email platform for various community groups

I want to avoid google for some community groups that I organize but I don't know what alternative platforms to consider. We want a safe (probably encrypted) group email service- folks can set up an account but I can't expect them to set up an email address.

Some of these groups are for children and some adults up 80+ years old. We must be protected from mainstream media's recent, blatant censorship trends. I am concerned other platforms will create a little hurdle people don't want to deal with and hence may not join. What's easy to get into, FREE and easy to use? I hope to keep management minimal, let people join or invite others, maybe create signups or add to calendar events. Just community, not capitalism, and mostly just sending emails.

-Google- NO
-Shutterfly share sites- love the signup features for planning complicated activities (but that can be outsourced), roster/member info, and adaptability but it's a stone age service and the group email address stopped working for one group years ago (so I send message via the website's Message Board)
-Signal- NO requires cell phone and too limited of features
-Element- looks tempting but I only set up an account, never participated in a group

What do you have for me to consider?

Is Google such a problem for the sort of applications you have in mind?
Or do you just wish to not use Google point blank?
Its my guess that any alternative will be commercial to cover its costs anyway.
You can set up your own website and have your own email sysatem, is that what you have in mind.

I found this on the web.
DuckDuckGo (DDG) is privately owned. Indeed as reported by Crunchbase, it received over $170 million in funding from several investors, comprising Union Square Ventures (led by Fred Wilson). DuckDuckGo's business model proposes itself as an alternative to Google's business model.23 May 2022


Disadvantages. DuckDuckGo still relies on advertising to generate revenue so you will still see visible ads in your searches. The difference however is that the ads aren't personalised to the individual user. DuckDuckGo doesn't include any protection from viruses, malware, ransomware, or other internet dangers

Why should I use DuckDuckGo instead of Google?
We don't track you at all, regardless what browsing mode you are in. Each time you search on DuckDuckGo, it's as if you've never been there before. We simply don't store anything that can tie your searches to you personally, or even tie them together into a search history that could later be tied back to you.

I'm just looking for a group email service. DDG isn't that. I'll try to edit my post to make that more clear. And, yes, I think google is such a problem.

Matrix (Element) is good and open source. I am in a few chat rooms for programming.
Zulip is very good if you have a larger group and need to split the conversations further. It also integrates with e-mail for those you need that.

I'm creating a new platform to save mankind, but it won't be up for a little while. E-mail groups are really easy to setup though, if that is all you are doing. Almost all webservers offer e-mail groups, if you have a website.

Tony Bondhus wrote:I'm creating a new platform to save mankind, but it won't be up for a little while. E-mail groups are really easy to setup though, if that is all you are doing. Almost all webservers offer e-mail groups, if you have a website.

Yes, when I had a business, I got something like 14 email addresses at my domain that I bought from GoDaddy.  

Used to be their own webmail server, now they have migrated everything to Microsoft, though. This can happen with any independent service, they get sold or they start using corporate products instead of maintaining their own.

Thanks, Folks!

There are no websites associated with these community groups. We just want it free, free of censorship, and easy to use. Many of us are enjoying our de-googling adventures so it helps to hear of new (to me) options and reviews. Element seems like it can work well, and I've never heard of Zulip. I'll explore them both!

I'm awfully curious about the one to save mankind, but I need something yesterday.

Maybe what you are looking for is not an email platform though instead a forum where your group could discuss matters.

I am sure there might be several options on the world wide web.

Maybe something like this might work:

https://permies.com/wiki/64607/Managing-private-forum-permies

Jordan said, "A private forum would have to be created by staff, and they could make you moderator of it. You could add and remove people from it, and help keep an eye on it. People in that forum should be able to create threads just like they would in any other forum. Just let us know if we can help.

We've made a few private forums for local this and that.  

Two important things are, any account is required to meet the Real Sounding Name Policy https://permies.com/name.jsp and behaviour follows the Be Nice rule everyone agrees to when making an account.

Moderators can see private groups, but we generally ignore them unless for some reason we don't.  - deliberate vagueness to hopefully cover all eventualities.  

https://permies.com/t/151322/Private

Thanks Anne. It seems my word choice in my subject is unclear- I'll be more careful with that next time. I'm not looking for personal email platforms, nor anything related to businesses/websites, just an email list service for group communication.

Any personal feedback on specific services is great! Element and Zulip are great contenders.

One of my email goat groups uses Groups.io. We really like it. It has a lot of nice features and even the free plan is ad-free. You can choose public or private, depending on your needs.

The group "degooglify internet" has alternatives to google and co. Here is the general website. https://degooglisons-internet.org/en/

If you ask for an alternative to google groups, it gives you this https://framagroupes.org/abc/en/