February 23, 2026
Inbox Wars: You vs The Megacorps
Don't host email yourself – your reminder in 2026
Blocked for ‘too quiet’ emails; commenters rage: self-host vs pay up
TLDR: A startup’s dedicated email IP was blocked by a big German provider for low sending volume, causing 48-hour bounces. The comments erupted: rebels say self-host to beat megacorps, veterans and pragmatists say use a reputable sender and separate domains. It matters because your “send” button isn’t always enough.
An entrepreneur used a respected email service with a dedicated IP and all the security stamps (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) set—and still got iced out by a major German provider for sending “too little.” Yep, blocked for inactivity. Cue the comment section turning into Inbox Hunger Games. Veteran self-hosters flexed: one said he’s run his own email for 20 years—but even he draws the line at transactional messages (password codes, receipts). Others shouted, “If email isn’t your business, outsource it,” turning the thread into a tug-of-war between DIY pride and peace-of-mind pragmatism.
The most dramatic take? A rallying cry that megacorps are throttling human communication for profit, urging rebels to host their own mail and stick it to The Man. Meanwhile, practical voices chimed in like weary parents: use a trusted sender (think Postmark) on a separate domain and stop poking the spam bears. There were jokes about “gym memberships for IPs” and having to send “daily ‘hello’ emails” just to keep reputation alive—because this provider seems to penalize quiet servers like they skipped leg day.
The mood: split between anti-corporate crusaders and “please, don’t suffer” realists. Either way, everyone agrees the postmaster ticket dance and 48-hour hard bounces are the opposite of “just works,” and the comments are where the sparks fly.
Key Points
- •The author used Scaleway’s Transactional Email service with a dedicated, professionally warmed IP and correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration.
- •A major German email provider hard-bounced messages because the sender’s IP had low recent volume (reverse-greylisting), not due to spam or misbehavior.
- •Resolving the block required contacting the provider’s postmaster team to reset IP reputation, with changes taking up to 24 hours to propagate.
- •The incident resulted in up to 48 hours of hard bounces despite using a reputable transactional email service.
- •The author warns that self-hosting is likely harder, as new VPS IPs lack reputation and are commonly grey-listed by providers such as GMX and Web.de.