My Google email account is about 20 years old, and I never even thought to consider alternatives. Last month, I decided to seriously try switching to HEY, the email service and provider offered by Jason Fried and DHH from 37 Signals.

Why, you might ask? Well, I've got three main reasons:

Trust: I'm a huge fan of 37Signals' work. I use Basecamp in every company I'm involved with, have read their books, and follow their methodologies. I even use Basecamp with my wife to manage family stuff! So, when they felt the need to create an email client, I wanted to give them my trust again because they've truly earned it. (I say 'again' because I did try HEY when it first launched, but it was too underdeveloped to be my main client then.)

Privacy: I'm not overly obsessed with privacy. I see it as a battle against windmills: you focus on sealing one gap without realizing you're surrounded by others that can't be closed. I might be a bit disillusioned, but that doesn't mean I'll surrender without a fight. That's why I 'reject cookies', even though it means two extra clicks on every website, and why not, use a provider who claims not to spy on my emails.

Geek: as I've aged, my obsession with tools has lessened, but my addiction to technology remains strong. I love to try, experiment, test, form opinions, and discuss them. Being continuously in touch with the 37Signals world, I finally succumbed. I couldn't resist much longer.

One of the features included in HEY is "HEY World", which lets you use the email client to publish articles; precisely what you're reading now. This first post is just a test, and I've chosen to write about this 'test of a test'.

I've contemplated starting a personal blog for two years, leading me to set one up with DatoCMS. It allows me to experiment with the product I work on, stay somewhat connected to developing an app with Next.JS, and write some code. However, the truth is, I barely use it; my last article is at least eight months old.

Using the email client to write an article, getting it published, and automatically sent in a newsletter style to everyone interested in what I have to say doesn't sound bad at all! There are pros and cons, of course. On the plus side, there's no code to maintain and no multi-channel hassles, for instance. However, I'm not too keen on the idea that the content isn't truly 'mine' but is in the hands of a service that, if I stopped paying, would disappear from the web.

So, while I'm not fully convinced yet, I'm certainly willing to give it a try!