Ask HN: Why should I get email at my own domain?

I have @tlb.org, which was available when the internet was young. I send and receive through gmail.

- it's one more thing I have to remember to renew every couple of years. Not renewing would be a disaster, since everyone has that address.

+ I can switch email providers without changing my email. I used to run my own server (which was a hassle), and could again, but gmail is pretty convenient.

+ It's slightly shorter to dictate on the phone

+ I don't like sticking someone else's brand on my public identity. Gmail is a fine brand, but not mine. Some other brands (@hotmail.com) have, at least in the past, had a connotation of noobishness.

advantages: no snooping, no deletions , no annoying lockouts if your IP changes, no adds, much less confusing the layout, much better spam filtering, looks more professional, better customer service

disadvantages: monthly or yearly fee, possible downtime issues, more work to set it up