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Yeah, it really is. If anyone's honestly interested, just do a search for "gmail swap" and there are a bunch of results that show up. I remember one site doing that with a list of those who had invites and they had kinda neat requests like "send me a cool postcard from your hometown" in exchange for an invite.

Now that I think about it, I think it was http://www.gmailswap.com/, but I see that site has changed now.

Gmail has also upped the number of invites from 50 to 100 now, so if anyone wants one, just send me an email :P

Instead of posting requests for Gmail accounts here (where they are offtopic). Use http://www.gmailswap.com/ [Gmail Swap] where they are very happy to give you an invite. Ignore any messages that want something in return, you can easily get an account for free.

You need an invite. Try http://www.gmailswap.com/.

You (and anyone else for that matter) should hit up http://gmailswap.com/ if you really want a gmail account. I'd recommend checking out the "Neat, Nifty, and Noteworthy Swaps" for a good 10 minute chuckle.

I offered to swap a gmail invite for an active hotmail account (with a password) at http://www.gmailswap.com/. No takers. If you cant kick the hotmail habit cold turkey then dont complain.
Instead of spam I get junk invites now. How many friends does google the think I have?

Gmail, Gmail, everywhere.....

In what manner is it innovative? They aren't the first to offer gigabyte email accounts, their spam filtering isn't the best. So what exactly is innovative here?

What's so innovative? Four words: Six degrees of separation.

By keeping the email service invite-only for so long, it's trying to establish large known social networks. My ex-wife got her account from me, I got mine from a buddy at work, who got his from his brother-in-law, who got his from his roommate in college, and so on.

If, as some people have speculated, Google gets into IM, it can add your invitees to your buddy list, and occasionally drop in a "Hey, Bob's not online just now, but his friend Sue is. Would you care to introduce yourself to her?" If they went really crazy and decided to start a dating service, they can use the social networks to show how you're connected to your potential mate. If they start an online job seeking site, they can potentially connect you with someone inside whatever company you're looking to get hired at.

A lot of this sounds pretty stupid, and places like gmail swap work to undermine it to a certain extent, but I wouldn't put it past someone at Google to try something like this, just to see what would happen.

People need to realize that Gmail is simply a means for Google to deliver more advertising clicks. Free email is simply the means to an end. They've run the numbers and figured they can build a web-based email client, buy a mess of storage, and create their own click-stream for possibly cheaper than it would be to have an army of business development folks sell AdSense to every crappy website.

Now, Opera and plain HTML versions of Gmail make sense in this context because it's a relatively easy way to increase the numbers; there's no technical reason they haven't supported that yet. Their engineers just haven't gotten around to it.

External POP support is a little more dubious: "In the future you will be able to access Gmail messages from non-Gmail accounts for free or at a nominal fee." My bet is on the nominal fee. You can be sure they're going to start charging for POP access if they notice a significant drop in ad impressions for web-based Gmail 'cause that's going to mean a big drop in and CPM deals their sales folk are doing.

And the "beta" program? People, it's viral marketing. It's the ultimate technical shrug, "Meh, it's just a 'beta'" I can guarantee sites like GmailSwap has their business development staff weeping tears of joy; you can't buy marketing like that, but hordes of technorati are creaming their jeans for this email-cum-status-symbol.

Looking for a gmail account? Get one at gmailswap.com. Please offer something creative and worthwhile. It's so much more fun that way.

MyWay's email service has been banner ad free since the beginning. Now the 120MB boost (from 6MB) simply sweetens the deal.

I'd say that if you can't get a GMail invite, grab a MyWay account - it's the next best thing.

As for MSN Hotmail, the jump from 2MB to 250MB is impressive. However, this will only serve to slow the mass migration from Hotmail to GMail. I think the same principle applies to Yahoo! Mail.

Went to GMail Swap. Offered pictures of my rack, and boom I had invites in my hotmail email account. Can't believe people are so interested in my rack, i mean its just a bunch of computers.

Don't have a gmail account yet? You could just ask for one: Gmailswap.com.

" The 100 megs is here ~today~, "

That assertion is undeniably true, however it isn't too hard to get a gmail account. I got one yesterday from gmailswap.com which sounds like a porn site, but it is legitimate. The idea of the site is offer something unique or interesting (or interestingly mundane) and some kind soul will pass on an invite to you. Worked for me, and all I did was post a little humor.

Have a look at my journal if you are interested in my methodology.

Blatimore should offer some muncipal service, say free waste disposal for a year in Baltimore, per gmail swap. Problem solved.

You know you're obsessed with /. when you take this offer :) Gmail/Karma swap

For anyone interested in trying out Gmail for themselves:

Gmail Swap

Basically you post up what you're willing to trade for an account and if someone's interested you're set. Current notable items include a monkey, an iPod, cigars and many other much weirder things.