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Comment by rpbiwer2 | Hacker News Reader

> use a domain that you can move to any provider and keep a backup of you're email.

And which ones are those? Once I've selected the right provider, how do I reliably implement my backups?

> If you put yourself in a place where someone can take everything from you than it's a real risk that they might.

I'll just go ahead and stop using every major software product created in the last decade.

Despite my sarcasm you're not wrong, I agree completely with what you're saying. But to follow your advice is not easy, especially for the average user. IMO it's a problem with the way software is made, and while many of us are vaguely aware of the problem, there's been little progress towards solving it.

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You buy a domain from wherever, you set it up on Google like anyone can, and not just techies, normies get domains all the time, then, you use pop and download your email.

Is that more than someone might think of? Maybe, but it's not that far fetched if it's something you want to do.

What's hard to get a normal person to do is distrust Google or Facebook et. al.

Edit to point out that normal people who are marginalized by society actually know about this stuff and already do things like this, like having pre-warmed backup accounts on social media platforms avoiding most major banking platforms or diversifying payments platforms to limit impact and hosting their own websites.

There are a lot of simple things you can do to become less dependent and people who tent to find themselves in those places can seek these things out.

> little progress towards solving it.

The reason progress isn't made is _because_ the casual experience is so good. Gmail works very well, at least the average (read: compliant) user. Therefore, the system is designed so that it works well for said average user, and so they do not have any incentive to pay for a more "difficult" to use product, which enhances an aspect that they don't care (or know to care) about. That is, until they get hit by an issue (after all, you're average until you're not). But since their numbers are still overwhelmingly small, there's also no political arena for which this can become legislated to make it work.

Two things. With an email software like Thunderbird you can download a local copy of your mail and backup that. And you should own the domain name of your private email address, even if you forward it to gmail. Because that way, if gmail locks you out or you just don’t like them any more, you’ll be happy that no one has to update your email address.

> But to follow your advice is not easy, especially for the average user.

The average user doesn't even use an adblocker, so they won't need to worry about Google blocking their account for suspected clickfraud or whatever.

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