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> but the best places I worked in were more concerned with freedom

Sure. But if that's the case why do you even have individual email? Make everything a group email and group IM. Not allowed to send messages to a specific person; can only send messages to everyone. What would happen?

Can you see the flaw in this logic? Email isn't only for discussing work projects. It needs to be private for discussions involving HR, legal, and other personnel matters.

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Steve Jobs’s email was not taken away. A guy was allowed to register an alias self-service style. Everyone could reach Jobs on his email.

And every NeXT machine came with an email waiting in your inbox out of the box from sjobs@next.com complete with Lip Service voice message from Steve Jobs.

Of course you likely had no immediate way to reply to an internet email address like that at the time out of the box.

Registering an alias self-service style is fine. What's potentially problematic is changing that alias once it has become established. Please read my original comment again.

Even with the privacy concerns aside, you need individual mailboxes for reasons of maintaining organization.

I think your point would be better made if in your hypothetical, we still had individual mailboxes, but everyone could see into everyone else's mailbox.

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