this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2024
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I have a unique name, think John Doe, and I'm hoping to create a unique and "professional" looking email account like [email protected] or [email protected]. Since my name is common, all reasonable permutations are taken. I was considering purchasing a domain with something unique, then making personal family email accounts for [email protected] [email protected] etc.

Consider that I'm starting from scratch (I am). Is there a preferred domain registrar, are GoDaddy or NameCheap good enough? Are there prebuilt services I can just point my domain to or do I need to spin up a VPS and install my own services? Are there concerns tying my accounts to a service that might go under or are some "too big to fail"?

I can expand what hangs off the domain later, but for now I just need a way to make my own email addresses and use them with the relative ease of Gmail or others. Thanks in advance!!

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[–] [email protected] 73 points 10 months ago (29 children)

Do NOT self-host email! In the long run, you'll forget a security patch, someone breaches your server, blasts out spam and you'll end up on every blacklist imaginable with your domain and server.

Buy a domain, DON'T use GoDaddy, they are bastards. I'd suggest OVH for European domains or Cloudflare for international ones.

After you have your domain, register with "Microsoft 365" or "Google Workspace" (I'd avoid Google, they don't have a stable offering) or any other E-Mail-Provider that allows custom domains.

Follow their instructions on how to connect your domain to their service (a few MX and TXT records usually suffice) and you're done.

After that, you can spin up a VPS and try out new stuff and connect it also to your domain (A and CNAMR records).

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (7 children)

I’d avoid Google, they don’t have a stable offering

What you you mean by not stable?

I've been (stuck with) Google Workspace for many, many years - I was grandfathered out from the old G-Suite plans. The biggest issue for me is that all my Play store purchases for my Android are tied to my Workspace's identity, and there's no way to unhook that if I move.

I want to move. I have serious trust issues with Google. But I can't stop paying for Workspaces, as it means I'd lose all my Android purchases. It's Hotel fucking California.

But I've always found the email to be stable, reliable, and the spam filtering is top notch (after they acquired and rolled Postini into the service).

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I mean, they kill services willy nilly. Sure Gmail will probably survive, but the rest drove me away (Reader, Music, ...).

Regarding your Android purchases: At the time of my move I went through my list of apps I bought and tallied the ones up, that I still used. It was less than $50 of repurchases.

Don't let those old purchases hold you back. Cut this old baggage loose.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

At the time of my move I went through my list of apps I bought and tallied the ones up, that I still used. It was less than $50 of repurchases.

Yeah, I know this what I should do too. As someone else said in this comment thread, gotta tear that bandaid off at some point. Just shits me that I should have to. But the freedom after doing it... <chef's kiss>

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

"But I shouldn't have to" is a trap, everywhere it occurs. It cripples one's ability to act on an emotional level, and manifests as all kinds of resistances and avoidances that ultimately prevent you from seeing the problem clearly - and if you somehow do see the problem clearly, you still don't want to do anything about it.

The world owes you nothing. You exist. If you want love and fairness and a reasonable world, love and be fair and be reasonable, and choose to work together with those who are. Where you work, what you spend your time on, where you spend your money, and who you spend your time with are your places of impact. Don't let others steal that - particularly over 'but I shouldn't have to defend myself.'

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

One warning, though: After moving, you'll probably need another Google account again, to use the Play Store... it sucks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Yeah, still got my ancient free Gmail account going. Will probably revert to that.

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