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| Google Mail |
Google Mail (the official name is Gmail) is an experiment in e-mail which Google undertook in March, 2004. The main difference between Gmail and other e-mail clients is that Gmail doesn't use folders to store messages. Instead they are all stored in one folder and indexed in the same way that Google indexes web sites.
You can search your e-mail for sender, recipient, date, time, subject and content in exactly the same way you use Google to search the Web. And because Gmail includes 1,000 megabytes (1 gigabyte) of storage, a typical user won't ever have to worry about deleting mail. Everything just gets archived so it can be found again if needed.
There are other differences in the way Gmail provides access to your email. For example, Gmail automatically groups an email and the replies to it as a conversation. That means you always see a message in its proper context. And there are no pop-ups or banner ads in Gmail, just relevant text ads and links to related pages. Gmail's other distinctive features include a labeling system, a spam reporter and a system for filtering your mail as it comes into your inbox.
There are some very vocal critics of Gmail. One major question that arises is that of privacy. Since your e-mail is essentially around forever, given the large storage capacity and it has been indexed by Google, is there a risk that it could be disseminated inappropriately or without your permission? Google uses the term "governmental request" three times on their terms-of-use page and once on their privacy page. Google's language means that all Gmail account holders have consented to allow Google to show any and all email in their Gmail accounts to any official from any government whatsoever, at Google's sole discretion. In the past, Google has shown admirable restraint in its handling of privacy matters, but that is no guarantee that it will in the future. Google's response to the criticisms can be found at http://gmail.google.com/gmail/help/more.html.
Google currently only offers Gmail as part of a preview release and limited test. They have not provided details on when Gmail will be made more widely available, as that depends in part on the results of the test.
You can learn more about Gmail at http://gmail.google.com/gmail/help/about.html and if you're interested in receiving updates on Gmail, submit your email address using the form at the bottom of this page. You can check out a sneak peek of Gmail here.
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