that uses your email as a primary key, and it either can't be changed, or you have to contact them to do it manually on their end.
    - gumby 6y ago
      Well you can leave the gmail account around for these stray cases or, you know, contact them.
- benhurmarcel 6y ago
  You can (almost) always change your email address. Just connect to the website and it's usually an option.
emdowling 6y ago
On email providers - I moved away from Gmail for my personal email address a few years ago, and now use iCloud. I've had very few issues with spam, and there are no ads. My personal email has much less volume than work, so I haven't really missed the advanced features of Gmail. From a privacy perspective, how does iCloud compare to others like Fastmail?
- michaelt 6y ago
  The disappointing thing about iCloud for me is the nonstandard 2FA. No QR code you can scan into an app of your choice. No FIDO/U2F. No printable backup codes. You use your iPhone and if you want a backup, you'd better buy a mac.
- lotsofpulp 6y ago
  As far as I know, Australia forces email providers to give them backdoor into email: https://fastmail.blog/2018/09/10/access-and-assistance-bill/ https://fastmail.blog/2018/09/10/access-and-assistance-bill/ https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/7/18130806/australia-access-and-assistance-encryption-bill-2018-facebook-google-apple-respond https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/7/18130806/australia-access... I don’t know how it affects Apple or Fastmail’s non AUS customers. I still pay Fastmail just to support their mission. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-support/how-to-engage-us/consultations/the-assistance-and-access-bill-2018 https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-support/how-to-engag...
Dirlewanger 6y ago
You're not getting any privacy with Australian services. They require by law backdoors into everything.

by pgt 6y ago

duiker101 6y ago

Getting a Fastmail was my first step toward de-googling myself. Have been super happy with them. They are really stirring email in the right direction. Their effort on JMAP is also very much appreciated.

isoprophlex 6y ago

Get a fun custom tld while youre at it. Fastmail has very good and convenient custom domain support. I did that when getting rid of gmail (have firstname@lastname.email), it still makes me feel cool and defiant every time I enter it somewhere.

duiker101 6y ago
I use surname.io and I can't believe the amount of people that ask me if .io is not a mistake. Makes me realise how much I live a bit in a tech bubble.
- RegnisGnaw 6y ago
  I have me@firstname.lastname -- so many double takes when I give it out in person or over the phone
- nvrspyx 6y ago
  My surname ends in "io" and I've been trying to get my <partial_surname>.io domain for years. It's a shame that it's being squatted, especially considering the only people with that surname are directly related to me (great grandpa legally changed his last name to something made up when he left a certain criminal group) and don't do anything with tech. I've been relegated to using a <surname>.me domain.
  - duiker101 6y ago
    If they are related you should find them and ask for it! Have you tried to whois the domain? About the tech bubble, if you are on HN, you are already in the bubble :D There are so many people that have never ever heard of any domain that is not com/net/org/country
    - nvrspyx 6y ago
      Unfortunately, they're not related. My surname is also pretty short, so the first part (e.g. minus the "io") is set up to be a decent acronym...for something.
amenod 6y ago
Want to be really cool and defiant? Go with gmail@firstname.lastname.com - and then you can enjoy explaining to people that no, you didn't make a mistake... ;)

sdan 6y ago

Fastmail is amazing. I have like 20 domains I have from old side projects I can easily setup email + catchall addresses from and go wild with them. So much customization + UI doesn't look bad as Gmails (I switched after Gmail's horrid design update to include all that padding) and a ton of functionality with Apple/etc. devices. And you can host websites directly from fastmail! Can't ask anything more from fastmail.

beardedetim 6y ago

This was the first and best step I have taken in getting off Google services. And, as a plus, Fastmail is _freaking awesome_. I cannot believe I allowed myself to have ads in my _email_ client.

coldpie 6y ago

Switching email addresses is somewhere between very hard and impossible. I have a Fastmail, which I now use for new sign-ups, but I have lots of accounts on my Gmail address which I don't want to lose. So effectively I'll have two email addresses forever. Worse things have happened, I suppose.

gumby 6y ago
1 - get yourself a domain and use that as your mail address going forward. Then your mail address can be independent of your provider. 2 - Point it at your mail provider, say fastmail. 3 - Tell gmail to forward all your mail to your new address. 4 - Ask your friends to use your new address. Make sure your mail client uses it as the from address. 4 - <wait a little while and then>: Put a rule in your mail client to highlight (flag or colour or whatever) all messages that were forwarded from gmail. This will help you figure update people, companies, mailing lists etc.
- philjohn 6y ago
  That works fairly well for most needs, but you will more than likely hit an issue with that one website or company that uses your email as a primary key, and it either can't be changed, or you have to contact them to do it manually on their end.
  - gumby 6y ago
    Well you can leave the gmail account around for these stray cases or, you know, contact them.
benhurmarcel 6y ago
You can (almost) always change your email address. Just connect to the website and it's usually an option.

emdowling 6y ago

On email providers - I moved away from Gmail for my personal email address a few years ago, and now use iCloud. I've had very few issues with spam, and there are no ads. My personal email has much less volume than work, so I haven't really missed the advanced features of Gmail. From a privacy perspective, how does iCloud compare to others like Fastmail?

michaelt 6y ago
The disappointing thing about iCloud for me is the nonstandard 2FA. No QR code you can scan into an app of your choice. No FIDO/U2F. No printable backup codes. You use your iPhone and if you want a backup, you'd better buy a mac.
lotsofpulp 6y ago
As far as I know, Australia forces email providers to give them backdoor into email: https://fastmail.blog/2018/09/10/access-and-assistance-bill/ https://fastmail.blog/2018/09/10/access-and-assistance-bill/ https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/7/18130806/australia-access-and-assistance-encryption-bill-2018-facebook-google-apple-respond https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/7/18130806/australia-access... I don’t know how it affects Apple or Fastmail’s non AUS customers. I still pay Fastmail just to support their mission. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-support/how-to-engage-us/consultations/the-assistance-and-access-bill-2018 https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-support/how-to-engag...

Dirlewanger 6y ago

You're not getting any privacy with Australian services. They require by law backdoors into everything.