
Ask HN: Why do some of the engineers/hackers manage their own mail servers? - hobbyist
I want to know why do some engineers&#x2F;hackers have email setup on their private domains. I like most of the people use gmail. Is the desire to learn how to manage the system makes people have their own private mail servers? I don&#x27;t really see security or privacy as an issue unless gpg is used extensively.<p>Do you configure&#x2F;setup&#x2F;manage the mail servers yourself or is it handled by the hosting service providers?
======
kayman
Email is a fundamental part of the internet. It is a protocol that is good
enough to perform most tasks and has stood the test of time.

Setting up your own email server will teach you the fundamental building
blocks of managing a server and all the protocols involved.

To run one reliably, it takes skill.

And it's nice geek credentials..I run my own email server :)

------
slyall
Two part here:

1\. Own domain means you can brand, host other services on it and generally be
flexible. It also means you don't end up with the equivalent of an @aol.com or
@hotmail.com address for everything.

2\. Hosting it yourself also gives you options. 10 years ago gmail didn't
exist and many providers charged a lot to host personalised domain (which were
seen as a business service). I still keep it because:

a. I used to manage big email setups, re-building a little one was fun
practice for a few hours

b. I don't really like gmail's interface.

c. A significant amount of work copying a couple of gigabytes of old email
into gmail

d. If Google change some policy 5 years down the track I'll be stuck with it.

e. Trying not to tie my entire life into google.

------
A_COMPUTER
For years I had my custom domain serviced by gmail in the background, so don't
assume they're not using gmail.

These days I run OpenSMTPD (
[https://www.opensmtpd.org/](https://www.opensmtpd.org/) ) on a server out of
my house because I want to minimize my cloud footprint, and OpenSMTPD is
orders of magnitude easier to configure than other mail software, and was
designed from the ground up to be maximally secure. I've also got it locked to
require STARTSSL, which is not recommended but works for the mail I get.

------
codeonfire
Why do most corporations run their own email servers and domains? For the same
reasons. Engineers know how companies that provide email services really run
behind the scenes. Companies do whatever the fuck they want and lie about it.
They employ questionable people. You just see the good, happy end user side of
it. Without substantial auditing and a strong contract there is no reason to
trust something as simple as email services to a third party.

------
wiml
I do because I've been running it since before gmail was a credible option,
and it's really not difficult or very much work to run a small mail server for
a few people.

I also don't like being dependent on a free service that could at any time
have a policy shift I don't like. Or simply be shut down; unlikely as that
seems for gmail, the internet is littered with the corpses of services that
seemed solid until they weren't.

------
mobiplayer
I used to have my own, self-hosted at home on the same computer I used for
everything else. It was about learning mostly, I was like 19 years old and had
plenty of time on my hands.

If I were to do it now it'll be just to keep my archived mail out of someone
else's servers. However, I do trust my current email provider. At the moment I
feel like I get much more benefit short and long term by using these people's
mail service.

------
giodamelio
I do it in case Gmail ever goes kaput. I actually use Google Apps so I am
basically using Gmail.

------
programmernews3
Considering mail could contain intellectual property and/or confidential info.
Wouldn't you want your data to live on metal in your domain/lan and be
controlled by you?

------
t44
To be more competetive and productive to customers, an effective and
customable mail server is a must. mail services provided by big enterprise can
not fit everyone's need.

------
blueflow
I have an Mail Server by my own. I think its something about having control.

------
joezydeco
I was fortunate enough to lock in my last name as a domain, so I have
first@last.com as my primary address. Sure looks a lot better in my
correspondence and on my resume. I just host it via Google hosted domains,
it's worth the $5/month.

~~~
mobiplayer
So you don't manage your own mail server :)

------
a3voices
They're probably procrastinating more important projects.

