I have often though why many server things are just not server like client software. like why the third party. especially given many folks don’t turn their machines off all the time.

Exactly! That's the whole point behind PeerBox. Most people already have a machine running most of the time, so why trust a third party to handle your messages? The only reason centralized servers became the norm is to monetize your data or charge you a subscription, all at the expense of your privacy. PeerBox just flips that logic back to where it should be.