add FAQ about the common misconceptation that you cannot run your own email server nowadays

This commit is contained in:
Mechiel Lukkien 2023-06-12 16:25:35 +02:00
parent c561d7452b
commit d4d3f8ce92
No known key found for this signature in database

View file

@ -315,3 +315,34 @@ Mox also has an "admin" web interface where the mox instance administrator can
make changes, e.g. add/remove/modify domains/accounts/addresses.
Mox does not have a webmail yet, so there are no screenshots of actual email.
## Won't the big email providers block my email?
It is a common misconception that it is impossible to run your own email server
nowadays. The claim is that the handful big email providers will simply block
your email. However, you can run your own email server just fine, and your
email will be accepted, provided you are doing it right.
If your email is rejected, it is often because your IP address has a bad email
sending reputation. Email servers often use IP blocklists to reject email
networks with a bad email sending reputation. These blocklists often work at
the level of whole network ranges. So if you try to run an email server from a
hosting provider with a bad reputation (which happens if they don't monitor
their network or don't act on abuse/spam reports), your IP too will have a bad
reputation and other mail servers (both large and small) may reject messages
coming from you. During the quickstart, mox checks if your IPs are on a few
often-used blocklists. It's typically not a good idea to host an email server
on the cheapest or largest cloud providers: They often don't spend the
resources necessary for a good reputation, or they simply block all outgoing
SMTP traffic. It's better to look for a technically-focused local provider.
After you get past the IP blocklist checks, email servers use many more signals
to determine if your email message could be spam and should be rejected. Mox
helps you set up a system that doesn't trigger most of the technical signals
(e.g. with SPF/DKIM/DMARC). But there are more signals, for example: Sending to
a mail server or address for the first time. Sending from a newly registered
domain. Sending messages with content that resembles known spam messages.
Should your email be rejected, you will typically get an error message that
explains why. In the case of big email providers the error message often has
instructions on how to prove to them you are a legimate sender.