1102 Words on GMail

As the Internet grows by leaps and bounds, it is important to have effective means of indexing and searching this ever growing marvel of communication. Google is, without question, the first stop for a large percentage of internet savvy computer users. A simple, clean, and fast interface coupled with one of the most advanced data aggregation systems ever developed has Google playing a commanding role in the Internet experience. Google was recently placed at the top of Wired Magazine’s 40 most influential technology companies, and the reasons go beyond simple searching.

As a privately held company Google has always been consumer friendly. Google is not the least bit shy about allowing users to integrate Google’s search algorithms into their own sites. Google employees are also among the most pampered in the industry with free health conscious lunches, and on-site massage therapy. However, many are concerned about Google’s approaching IPO. The fear is that a well to do company like Google could end up an evil empire (as some might call it) like Microsoft when it becomes a publicly held/traded company.

In this transitional time, Google has begun beta testing a new service that will expand its already robust offering --- Google News, Froogle, etc.

This Google service that has received almost as much press and public attention as the approaching IPO, and has even ignited a stir in the California Senate, is of course Google’s upcoming e-mail offering --- GMail.

The GMail premise was announced on April 1st 2004 and was, at the time, rumored to be a devilish April Fools Prank --- two months later, the GMail service is being BETA tested by a select group of invites. I was lucky enough to receive an invitation from a fellow blogger from the UK, and have been using the service since early May. The GMail service itself has amazing potential, but in this simple BETA phase, presents nothing earth shattering, though does offer some intriguing variations on conventional e-mail methodology.

Google is offering an industry leading 1GB of mail storage to all users. There are other web bases e-mail services that offer more, but none with the name recognition qualities of Google. GMail is designed to compete with other large outfits like Microsoft’s Hotmail, and Yahoo! Mail , and at that level maintains some competitive edge.

A topic of much controversy is the inclusion of advertising within GMail. Advertisements are displayed in the same plain and non intrusive way that they are in the Google search interface. The concern among privacy advocates is that the advertising is customized based on the contents of your e-mail. For instance, the other day I received an e-mail from a friend of mine who leads a blues band. A panel to the side of the e-mail displayed four links - two linked to regional blues festivals, and the others to various blues record labels. Other e-mails that contain no key words display no advertising.

So where is the concern? The concern is that in order to personalize this advertising Google must scan the contents of your e-mail for indexing. This is the feature that has led certain California law makers to attempt to block the service. GMail’s FAQ claims that the processes used to personalize advertising according to e-mail contents do not in any way archive e-mail contents, and that Google is not in fact “Reading your e-mail”.

I have actually found some use for the advertising panel. A professor e-mailed me instructions and topic information for a final paper. The GMail advertising pane contained useful links to web sites containing valuable research information for the topic I was to write about. I will certainly place more trust in the folk at Google than other sites featuring numerous pop-ups and flashy/useless advertising.

As inboxes explode with genuine e-mails and spam, it is important to have a set of tools to manage this influx. GMail, with its 1GB of storage --- 10X larger than Drexel’s 100MB --- provides the web based e-mailer with plenty of room for e-mail archiving. In addition to storage space, GMail allows users to report spam with the click of a button.

GMail makes some changes in the wording commonly associated with e-mailing. Instead of moving e-mail into folders, one categorizes them, and rather than flagging important e-mails you “star” them. A feature I enjoy is how GMail treats replies as a conversation. Rather than having a new e-mail added your inbox each time someone replies to your message, GMail simply re-emphasizes the message with bold text, and adds appropriate tagging to indicate your e-mail has received a reply. When you open your reply-thread you’ll be able to tab through each iteration with ease which saves page loads and the need to constantly click ‘back’. And, of course, Google allows you to use its robust search engine to rapidly parse through your 1GB mail archive.

The internet community is foaming at the mouth for the GMail service. Press announcements and service glitches find their way on to Slashdot (www.slashdot.org) in a matter of minutes, and the fight to score the perfect e-mail alias has already begun. Because it is still in BETA testing, Google is only allowing those with invitations to use the service. As the BETA test rolls on, testers are offered invitations to delve out to friends and colleges. These invitations are naturally finding their way on to auction sites like EBay (www.ebay.com) where they are being sold for between $40-$100 US. It seems that everyone want to get in on the ground floor so that they can finally get the e-mail address of their dreams [email protected] or [email protected] (intended in jest --- I am in no way affiliated with the Republican party, nor do support GWBush). A fellow from Canada has even set up a web site called GMail Swap (www.gmailswap.com) where those with Gmail invitations and those without can come together and barter goods and services for a GMail invite. Some interesting offers include --- eternal Life, first born children, and resume advice.

Google has not yet announced an official public release date for GMail, though industry analysts predict a late summer release to coincide with ground breaking step with its IPO. As Google’s days of private ownership come to a close, Internet junkies can only hope that it sticks to its roots of providing excellent service, while maintaining its friendly home grown personality and technological intrigue. If Internet buzz is any indication Google’s glory days may still lie ahead.

Comments

[Zachariah]

Good job on your comprehensive review -- very well written IMHO. So when's that contest for the invitations ;)

[c0rk]

The contest for the GMail invites will more than likely be posted over the next couple of days. It will probably take the form of a trivia question or something similar. If I get lazy it may just be a "who can comment 1st" thing.

I'll try my best to get something up tomorrow. In other words... stay tuned for your chance to WIN WIN WIN... where is my check from the bland world of corporate sponsored radio? --- now for some top 40... {insert pop crap here}

- c0rk

[kenton herman]

hi
im from portland ,oregon home of the best blues fest
in the usa, like others im looking for a gmall of my own to good in the world .. kenton