The Oligopoly of Email: A Self-Hosting Journey

The author describes their experience of self-hosting their email for 23 years and their decision to give up due to the dominance of big email providers. They argue that the email system has become an oligopoly, controlled by a few major companies, leading to discriminatory practices against independent email servers. They highlight issues with email deliverability, blacklisting, and the lack of recourse for legitimate servers. The author proposes minor changes to blacklisting protocols to address these issues and emphasizes the importance of regulating email interoperability before politicians intervene. The text also includes a list of antispam measures implemented by the author and a satirical reference to a potential conspiracy theory.

• The author's experience of self-hosting email for 23 years and their decision to give up due to the dominance of big email providers
• Description of the email system as an oligopoly controlled by major companies
• Issues with email deliverability, blacklisting, and lack of recourse for legitimate servers
• Proposal for minor changes to blacklisting protocols to address discrimination against independent email servers
• Emphasis on the importance of regulating email interoperability before politicians intervene