[Dovecot] Public free (libre) mailbox hosting service for everybody!

[Branko Majic]

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:11:32 +0200
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
> 
> 

There's a group of people in Sweden that are maintaining a mail server
for users (they do charge a fee, though) that have quite decent
policies etc.

They're also using disk encryption on their server (although, I can't
remember how well that is implemented, but it does mean when they
reboot server someone has to go over there to enter password or
something similar).

You can have a look at their website:

https://fripost.org/index.en.html

Best regards

-- 
Branko Majic
Jabber: branko at majic.rs
Please use only Free formats when sending attachments to me.

Бранко Мајић
Џабер: branko at majic.rs
Молим вас да додатке шаљете искључиво у слободним форматима.
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