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What does this do that IMAP and SMTP don't do already?

All you need is an IMAP server, accessed from all your devices. The one that comes with Android isn't bad. Thunderbird works fine on the desktop.

You don't have to use GMail with Android; when you first power up your Android device, click "Later" when it asks for a Google login. Then delete the Google One-Time Startup app. Google won't bother you again.




IMAP is a terrible protocol. It's a poorly designed filesystem with all the baggage that comes with it. Read the IMAP overview in the IMAP ruby module -- it's disgusting and was never meant for the modern world.

http://rxr.whitequark.org/mri/source/lib/net/imap.rb


tldr; version: It reduces the number of network roundtrips (and server overhead) needed to keep clients in sync (great for mobile) and addresses the fragmentation issue between the various server & client implementations of the sprawling IMAP protocol.

By moving to JSON and HTTP it also makes the barrier to entry a lot lower for client developers and opens up the possibility to improve speed yet further with GZIP and websockets.

All that while being able to stay compatible with legacy IMAP servers via a reference proxy provided for free by Fastmail.

Edit: Oops I've just noticed your handle so apologies for assuming you didn't read the article. I guess you've read it and still don't see the benefit. In which case would love to know why you think it's a wasted effort (personally, I think it looks like a welcome refresh).


The Ruby version of the IMAP client isn't that bad. Yes, IMAP doesn't use the current fad for marshaling, JSON. But a few years ago the web crowd would have wanted XML, and a few years from now they'll probably want some binary protocol Google comes up with. "Gzip" compression isn't a big win for objects the size of email messages, anyway.

IMAP servers that don't use a real database are sure to be a mess, but that's not the fault of the protocol.

I'd rather not have some startup in the middle of the mail chain. They'll start thinking they own mail.




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