Recently I was locked out of my own Ghost blog platform because they decided they were going to add Email 2FA. I also cannot add any other authors because that requires email verification.
Today I was looking at installing Bonfire and came across this:
Bonfire requires working email for user signups, password resets, and notifications. Most installations will need email configuration before the instance is usable.
Setting up email is a pain in the ass, costs money, is dependent on 3rd parties, violates privacy, and is just completely unnecessary. Why wouldn’t you give users the option to not use it? It’s infuriating!


Since then you would need to have another way to achive the goals e-mail does. Like password resets, user invitations etc. Thats all software burden for that one user that does not want it.
None of these i would actually say. To work around it you can just simply set up local reachable postfix. Done. You can setup a complete local mail server, with a few clicks.
Choose the software you want to use wisely and dont jump to the first solution you find when you are that licky about your requirements. If you are ao reluctant about e-mail and the service requires it, then maybe the design goals of the software do not fit your goals.
None of those things are necessary. Like I don’t even have email configured on my server because I don’t need it at all except when the developer unnecessarily integrates it to the extent that it breaks it.
I am not at all the only one. Just look at the other comments and votes in this thread.
That makes no sense. Nothing about the software goals are related to email integration.
Depending on the view, a functioning service something like password reset is necessary. To design the software that it can ship without functioning password can or cannot make sense, depening on the design choices. Depending on what else got send via e-mail designing the software around that can be challenging and burdening for the future of developing.
If the setup required you to setup e-mail, the software and then also the developer can always assume there is a communication path to the individual user.
As i said, it can and cannot make sense, but saying
and not even trying to put yourself into other shoes just does not make sense.
It is not necessary if you don’t lose your password, which I don’t ever, because I use a password manager. It’s also not necessary if you have administrative access to the server.
Brother we have the opposite problem. You are not putting yourself in my shoes, or other people like me.
I am not suggesting everyone should get rid of it, I’m asking why it can’t be optional and easily disabled…