20220528-mutt_and_email.txt
WARNING: Language because I'm quite peeved.

This is why we can't have nice things.

I use mutt for an email client. It's great. The problem is email
providers generally suck.

1. Gmail. I currently use Gmail with mutt, but I'm 70% sure that won't
last past 2022-05-30, when Big G announced they were removing
"less-secure" app access. Mutt is a 'less-secure" app. I currently
have 2FA on the fucking thing and use a cryptic, forgettable app
password with mutt. The most insecure part, AFAIK, is having a
password stored in a plain-text config files (if you don't want to
have to log in each and every time). It feels like Big G is actively
trying to drive customers away: they got too popular and now they have
bandwidth problems or some stupid scaling problems shit. I guess
taking over the tech world isn't easy. This is not the first and
probably not the last time I'll be really pissed off at a decision
that Big G makes that drastically changes my digital life.

2. Protonmail. I signed up for it just a couple minutes ago, and I was
quite a bit turned off by the commercialism of it. It blasts you in
the fucking face with ads for their premium services. "It was made by
nice guys(TM) from CERN who wanted a private email! Power to the
people!" They must have gotten bought out then because the complete
twats have SMTP or whatever they call desktop clients locked away in a
SUBSCRIPTION FEE model. Seriously, go fuck yourselves. I had a bad
feeling when I saw the self-promotion, but to me, desktop client
access should be in EVERY fucking email service by default. The other
huge red flag is that it requires JS. 

3. SDF. Like many Gopher-lovers, I have an SDF account. It's good
enough for what it is, but some shitty websites seemingly "verify"
emails by making sure gmail, yahoo, or outlook is in the domain. It's
also a bit slow on updating the spool, as it were. I would prefer not
having to SSH into there just to use mutt, but I may have to after Big
G tells me once again to fuck off and stop abusing their free
services. I'm thinking I have to be MetaARPA to get email client
access. The FAQ says I can use POP3/IMAP for free, but SDF has an
issue with some help info being out of date. I guess I can try messing
with my local mutt config so I don't have SSH in.

4. Yahoo. Why does this fucking relic even exist? I closed out my
Yahoo accounts a while ago. It's possible I have one or two floating
around because I used Geocities for several sites 20-ish years ago.
Worst email service ever and they seem stuck in 2008... or maybe
that's the last time I actually visited the site.

Tech is getting so complicated by mandate from Big Tech. It's so
fucking annoying. I wouldn't have this current headache if Big G just
let well enough alone. I mean I'm fairly certain I've had the POP or
IMAP access to Gmail for 15+ years now, so thanks a lot for pulling
the rug out because you don't trust your users to be good at security,
assholes. Eat shit, Big G.