[vox-tech] How many people run their own mail server?

[Chris Jenks]

On Wed, 16 Oct 2013, Alex Mandel wrote:

> On 10/16/2013 05:33 PM, Rick Moen wrote:
>> Quoting Alex Mandel (tech_dev at wildintellect.com):
>>
>>> I had though about rolling my own mail service, and I do host my own
>>> website from home (dynamic ip forwarding). But decided I'd rather
>>> outsource my email so that it's working even if my network is down, or
>>> power at my house it out etc.
>>
>> The lazy man's way of dealing with that problem is to be prepared to put
>> your server in a car and temporarily move it to a static IP anywhere else
>> in the world to bridge any protracted outage.  (Just repoint to the new
>> IP in DNS, and you're back.[1])  Ideally, with optimal preparation, you
>> also have a spare hard drive on a shelf preloaded with an MTA
>> configuration, in case of hardware failure.
>>
>
> I only pay less than $20/year for 5 boxes (several GB each) with webmail
> access and imap. The bus number is greater than 1, especially when I'm
> travelling and relying on email for certain things. If the network went
> out, or hardware failed in some way, I'd be down for the rest of the trip.
>
> It would cost me more than that just to get a static IP or a vps.
>

   Cost is a major incentive to me too. Even from the other side of the 
world I pay for the DSL in my rented-out house so I can keep my boxes 
live. I have a mail server because I like control over my data, but the 
important thing is the web servers. I can't afford colocation, but I can 
afford a few P-III motherboards lying boxless in my basement.

>>
>>> With IMAP and thunderbird I don't need all the spam/filtering server
>>> side....
>>
>> What you may not realise is that spam detection/rejection works a
>> _great_ deal better when done as early as possible server side, ideally
>> during incoming SMTP sessions.  It's pretty easy to do routinely better
>> than GMail, for example.
>>
>
> It wouldn't surprise me if my service is blocking some of the more
> notorious known spammers. With Thunderbird adaptive filtering (I think
> it's bayesian based), it gets 99% of the spam, and I can retrain it on
> things that are ham. Having used it since it came out (early to mid
> 2000s) I've been quite happy.
>
>
>> [1] Downtime of up to, if memory serves, 4 days will not bounce any
>> mail, though some senders will get progress DSNs saying the mail has
>> been not deliverable for NN hours and will be retried.
>
> I think running your own servers is great, and I think there's a role
> for running your own mail server when:
> 1. You want to know how to do it
> 2. It happens to be a skill you might pull out for employment
> 3. You find it fun
> 4. You're prepared to handle the possible outage scenarios
>
> I actually do help run a mail server, for an org, but they have 15,000+
> unique list subscribers and all sorts of business needs. They also have
> several colo servers to handle such things with onsite tech help if we
> need (thanks OSUOSL).
>
> Thanks,
> Alex
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