Email server tutorial

[Scott Balneaves]

On Sat, Jul 11, 2009 at 11:58:07AM +0100, Gavin McCullagh wrote:

> I'm curious to know what the compelling reasons are to go to the trouble of
> self-hosting and not use a service like Gmail.

Just to give you one possible compelling reason:

At Legal Aid, and in the justice system in general, you have a concept of
"chain of evidence", i.e. do you know where the evidence is, and can you make
reasonable assurances that people who shouldn't have access to it haven't had
access to it.

The courts have already recognized (at least in Canada) the internet as being
"as private" as the postal system, at least for *delivery*.  For *storage*,
however, not so.

When you're hosting the email, and you're called in front of a judge to testify
who might have had access to a particular email, there's a big difference
between "The proper people at Legal Aid", and "Potentially anyone employed at
Google."

Cheers,
Scott

-- 
Scott L. Balneaves | The closest you will ever come in this life to an
Systems Department | orderly universe is a good library.
Legal Aid Manitoba |     -- Ashleigh Brilliant