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title = "Postmaster"
description = "I now manage the domain petau.net with a mail server and attached sites."
description = "Managing petau.net: A family domain with federated email"
date = 2023-12-06
authors = ["Aron Petau"]
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Hello from [aron@petau.net](mailto:aron@petau.net)!
> [!NOTE]
> **Update 2025:** The service has been running smoothly for over two years
> now, managing 30+ email accounts for family and friends. Still loving the
> Migadu choice!
## Background
Emails are a wondrous thing and I spend the last weeks digging a bit deeper in how they actually work.
Some people consider them the last domain of the decentralized dream the internet once had and that is now popping up again with federation and peer-to-peer networks as quite popular buzzwords.
Email is a wondrous thing, and I've spent recent weeks digging deeper into
how it actually works. Some consider it the last bastion of the decentralized
dream the internet once had—a dream now resurfacing with federation and
peer-to-peer networks as popular buzzwords.
We often forget that email is already a federated system and that it is likely the most important one we have.
It is the only way to communicate with people that do not use the same service as you do.
It has open standards and is not controlled by a single entity. Going without emails is unimaginable in today's world, yet most providers are the familiar few from the silicon valley. And really, who wants their entire decentralized, federated, peer-to-peer network to be controlled by a schmuck from the silicon valley? Mails used to be more than that and they can still be.
Arguably, the world of messanging has gotten quite complex since emails popped up and there are more anti-spam AI tools that I would care to count. But the core of it is still the same and it is still a federated system.
Yet, also with Emails, Capitalism has held many victories, and today many emails that are sent from a provider that does not belong to the 5 or so big names are likely to be marked as spam. This is a problem that is not easily solved, but it is a problem that is worth solving.
We often forget that email is *already* a federated system, and likely the
most important one we have. It's the only way to communicate with people who
don't use the same service as you. It has open standards and isn't controlled
by a single entity.
Another issue with emails is security, as it is somehow collectively agreed upon that emails are a valid way to communicate business informations, while Whatsapp and Signal are not. These, at least when talking about messaging services with end-to-end encryption, are likely to be way more secure than emails.
Going without email is unimaginable in today's world, yet most providers are
the familiar few from Silicon Valley. And really, who wants their entire
decentralized, federated, peer-to-peer network controlled by a tech giant?
Emails used to be more than that, and they can still be.
## The story
Arguably, the world of messaging has grown complex since email's inception—
there are more anti-spam AI tools than I care to count. But the core remains
the same: a federated system. Yet capitalism has claimed many victories here
too. Today, emails sent from providers outside the big five are often flagged
as spam. This problem isn't easily solved, but it's worth solving.
So it came to pass, that I, as the only one in the family interested in operating it, "inherited" the family domain petau.net. All of our emails run through this service, that was previously managed by a web developer that was not interested in the domjobain anymore.
Another issue: security. It's somehow collectively agreed that emails are
valid for business communications, while WhatsApp and Signal are not. Yet
messaging services with end-to-end encryption are likely far more secure
than traditional email.
With lots of really secure Mail Providers like Protonmail or Tutanota, I went on a research spree, as to how I would like to manage my own service. Soon noticing that secure emails virtually always come with a price or with lacking interoperability with clients like Thunderbird or Outlook, I decided to go for migadu, a swiss provider that offers a good balance between security and usability. They also offer a student tier, which is a big plus.
## The Story
While self-hosting seems like a great idea from a privacy perspective, it is also quite risky for a service that is usually the only way for any service to recover your password or your online identity.
Migadu it was then, and in the last three months of basically set it and forget it, i am proud to at least have a decently granular control over my emails and can consciously reflect on the server location of The skeleton service service that enables virtually my entire online existence.
So it came to pass that I, as the only family member interested in operating
it, "inherited" the family domain **petau.net**. All our emails run through
this service, previously managed by a web developer who'd lost interest.
I certainly crave more open protocols in my life and am also findable on [Mastodon](https://mastodon.online/@reprintedAron), a microblogging network around the ActivityPub Protocol.
With secure mail providers like ProtonMail or Tutanota on the market, I
embarked on a research journey to determine how I'd manage our domain. I
quickly noticed that "secure" email virtually always comes with a price tag
or lacks interoperability with clients like Thunderbird or Outlook.
I settled on [Migadu](https://www.migadu.com/), a Swiss provider offering a
good balance between security and usability. They also have a student tier—
a significant plus.
### Why Not Self-Host?
While self-hosting seems ideal from a privacy perspective, it's risky for a
service that's often the *only* way to recover passwords or online identity.
If your server goes down during a critical password reset... well, good luck.
Migadu it was. After two years of essentially "set it and forget it," I'm
proud to have granular control over our emails while consciously reflecting
on the server location of this skeleton service that enables virtually our
entire online existence.
## Beyond Email
I certainly crave more open protocols in my life. You can also find me on
[Mastodon](https://mastodon.online/@reprintedAron), a microblogging network
built on the ActivityPub protocol—another step toward a more decentralized
internet.