Public free (libre) mailbox hosting service for everybody!

[John Hudak]

To answer your question: I don't know of any.

To offer some observations:
Assembling 'free software' is only part of the solution.  Acquiring
servers+associated hw, shelter, and power sources takes CASH.  Keeping the
service running takes CASH.  There is no 'free' business model.

I hate the term 'free software'....people invested their time/energy, it
takes power to run their machines (which is not free), the
distribution/bugtracking/documentation is not free.  The soft
drinks/pizza/name your favorite work food is not free.

Security and anonymity - how good is it going to be? With the entire
network being a drawing card for people wanting to steal something, how is
security and anonymity going to be preserved, for free???
If people only knew what is being harvested about them from 'free'
services, there would be a revolt. I even hate using gmail, and use it
sparingly.

Free mail server - great idea, Implementing it - priceless!

-John


On Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 4:11 PM, אנטולי קרסנר <tombackton at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello e-mail software developers and users!
>
> I'd like to ask all of you a question. And of course hear relevant
> opinion.
>
> I've been using free software happily for a few years, and I found
> free/open source alternatives for many popular proprietary tools such as
> Facebook, Dropbox, Micro$oft Windows & Office, Youtube, Skype and many
> many others. Some of the alternatives are probably known to some of you,
> while others are still unknown to many.
>
> But I couldn't find a replacement to mailbox hosting. I'm using a Gmail
> mailbox and I hate it. So many free and open source mail servers and I
> still use Gmail, a closed-source service (which also probably tracks all
> my data, including Google searches I do, and uses it for all kinds of
> statistics and advertising, but that's another issue). So I asked
> myself, why is there no mailbox hosting service which respects user
> freedom?
>
> I sent an e-mail to the Free Software Foundation, and got a suggestion
> to ask all of you: do you know any free (libre) mail server out there?
> If you do, please inform me, and the whole free software community,
> developers and users.
>
> I couldn't find any. If nobody else finds any either, the plan is to
> start a new server. There are so many server tools and programs, like
> the ones you use and develop. It's just like hosting a Git repository or
> videos of pictures for the masses. We can do it with e-mail too.
>
> Q: Why don't I start my own personal server?
> A: I'm a programmer and I can do it - with some effort, but I can. The
> problem is not me. The problem is that all the non-programmer and
> non-technical users can't. And they shouldn't. We tech people can, and
> should, run such servers for everybody. For all users who want their
> basic freedoms respected.
>
> Another question to tech people: I'm not an expert in e-mail software,
> so I'm not really sure setting up a server is as easy as all other
> online services we get, such as Diaspora (facebook replacement),
> MediaGoblin (Youtube replacement), Gitorious (git repo hosting). Is
> there a technical issue preventing people from running a mail server, or
> it's just a matter of having enough money to run it, and the necessary
> technical skills (which many of you probably have).
>
> If it's possible, we'll do it. Also, if users had to pay for such a
> service, it would be okay. I don't mind paying for my free software
> stack. I'd actually find it a way to contribute back to the people and
> projects which deserve it. The point is not money; such a service can
> get funds. The point if FREEDOM.
>
> Waiting for response and opinions from you, my fellow free software
> community members,
> Anatoly Krasner
> Free software enthusiast/activist
> Israel
>
>
>
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