Gmail Commentary and Responses

Phil Windley writes "In his inimitable style, Tim O'Reilly tells us why GMail matters. The piece is entitled, 'The Fuss About GMail' but that doesn't begin to properly identify the real meat of what Tim's saying. Tim does discuss some of the privacy concerns on GMail and why he's not concerned, but he also breaks new ground on why GMail is not just another free email system. For example, Tim talks about how GMail might herald an era of large centralized computing and calls for APIs to allow GMail content to be move back and forth between it and other systems." Reader chris mansley writes "Google is quietly responding all the flak being given to their new email service. They have added a statement to quell the growing list of concerns. No more keeping email forever is at the top of the list. The reviews have been sparse on details and screenshots, but now Google is providing a sneak peek here and here." The only thing I didn't like about Gmail was their apparent intention to keep your mail forever, regardless of your wishes. Since they've now clarified that they don't plan to do that, it doesn't seem like there's much of a problem any more. Yahoo and MSN already link your searches on their respective engines with your account profiles on their respective free email services, and no one seems to care (maybe because no one uses MSN or Yahoo as a search engine these days, but still).

Comments

Don't care about privacy

[Zutroi_Zatatakowsky]

Since that 1GB will quickly be filled with spam and nothing else. Let them search and index THAT!

It's already happened?

[rice_burners_suck]

I think a worldwide system should be put in place to monitor and record the contents of everybody's email. Certain phrases would raise red flags, and the next thing you know, "they" are knocking on your door.

Oh wait... nevermind.

In Google We Trust

[Anonymous Coward]

The motto "In Google We Trust" origniated in the early 21st century, and came to common useage after Google (our lord and saviour) launched its Gmail service.

The motto embodied the sentiments of the "Hacker" culture in the late 20th to mid 21st centuries. This included the common thread of "anti-Microsoft(1)" outbursts and "Open Source(2)" advocacy.

Today, Google is our minder, our mother, our father, our saviour.

In Google We Trust

• (1) Microsoft was a software monopoly of the late 20th and early 21 centuries. It rose to prominance through underhanded market tactics and the insidious Windows Operating System
• 
  (2) Open Source was a rectionary movement towards Microsoft like tactics. Its leaders, often passionate advocates eventually lost their way, becoming sell-outs like the hippie generation before them.

Re:We trust Google.... don't we.

[Lord Kano]

John Ashcroft using their PageRank sorting technology to indicate which e-mails are most relavant to his desire to repeal every amendment in numbered order...

Ashcroft is a conservative, he'll never think of touching the 2nd amendment.

LK

Nice Interface.

[qualico]

Well done Google.

Now lets turn it on and give it a try!

Makes you wonder what is next?
I want a Google watch!

Re:Google Server Farms

[Skidge]

Yeah, they send out this guy.

Oh c'mon

[Bon bons]

Oh c'mon, you guys get too worked up over privacy. Even if google forwarded your email to every person in the government and admitted it, it'd still probably be a great alternative to Yahoo! and Hotmail.

Just talk in code, like so:

"Did you get the "Spanish omelets" I sent you?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid the "tomatoes" stole the "Monkey""

"Oh ok, the crow flocks at midnight!"

See, two guys talking about Spanish omelets, monkeys and birds. Mr. Ashcroft is none the wiser!

Mandatory Tinfoil Conspiracy Theory (MTCT)

[Tony]

You know what I think? I think the whole privacy issue is a "grassroots" campaign initiated, funded, and propogated by the one company scared spitless of Google: Microsoft.

My girlfriend's cousin's best friend's roommate in college reported that his brother-in-law (who works for Microsoft, so you know it's from a reliable source) tells me he "handles" the PR firm that is managing this whole campaign, to make it look like Google is a big, scary ursine terror, instead of the big fluffy teddy bear they really are. Microsoft has (to date) spent $1.2M buying advertising disguised as special-interest groups, "reporters" for major tech rags, and M&Ms for the office.

Really. Don't laugh at me like that. I'm serious. It's all part of Microsoft's astroturf campaign to discredit Google.

Re:What if it IS just email?

[PhotoBoy]

No it will replace FireFox with IE7, then it will default your home page to their search engine. ;)

Re:What if it IS just email?

[Beale]

Following which, nanites concealed in the CD tracks of the nearest Microsoft CD to your house will swarm over in the middle of the night and reformat your hard-drive, install Windows XP and bill your credit card for the licence. -Then- IE7 will set your home page to their search engine. :P

Re:We trust Google.... don't we.

[amRadioHed]

It's not about whether I trust Google's intentions. So long as Google is an American company, or more precisely so long as its headquarters exist in *any* country, there's a danger that the government of said country can bully them into giving up all the information they have on anybody.

This is very true. Fortunately google is currently working to address these concerns.

Gmail in my dreams

[pontifier]

Last night i had a dream that i was checking my email, and my unused space on my account said 990 MB free!

Finally a dream that might come true!