Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (1324 mails)

[Anne Wilson <cannewilson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Saturday 01 November 2008 22:41:48 John Andersen wrote:
> Anne Wilson wrote:
> > On Saturday 01 November 2008 20:31:28 Dotan Cohen wrote:
> > > 2008/11/1 Jerry Houston <Jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> > > >  I have a problem with storing my emails permanently on a server owned
> > > > by a company who makes a living out of examining the contents of
> > > > personal emails.
> > >
> > > I only use Gmail for mailing list mail. My personal server handles my
> > > personal and work mail.
> >
> > I've found it a very useful backup, when I'm having mail problems.  I
> > just wish I could set an expiry date - say delete everything over 3
> > months old - but it doesn't seem possible.  When I asked on the forum I
> > was rubbished, being told that I could store a life-time's mail.  The
> > fact that I didn't want to seemed irrelevant to the people on the forum.
> >
> > Anne
>
> You can delete mail.  

Sure, but to keep it under control I'd have to do it every day, since a couple 
of hundred messages go through that account each day.  As it is, I've many 
thousands of messages, most of which I will never want to see again, and I 
can't get rid of them without devoting many hours of effort.

> You can set up auto forwarding which deletes Gmails
> copy.
I did this for a while, but then I had a procmail error which caused me to 
lose some mail.  Since then I've elected to leave the copy on the server.  If 
there was any way, automated or not, to select by date I would be happy that I 
could control it.

> Deleted mail goes to trash.
> Trash is emptied 30 days after arrival, unless you go there manually
> and delete it sooner.  You are correct does not seem to be an automated
> way to purge trash on your chosen time frame.
>
> Of course, there are those who believe that even emptying the trash
> does not, in fact, delete the mail entirely.
> I don't believe its possible to argue with such folks because nothing
> you say will prove that there remains no copy somewhere, and such people
> will not take anyones word or written statement to the contrary.
>
> Still, its good enough for Mailing list traffic.

Yes.  I see it as a personal responsibility to do a risk assessment.  If 
nothing private ever goes through the account, or if the only private mail is 
encrypted, then I'm happy that there is no significant risk to me.

Anne