[unethical_ban]

I agree in that, for me, e-mail is almost solely used for business communications and newsletters. However, I don't know of a "timeless", or otherwise decentralized, communication technology so ubiquitous that can be secured like e-mail. Signal seems to be the hip thing, but it's centralized. "Blockchain" communications, perhaps?

[stjohnswarts]

That is something I doubt I'll ever sign up for is my email on a blockchain lol unless it's just a hash of the email text or something for "proof" of it's origin/association.

[dane-pgp]

Actually, a blockchain might work as the basis for a distributed email server reputation system. If every provider published their opinion of all the providers they've received emails from, it should be possible to reach a consensus about who the spammers are.

Hopefully this system would provide a useful signal even if it was only adopted by a few big mail providers, and they could pressure newly-registered mail domains to adopt it or face delivery delays. Long-established mail domains would be grandfathered in, so most providers wouldn't have to change anything.