20 years of Thunderbird
Thunderbird celebrates its 20th anniversary on December 7. In this blog post, we celebrate this success together and take a look at the open source email program that is part of the daily ritual for many people. Namely, checking your emails!
Thunderbird started out as an open source alternative to Microsoft Outlook. While many email clients or programs have come and gone, Thunderbird is still popular and innovative. With recent updates, not only has the look been revamped, but the code has been modernized from the ground up to constantly evolve.
There are many email clients to choose from if you want to manage multiple email addresses from one place. Thunderbird is a robust and easy-to-use email program that is free to use both privately and professionally.
A rich history of innovation
Over the past two decades, Thunderbird has evolved from a simple email program to a versatile tool that meets the needs of modern users. With features such as integrated calendars, task management, chat and even support for news feeds (RSS), Thunderbird offers more than just email management. The program remains true to its open source principles, meaning anyone can access the source code and contribute to improvements and innovations worldwide. And what is perhaps even more important for those with a smaller budget: it is and remains free for everyone. Both for private use and for companies.
Community-driven success
One of Thunderbird's greatest strengths is the community behind it. Thousands of volunteers and developers around the world have contributed to the continuous development and success of the software. This not only ensures quick bug fixes, but also new features that are a direct result of user needs.
Thunderbird is an email program by and for the community, and that's what makes it so special. The program is translated by volunteers into 52 languages, including of course Dutch and even Frisian. In 2012, the future of Thunderbird was uncertain, as it was initially decided not to continue development. Instead, only smaller support editions were to be released.
Fortunately, the decision was made to continue after all, and the current Thunderbird is available today. One function that Thunderbird also offers is the standard spell check when creating emails, which is supported and maintained by volunteers. Another popular feature is the option to label certain emails. This makes it easy to keep your inbox tidy. It is also possible to use external SPAM filtering, which recognizes unwanted messages and to which actions can be linked. For example, you can automatically move messages to the unwanted messages folder.
Combine this with a number of filters in our webmail and you will catch a lot of SPAM. We always recommend setting up Thunderbird with the IMAP protocol to ensure that your emails can be used properly on multiple devices and also in webmail. The POP protocol does not support this and can lead to problems.
You can also use CARDDAV to ensure that your calendar is synchronized in webmail so that you can view your calendar in multiple locations. Unfortunately, Thunderbird does not yet support the Exchange protocol, although this is possible with third-party plug-ins, it is not yet officially supported. However, this will be upgraded in the future so that Exchange accounts can also be used in Thunderbird without any problems.
A look into the future
Thunderbird is constantly evolving. The modernization of the code base and the introduction of a new, fresh design show that the team is ready for the future. They are actively working on improvements in terms of speed, security and integration with other tools.
This keeps Thunderbird not only relevant, but also a leader in the world of email software. What is your favorite email program for managing multiple email addresses in your hosting? Let us know via social media!
