Some extra thoughts:
1. delete an email once you read it. Download if you want to keep it, but
delete. It won't protect you against the SERVER but it will protect you
against SOMEONE who gets access to you email account (no past messages for
him to read).
2. If you send and receive emails from someone who uses Windows and
gmail/hotmail/yahoomail/etc, you are doomed. It won't take NSA to have access
to your emails, and probably to discover WHO you are even if you use Tormail
for example.
3. Encryption should be the name of the game. But, how on earth do you
explain to someone that they should use encryption? They won't listen unless
they went through the TERRIBLE experience of having someone reading their
emails and using that private access to attack them among family members.
Happened to me before, and I... Well, suffice to say that my choice of using
Trisquel actually has something to do with that. From the moment you find
yourself in such a position of... powerlessness, you actually start fighting
back and running if you must and never look back.
4. Separate identities. Separate email accounts (one for family and friends,
other for internet chats, other for...) are a way to keep yourself out of
trouble. I don't want to encourage anyone to do this, but I once made a
little fun trick, and went to Google.com and searched for some of my friends
emails like "[email protected]" and actually discovered some websites REVEAL
your email. Doing that I discovered some old blogs of my friends and they
were like "how the heck you know I used to have that blog?" So, you should
probably use separate accounts and never give one through the other. Of
course, Tor is your friend too, preventing people from connecting the email
account to your IP (and real identity).
5. Careful with email clients. They are stupid enough to save emails and
passwords as plain text, they don't hide the main inbox when asking for a
password, and other such stupidities. Webmail interface is your friend.
Well, that's it. I hope some of these help some people =)
