this post was submitted on 26 Oct 2023
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ELI5 please, why would I use thunderbird over a web client? I have used a local email client in years but it seems everyone uses and loves thunderbird.
If you don't have multiple email accounts, then probably a webmail is fine. If you have multiple accounts, and require some advanced email features, then a local client is often more efficient. Unfortunately, because the majority of people are fine with a webmail, those clients are not attracting much activity for development and Thunderbird itself almost died some ten years ago.
May I ask the opposite? Why use JavaScript client from the web instead of desktop ones?
Most operating systems, excluding Windows, are shipping with decent native and fast email client. They are automatically updated with the system, again excluding Windows, integrate with other apps (for ex. right-click and share with mail), can store messages offline just in case and are overall nicer to use.
The only use case I think of is when using someone's else computer and you don't want to remember to log out, because browsers have "incognito" mode.
Because then I can access the same client from anywhere, any platform without having to worry about learning the interface for several different clients.
Even Windows ships with one ("Mail"). I don't have any real experience using it (on my Windows work laptop I have Outlook, and on everything else I use Thunderbird), but it looks fine to me.
I have no idea what the pricing scheme is for Outlook these days, but Outlook does remain genuinely excellent too.
Sounds like you're making an a point from privacy, which I agree with and subscribe to. But I feel like there's something in your point that is missed in that the email provider has the emails still. If I have a Gmail account then I doubt it matters if I use thunderbird or not. So that pushes me to use a more privacy focused email provider but if they are then their web client should also be privacy focused. So if total privacy is the focus then hosting your own email service would be what is needed. But if privacy isn't the point then convenience is more important. And going off the other replies to my question, the only reason is if you have multiple accounts and want them to be accessible from one place.
I have 2 main email accounts, 1 that is family and friends focused and 1 that is privacy/purchases/etc focused and I actually like them to be separated so thunderbird doesn't sound very useful for my case. Not sure if there's something I'm missing here but if there is then I am willing to read and learn. Especially when it comes to privacy focused stuff.
No, it was not about privacy. From privacy standpoint there is no difference from email client running in browser or on desktop, both can have trackers and in both we need to trust the source. There are even selfhosted web email clients like RoundCube or Nextcloud Mail, that I use too but really rare.
Ah okay, my bad. I misunderstood. I guess to be able to answer your opposite question I would have to try thunderbird myself and see if I still prefer web based or not. Otherwise I don't have an answer to why I use web client over thunderbird other than it's already there and ready when I set up my account.
Doesn't windows ship with a native email client? I don't use Windows but I remember an email app on it.
Yes, it's called "Mail" and I guess it's the successor to "Outlook Express" from the old days. I have never actually used it though, but it's certainly there.
You cant set up server side filters from any floss client for any platform afaik. If i am wrong someone plz tell me because it is the #1 problem every time. Always go back to webmail and proprietary mobile clients.
(Am talking about imap servers and generic clients. So not like proton etc.)
I pull all my email locally and only leave the last few weeks on the servers. I have all my email (going back 20 years) available locally and also backed up safe. If an email provider goes tits up, or is acquired, or starts misbehaving, I can have my mailboxes somewhere else within the hour and not lose anything.
I should do that too at some point. I'm using Claws Mail not Thunderbird, which stores each message in its own file.
First step is to find an IMAP server that won't complain that the format is not-quite-maildir, and also not balk that they're read-only.
Worst case scenario I'll write my own. Can't be too hard to put together a simple IMAP server that only works read-only to list folders and read messages.
Multiple accounts that I need to check daily (works, personnal, business). It would take me way more time to check all of them on a browser. You can also search within all your account from TB. Also have access to my archives without internet access.
I have email going all the way back to 2013 or so, and don't like the idea of all that information sitting readily available for hacks, warrants, or automated scanning. I move mail older than two years into a local Thunderbird folder to limit what's sitting online, while also letting me search for recent emails while out and about.
Aside from that, I like that I can still access emails while offline, see all my inboxes, contacts, and calendar in one place. Also, I've got enough "apps" that run in the browser.
Actually, sudden account closure without recourse (which Google does) is another reason to make sure I have local copies of email too.
I like it because I put all my RSS feeds there (podcasts, blogs, etc.), for RSS purposes it does everything I want and more than many of the dedicated RSS clients do. Then, if I can get my email there too, I don't have to open my web browser all the time, which is more efficient.
I have 4 email addresses in regular use (excluding my work one, which is deliberately kept entirely off my personal devices). They are from several different providers. Checking 4 different inboxes in 4 different browser windows is an awful lot less convenient than having them all in one application. Thunderbird also lets these inboxes throw system notifications when the application is running in the background, which wouldn't happen if I'm just relying on the webmail interfaces.
Thunderbird also gives me an offline local backup of my emails, which is useful if I find myself in a connection blackspot and in desperate need to find an email. As my main personal laptop also regularly backs up data to an external storage device, it also means these local mail copies are backed up too; not sure when that's ever going to be vitally useful, but it's an nice thing all the same.
Ultimately, why not? I find the Thunderbird interface easy to use (not least because I've been using it forever), and the webmail interfaces are simple and intuitive too, so it's not like there's any intellectual strain on using multiple clients.