The Friendliest Computer Club in Ventura County Since 1986
GOOGLE Gmail
This is a reprint from the May 2005 issue of TOE (The Outer Edge)
By A Member of TUGNET, CA
Richard Johnson
The two most useful features of Gmail are (1) its huge storage capacity, which essentially eliminates the need to delete messages, and (2) a lightning-quick search facility, allowing the user to retrieve any message almost instantly.
Gmail also touts its unique labeling system that replaces other e-mail services' folders (for filing incoming messages), its "conversation" grouping of messages, and its lack of banner ads or pop-ups. In this writer's opinion, the value of the labels is overblown. To label incoming messages is time-consuming and on the whole not particularly helpful. Unlabeled messages may be retrieved easily either from the main window (with the "Search Mail" button) or with Gmail's advanced search (accessible via "Show search options" on the main window). This writer uses the advanced search routinely, for finding messages.
It should be noted that Gmail is not ad-free. It's just that the ads are text ads (similar to the ads on Google's search pages).
At this time, a Gmail user can receive HTML mail but send in plain text only. For security purposes, graphics are excluded by default from incoming messages, and you can vary this instruction on a message-by-message basis only.
Spam control. Gmail features its own rudimentary spam filtering system, discussed in greater detail below. While imprecise, this system cannot be turned off. Although you can create your own additional filters, the only way to stop Gmail from diverting legitimate mail to its spam folder is to add the sender to your contact list. (You can do so either directly or by marking a "Spam" message "Not spam.")
At this writing Gmail still follows a quirky protocol under which bounce messages are diverted to the spam folder.
Should you switch?
Gmail is not for everyone. You should not switch to Gmail:
- If you find Web-based e-mail just too slow.
- If you want pictures on your incoming messages and don't want to have to bother with Gmail's one-click instruction (to include graphics) for each such message.
- If you need to be able to compose messages in HTML.
- If you don't want to have to periodically check the spam folder for legitimate mail or bounced messages,
- If you prefer to read in your inbox all incoming mail, even mail that might be spam, or
- If you're happy with what you have, and feel it's not worth the trouble to notify folks of your new address.
You should consider switching to Gmail:
- If you'd rather not fuss with setting up folders for messages that you've read and want to keep, but still want to be able to retrieve such messages speedily.
- If you like Web-based e-mail such as Yahoo Mail or Hotmail but are fed up with the banner ads and popups you encounter.
- If you don't want to have to decide which incoming messages to keep and which to delete.
- If you've ever wanted to view an old incoming message only to realize that you'd permanently deleted it.
- If you presently use a disk-based system like Outlook or Outlook Express and don't want the hassle of backing up your messages to protect against their loss in a disk crash.
- If you find your present e-mail filtering scheme too complicated, or
- If you like the idea of grouping related messages in "conversations," for easier reference.
Gmail compared to Outlook Express
Nearly all new Windows computers come bundled with Microsoft's Outlook Express. This fact may explain the overwhelming preponderance of that program among users. Both Gmail and Outlook express are free. But although price is not one of them, there are various reasons for choosing one over the other.
Storage: There are pluses and minuses to using a Web-based e-mail system like Gmail, with respect to storage. A plus is that since messages are stored on the Web, they'll always be accessible to the user, regardless of any hard disk catastrophes. Moreover, an accumulation of large numbers of stored messages will not affect either the available disk space or speed of access. (However, Internet access - especially dial-up - can be uncomfortably slow, compared to disk access.)
One minus with a Web-based system is that the provider's server will accommodate only a limited amount of storage - typically much less than will easily fit on a user's hard drive. So the user may find older messages simply gone. This distinction is turned around by Gmail - which allows a gigabyte of storage, and in fact discourages the user from deleting any messages.
Filing: With any e-mail system, sent messages may be retained in their own mailbox. The conventional way of filing an incoming message for later reference is to move it from the inbox to another mailbox of the user's choice. This is the filing system used by Outlook Express. The user may need to create anywhere from a few new mailboxes to dozens, with names like "Purchases," "Events," "Subscriptions," "Bills," "Software reference," "Confirmations," etc. A simpler choice might be to send all such saved messages to a "Hold" mailbox.
Gmail has revolutionized e-mail filing. (In its terminology, it doesn't even offer filing!) Rather than send it to a particular mailbox, the user simply "archives" the message. Archived messages in Gmail go to "All Mail," which is just like the "Hold" mailbox referenced above, except that it includes outgoing as well as incoming messages. A Gmail quirk is that while a user's draft will be found in All Mail, messages that Gmail considers spam will not.
Gmail's "labels" or keywords, can, at least in theory, facilitate a message search, in addition to the usual search criteria (sender, subject, date range, etc.). Multiple labels may be assigned to one message.
As would be expected with a system created by Google, searching for messages is lightning-fast. This rapid retrieval of messages actually renders Gmail's labeling system largely unnecessary, in this writer's view.
Spam Diversion: Gmail has been criticized for having an insufficiently sophisticated spam blocking system. It's actually miles ahead of that of Outlook Express - but OE users often can use spam controls supplied by the Internet Service Provider. For this writer, Gmail's system is more than adequate.
Gmail controls spam by means of (1) message filtering - similar to that of Outlook Express, and (2) spam blocking.
With either Gmail or Outlook Express, the user can set up filters to bypass the inbox and send the subject messages directly to "Trash" [Gmail] or "Deleted Items" [Outlook Express]. Outlook Express also has a "Block sender" option to keep those senders' messages from reaching any mailbox.
Using its own criteria, Gmail will divert incoming messages to its "Spam" folder. This criteria can be overridden by the user's action either manually to add messages to the spam folder or to remove them. This action by the user will continue to affect all messages from the same sender.
Further Considerations: Any retrieved Gmail message will be accompanied by other messages in the same "conversation." You can think of this as your girlfriend's bringing her female cousins along with her on every date. It may be convenient if you want to relate to a cousin, but you need to remember who is the girlfriend and who is the cousin. Whether Gmail's "conversation view" is a positive or a negative is a call you'll have to make.
Gmail out of the box will not notify you when you have a new message. Keeping your Gmail window open won't tell you anything unless you refresh the page. And even with a fast connection, refreshing can be tediously slow. You can download the Gmail Notifier, but only if you use Windows 2000 or XP (or a later Windows version).
Additional points will become apparent with use. For example, a minor annoyance is Gmail's closing your history/favorites/search sidebar whenever you click on a link in a message. The best way to make up your mind about Gmail is to try it.
The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.
