[plug] TPG group no longer providing email

Sat Aug 5 21:49:26 AWST 2023

On Sat, 5 Aug 2023 08:47:19 +0800
Onno Benschop <onno at itmaze.com.au> wrote:

> I think that Microsoft security goes well beyond "poor security":
> 
> https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/08/microsoft-cloud-security-blasted-for-its-culture-of-toxic-obfuscation/
> 
> On Fri, 4 Aug 2023 at 16:06, Warren Argus <warren at warbel.net> wrote:
> 
> > Hi Onno,
> >
> > Yes, I only meant that you can pay for google services if you wish and
> > that I meant the 'free for personal usage' version of google is just their
> > GWS offering without any corporate features.
> >
> > It's unfair to single out MS for their poor security, the truth is until
> > there are standards and transparency around cloud services, it's
> > fundamentally impossible to fully trust any cloud provider. Just like how
> > its impossible to fully trust propriatary closed source software...
> >
> > -w
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > *From*: Onno Benschop <onno at itmaze.com.au
> > <Onno%20Benschop%20%3conno at itmaze.com.au%3e>>
> > *To*: PLUG mailing list <plug at plug.org.au
> > <PLUG%20mailing%20list%20%3cplug at plug.org.au%3e>>
> > *Subject*: Re: [plug] TPG group no longer providing email
> > *Date*: Fri, 4 Aug 2023 15:38:43 +0800
> >
> > FYI, there is no free Google Workspace offering for most customers. If you
> > are a school, or a registered nonprofit, there are free accounts available.
> >
> > Source: I've been using this for many years and recently Google made all
> > Workspace products subscription only services.
> >
> > I have been looking for alternatives because "Google", but I've yet to
> > discover anything that comes close.
> >
> > Given Microsoft's most recent data-breach I'd avoid their service until
> > such time as they actually publish how they fixed their secure key
> > implementation.
> >
> > --
> > finger painting on glass is an inexact art - apologies for any errors in
> > this scra^Hibble
> >
> > ()/)/)() ..ASCII for Onno..
> >
> > On Fri, 4 Aug 2023, 15:11 Warren Argus, <warren at warbel.net> wrote:
> >
> > I can only assume that ISPs are moving away from offering email for the
> > same reasons most businesses no longer provision on-site email servers.
> > 1. they're increasingly vulnerable to attack (specifically onsite exchange
> > servers) and represent an increasing business risk
> > 2. they don't support modern auth (MFA etc)
> > 3. they require maintenance and support from staff
> >
> > ISPs would also have the added burden of integrating their email systems
> > into the user backends and providing support to their customers. Again
> > increasing their costs and overheads.
> >
> > My recommendation is to either move to the 'free' google workspace tier
> > (optionally you can pay for it if you'd rather not be the product), setup
> > your own email server (I personally use mailinabox + nextcloud hosted in
> > Digital Ocean's Singapore DC), or consider an MS o365 subscription (which
> > comes with a mailbox). With the ability to pretty seamlessly churn ISPs
> > these days I wouldn't recommend sticking with iinet or any of the TPG group
> > - vote with your feet. I would recommend AussieBB though - they have IPv6
> > too, unlike iinet.
> >
> > Kind regards,
> >
> > Warren.
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > *From*: Byron Hammond <byronester at gmail.com
> > <Byron%20Hammond%20%3cbyronester at gmail.com%3e>>
> > *To*: William Kenworthy <billk at iinet.net.au
> > <William%20Kenworthy%20%3cbillk at iinet.net.au%3e>>
> > *Cc*: PLUG <plug at plug.org.au <PLUG%20%3cplug at plug.org.au%3e>>
> > *Subject*: Re: [plug] TPG group no longer providing email
> > *Date*: Wed, 2 Aug 2023 17:43:22 +0800
> >
> > I am with Aussie Broadband and they provide an email address.
> > Mind you I never use it because I use GMail and Yahoo for junk/spam, but
> > it might be an option
> > Plus ABB are pretty decent on support in my experience, so something to
> > consider
> >
> > Byron
> >
> > On Wed, 2 Aug 2023 at 10:24, William Kenworthy <billk at iinet.net.au> wrote:
> >
> > I presume there are a lot of other PLUG members who use a TPG group ISP
> > like I do.
> >
> > It looks like iinet (and all TPG companies)  are dropping all email
> > services (but apparently not dropping prices) and are force migrating
> > people to a commercial company - free for now but ...
> >
> > The migration so far looks like a rolling disaster from some TPG focused
> > forums I read.  Like almost everyone I have a google email address but is
> > there a reasonable Australian ISP in Perth that still carries email?
> > Telstra and Optus have never been "good" in my opinion.  I also run my home
> > phone through them via asterisk and have mobiles with them - I am not sure
> > they would consider them core services either. I do not store any email at
> > iinet - they provide imap pickup (I run a local mail gateway), a couple of
> > email aliases, provide virus and spam protection but that's it.
> > Its looking like my best option is to stay with iinet (for now) and
> > migrate away from iinet starting with email.
> >
> > What are others considering?
> >
> > BillK
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > PLUG discussion list: plug at plug.org.au
> > http://lists.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug
> > Committee e-mail: committee at plug.org.au
> > PLUG Membership: http://www.plug.org.au/membership
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > PLUG discussion list: plug at plug.org.au
> > http://lists.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug
> > Committee e-mail: committee at plug.org.au
> > PLUG Membership: http://www.plug.org.au/membership
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > PLUG discussion list: plug at plug.org.au
> > http://lists.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug
> > Committee e-mail: committee at plug.org.au
> > PLUG Membership: http://www.plug.org.au/membership
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > PLUG discussion list: plug at plug.org.au
> > http://lists.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug
> > Committee e-mail: committee at plug.org.au
> > PLUG Membership: http://www.plug.org.au/membership
> >
> >
> 
Colour me surprised...

I've been running my own e-mail server for a while now and I don't seem to have hit the distributed blacklist yet.

It's quite a pain to get a domain and setup qmail or postfix, with SPF, DKIM and rDNS, but once you've done so, you can have nice things.