How do you feel about Gail Slater?
Proton does support IMAP, though it is through a desktop app
And that’s the problem, the requirement for “Proton Bridge” isn’t the greatest. I would rather have proper IMAP support, as the protocol supports PGP encryption if you do need secure communication, which will be intercompatible with other mail services.
I’d love if people could give me real reasons they dislike Proton.
I don’t like how they are pushing people to adopt the Proton “ecosystem” of services that is all tied to a single account, I would rather not have everything in one basket. They also don’t have a Linux client for Proton Drive, so it rules that service out for me.
Their CEO is also super pro-Trump and pro-GOP, which is always a red flag. The company now states that they are “politically neutral”, but it doesn’t seem like it from some of the comments that Proton (the company) has made, where they are basically saying that “Trump/the Republicans is the great hero against Big Tech that we needed”
pmk@piefed.ca 1 day ago
sbeak@sopuli.xyz 1 day ago
Well I’m not American, so I have no idea who that is. Just skimming Wikipedia, looks like she served as the Assistant Attorney General of the antitrust division during the second Trump admin, but resigned earlier this year. Dunno anything about her though, so can’t place any assumptions.
pmk@piefed.ca 1 day ago
She is known for trying to break up monopolies in tech, which is why people were surprised when she was selected by Trump who has tech giant friends. That’s what the proton ceo was praising, Gail Slater being picked. She didn’t last long, presumably because she indeed tried to break up big tech. He was also saying that the Democrats had done very little when they had the chance, because some Democrats are on the side of big tech. This was the controversy, and soon people called proton fascist and what not, and I don’t think it’s entirely fair.
sbeak@sopuli.xyz 1 day ago
His language of how Trump and the Republicans are their “only chance” to fight Big Tech isn’t great though. People were rightfully pretty mad about this, and Proton (the company) tried to position itself as “apolitical” and distanced themselves from the CEO. Being super pro-Trump is not a great image, especially given how they are financing big tech, promoting whatever makes them the most money, warmongering, and threatening political freedom.
shirasho@feddit.online 1 day ago
Show me a CEO who isn’t pro-GOP. If you protest every company that has a GOP CEO, you would have to live an Amish lifestyle. It is a fine enough reason to avoid a company, but that in itself does not make their services bad.
Not having all your eggs in one basket is a personal choice, not an objective reason why the company itself or their services are bad. I will acknowledge that if things go sour, it would be a huge PITA to migrate to another service.
Not offering services you need does not make the company bad, though it is a valid reason to seek an alternative that fits your needs. Proton has been working on Linux clients (with ProtonVPN being their latest offering). They will get there one day, I’m sure.
I do agree that Proton Bridge is not the best solution, but it is a solution. I also agree that some solutions aren’t worth the effort or pain, so if Proton Bridge does not work for you, then that is a valid reason to seek something else.
I appreciate you taking the time to actually reply back with your grievances. While it may not appear so in my post, it did give me something to think about.
sbeak@sopuli.xyz 1 day ago
Well, there are plenty of email services that are not super pro-GOP and pro-Trump. Yes, it is ideal to avoid big corporations, but in many cases you simply don’t have an option (see computers, printers, etc.)
I’d rather not give them my money though, and I’d rather not use their services if given alternatives
You keep repeating that their services are not bad, but I don’t think that is true. Everything being tied to one account has an objective downside. The requirement of Proton Bridge for IMAP support is a downside. The lack of a Linux client for Proton Drive is a clear downside for it.
shirasho@feddit.online 20 hours ago
Judgin by your last statement, I feel like you didn’t really read my comment and just cherry-picked parts to comment on. I ultimately agreed with your points in some form, and you…challenge me anyway? You once again say putting everything in one basket is bad as a matter of fact, saying it has an objective downside, and don’t even bother to say what that doenside is or expand on why.
I’m sure you are not invested in this discussion, but you should at least act in good faith if you are going to engage anyway.
sbeak@sopuli.xyz 17 hours ago
You have already mentioned it, it makes it more difficult to switch away to an alternative and it locks you down to Proton’s services. One of the main reasons why it’s so difficult to switch away from Google is due to their vast “ecosystem” of software services, though of course, this is an extreme example. Proton is a much smaller company, but my point remains that it is more difficult to go from Proton to another email service (like Disroot or mailbox) than it is to do the reverse.
I can think of another too. If one account is compromised, the whole “ecosystem” with email, drive, VPN, and maybe passwords/2FA (depending on how bad it is) could also be accessed or blocked. There’s a higher chance for one company to be bought out by Big Tech, banned in your country, sanctioned by the U.S., etc., than many simultaneously.
It doesn’t look like you have. You negated how Proton is licking the boots of Trump by saying “every CEO is pro-GOP”. You emphasised how they were “not bad”, all of my points were “personal decisions” of some sort.
No, you said they were not bad. Distinctly different from good. You said my points does not make Proton “objectively bad”, that they were all “personal choices”. I said that a lack of a Linux client for Proton Drive is bad. The lack of proper IMAP support (that is, without the use of Proton Bridge, since it only works on desktop) in Proton Mail is bad. Tying everything to one account is bad.