4 ms·

I am happy to deal with the spam problem (through appropriate use of spamassassin content scoring, and RBLs and spamassassin DKIM/SPF scoring) on my own smtpd i

I am happy to deal with the spam problem (through appropriate use of spamassassin content scoring, and RBLs and spamassassin DKIM/SPF scoring) on my own smtpd in exchange for the great advantage of having a truly decentralized communication method that isn't controlled by any one company. My email works as long as I keep my domain name renewed and my personal postfix+dovecot server online and running properly. Nearly every other possible asynchronous, text based two way communications system that people say is a "possible replacement for email" requires centralizing communications through something run by some specific company. Email's great advantage is that it's a truly level playing field. Yes that also allows spammers to send outgoing shit smtp traffic, but I can deal with that. If you are greatly troubled by spam and it's an actual ongoing problem in your inboxes I would say that your inbound smtp content filtering and spam scoring is not set up properly.

jjav 4y ago
> Email's great advantage is that it's a truly level playing field. Yes that also allows spammers to send outgoing shit smtp traffic, but I can deal with that. Agree so much. I really don't get the spam complaint anymore. Commercial providers like gmail do get a lot of spam (I have a gmail account as well, it gets more spam than ham) but it doesn't need to be that way. I run all my own email infrastructure and spam is a non-issue. My primary email has been around very publicly since the mid-90s and is surely on every spam list ever but between a strict postfix configuration and a bayesian spam filter, spam is not a thing anymore. I'm trying to think the last time I got a spam email in my inbox and can't remember. It's so rare.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
mcv 4y ago
While I mostly agree, I'm not sure it's possible to set up spam scoring properly. Either spam gets through, or some non-spam doesn't. There's legitimate email that consistently gets marked as potential spam, and I don't know how to tell my mailreader to always trust that source. The tax service regularly mails me that there's a new message for me in my message box at the tax service site where I need to log in, which is a terrible way to communicate. Their paper mail does contain everything I need to know, but their email cannot because email is so insecure. Something like email, but with authentication and encryption built in from the start, would be a really nice improvement.
- l72 4y ago
  I’ve never understood why I can’t optionally log in to my bank/hospital/tax site and upload my pgp key so that all communications from them are encrypted?
  - throwaway67743 4y ago
    Inability, lack of willingness, lost ability to claim the customer screwed up, pick one
  - Avamander 4y ago
    If anything they'd do S/MIME, but they often can't even get DKIM right. Maybe in the future.

jjav 4y ago

> Email's great advantage is that it's a truly level playing field. Yes that also allows spammers to send outgoing shit smtp traffic, but I can deal with that. Agree so much. I really don't get the spam complaint anymore. Commercial providers like gmail do get a lot of spam (I have a gmail account as well, it gets more spam than ham) but it doesn't need to be that way. I run all my own email infrastructure and spam is a non-issue. My primary email has been around very publicly since the mid-90s and is surely on every spam list ever but between a strict postfix configuration and a bayesian spam filter, spam is not a thing anymore. I'm trying to think the last time I got a spam email in my inbox and can't remember. It's so rare.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

mcv 4y ago

While I mostly agree, I'm not sure it's possible to set up spam scoring properly. Either spam gets through, or some non-spam doesn't. There's legitimate email that consistently gets marked as potential spam, and I don't know how to tell my mailreader to always trust that source. The tax service regularly mails me that there's a new message for me in my message box at the tax service site where I need to log in, which is a terrible way to communicate. Their paper mail does contain everything I need to know, but their email cannot because email is so insecure. Something like email, but with authentication and encryption built in from the start, would be a really nice improvement.

l72 4y ago
I’ve never understood why I can’t optionally log in to my bank/hospital/tax site and upload my pgp key so that all communications from them are encrypted?
- throwaway67743 4y ago
  Inability, lack of willingness, lost ability to claim the customer screwed up, pick one
- Avamander 4y ago
  If anything they'd do S/MIME, but they often can't even get DKIM right. Maybe in the future.