Re: Trying to do too much (was Re: the introduction problem, etc.)

[Keith Moore <[e-mail]>]

On 5/18/22 22:50, Phillip Hallam-Baker wrote:

> * We have portable telephone numbers, why don't we have portable email 
> addresses?

We do, it's just that most people don't use them.

But even though it's slightly cumbersome and a bit too expensive, anyone 
can get their own DNS name, point their MX records at a mail service 
provider of their choice, and change those MX records and migrate their 
stored mail to the new provider whenever they feel the need.  (They can 
of course also operate their own mail servers if they want, but that's 
quite a bit more involved.)

For me a more interesting question is: Why are there so few competent 
mail service providers?

(note that the cumbersomeness and expense of having one's own DNS name - 
which I readily acknowledge, aren't the biggest barriers to having 
portable email addresses.)

Of course another reason that most people don't have portable email 
addresses, might be that changing email addresses from time to time is a 
fairly common way to deal with spam.

Keith