[Freedombox-discuss] Email Encryption Basics

[Elena ``of Valhalla'']

On 2012-11-16 at 14:22:07 +0000, Michael Rogers wrote:
> > Your IMAP server should be on your FBX.
> Yes, in an ideal world we'd all run our own mail servers. In the real
> world it's not possible to run a mail server on a home broadband
> connection, 

actually, you *can* run an *IMAP* server at home, it's the *SMTP* 
part that is problematic. 

Actually, if your home connection has a public IP, you can 
use some kind of dynamic DNS provider, and you have a friend with 
a computer that can act as a backup MX, you should be also 
able to run a receiving SMTP server, the real problem is that 
mail *sent* from home connections isn't accepted by most SMTP 
servers around the world, because of spam blacklists.

Even if you decide to use somebody else's service for email, 
it is perfectly feasible to download it to an home server 
via POP3/IMAP, delete it immediately from the 3rd party provider 
and serve it via IMAP to the local network, or to a locally running 
webmail.

Of course it is not a solution against illicit eavesdropping, but 
it will mean that you won't have mail that is older than 180 days, 
or younger, but read on a 3rd party service that can be easily
subpoenad.
Mostly, it will put the survival of your email archive in your hands, 
rather than keeping it under the goodwill of some provider that 
could decide to stop offering its services.

-- 
Elena ``of Valhalla''