Does perfect email exist?
October 15, 2013 3:46 PM Subscribe
I want out of Gmail/Yahoo/Hotmail and the like with their ads and control of everything in my online life, but I still want all the excellent email functionality: lots of space/storage, powerful search/organization, strong spamcatchers, great usability and reliability, etc. I'm willing to pay a small fee for such excellence. Any suggestions? Thanks!
You could use Thunderbird with Gmail.
But then Google would still know everything, and I'm assuming the OP is not so much concerned with *seeing* the ads as they are with knowing that their email and contact list is being analysed.
Riseup is a typical suggestion but I don't have an account with them and don't know whether their service conforms to all your requirements, so here are some links that may be useful:
Privacy-Conscious Email Services
Free Webmail for Better Privacy
posted by Bangaioh at 4:40 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
But then Google would still know everything, and I'm assuming the OP is not so much concerned with *seeing* the ads as they are with knowing that their email and contact list is being analysed.
Riseup is a typical suggestion but I don't have an account with them and don't know whether their service conforms to all your requirements, so here are some links that may be useful:
Privacy-Conscious Email Services
Free Webmail for Better Privacy
posted by Bangaioh at 4:40 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
There are a lot of shared hosting web space/email services you can pay $4-5/month. Register your own domain name and host it there with placeholder content on the httpd site. The web host's GUI control panel will walk you through the steps of setting up an IMAP email account on your domain. Configure it for use with IMAP/SSL on Thunderbird.
posted by thewalrus at 4:48 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by thewalrus at 4:48 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Fastmail is an excellent choice, but it lets a lot of spam through.
It's hard to match GMail's spam filter.
posted by yclipse at 4:57 PM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
It's hard to match GMail's spam filter.
posted by yclipse at 4:57 PM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Seconding southof40 on fastmail.fm.
Reasons:
*Going since 2001
*Independent company owned by the developers and staff
*International, but based in Australia
*Their privacy policy is transparent and operates under Australian jurisdiction...
And then use thunderbird if you want a program based email, or fastmail's very functional web interface.
posted by Kerasia at 5:00 PM on October 15, 2013
Reasons:
*Going since 2001
*Independent company owned by the developers and staff
*International, but based in Australia
*Their privacy policy is transparent and operates under Australian jurisdiction...
We do not participate in, or co-operate with, any kind of blanket surveillance or monitoring. (We also point out that Australia does not have any equivalent to the US National Security Letter, so we cannot be forced to do something without being allowed to disclose it.).They have personal plans from <>
And then use thunderbird if you want a program based email, or fastmail's very functional web interface.
posted by Kerasia at 5:00 PM on October 15, 2013
We do not participate in, or co-operate with, any kind of blanket surveillance or monitoring. (We also point out that Australia does not have any equivalent to the US National Security Letter, so we cannot be forced to do something without being allowed to disclose it.).
That's cute, as if Australia isn't part of the Five Eyes community and there isn't a huge shared US/AUS/NZ facility with NSA staff at Pine Gap. Also as if the Southern Cross cable doesn't land on the US west coast...
posted by thewalrus at 5:02 PM on October 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
That's cute, as if Australia isn't part of the Five Eyes community and there isn't a huge shared US/AUS/NZ facility with NSA staff at Pine Gap. Also as if the Southern Cross cable doesn't land on the US west coast...
posted by thewalrus at 5:02 PM on October 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
I own a domain and my email is hosted on the server that I pay for. Yeah, they could track and read my email but I don't think they do. I think that's the only way you can get secure email these days.
posted by brownrd at 5:24 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by brownrd at 5:24 PM on October 15, 2013
What's more, TheWalrus, their servers for US customers are in NY.
I'm trying out Fastmail, primarily because they aren't Google.
posted by Good Brain at 6:33 PM on October 15, 2013
I'm trying out Fastmail, primarily because they aren't Google.
posted by Good Brain at 6:33 PM on October 15, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks all! Yes, I am concerned about google knowing all. I'll give fastmail a try.
posted by Josephine Macaulay at 11:50 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by Josephine Macaulay at 11:50 PM on October 15, 2013
Nthing fastmail.fm
posted by armoir from antproof case at 3:52 AM on October 16, 2013
posted by armoir from antproof case at 3:52 AM on October 16, 2013
Best answer: Same. Another happy Fastmail customer of many years. Having a 3rd party mail provider is nice to avoid being tied down to an ISP.
I like their feature where you can receive email directed to any address at a domain related to your username. i.e., IsignedUp4emailAtSomeDodgyyWebsite@marmirite.fastmail.com
You can easily track if websites are selling off your email address that way by giving an email address/name specific to the website, and define filters to take care of any offenders.
posted by marmIrite? at 7:38 PM on October 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
I like their feature where you can receive email directed to any address at a domain related to your username. i.e., IsignedUp4emailAtSomeDodgyyWebsite@marmirite.fastmail.com
You can easily track if websites are selling off your email address that way by giving an email address/name specific to the website, and define filters to take care of any offenders.
posted by marmIrite? at 7:38 PM on October 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by COD at 4:04 PM on October 15, 2013