GMail accounts

[PKTechDude]

Hey everyone,

If anyone doesn't have a GMail (http://gmail.google.com/) account and would like one, I have 6 invites available. If you are interested, please PM me with your e-mail address and I'll send you an invite.

UPDATE: I'm all out of invites. Soory! :( Please contact the other people in this thread that have GMail invites if you're interested in getting an account.

[I-am-so-Johns-girl]

What is a Gmail account? Should I have one? :shrug: :D

[PKTechDude]

GMail is Google's free webmail service. At the moment, the only way you can join is by getting invited by someone who already has an account.

Anyway, you get 1 GB of storage when you sign up. It's completely free and very easy to use. Whether you want an account or not is completely up to you.

You can read more about it here: https://gmail.google.com/

:)

[BrowderChick]

I have a Gmail account and so far its pretty cool :D

[Kurt_eh]

I've got 6 invites as well.

[sny]

I've got five lying about, at the moment, if anyone else runs short. Gmail is quite awesome, like the search engine, in my opinion.

[I-am-so-Johns-girl]

Sounds damn groovey! :yes: How do I get an invite? :shrug:

[PKTechDude]

Sounds damn groovey! :yes: How do I get an invite? :shrug:
Just send me a PM with your e-mail address and I'll send you an invite. I still have 4 left! :D

[farscapebaby]

I would love to have one...

[TalynLives]

I've 6 invites myself, so if anyone wants one, PM me :)

[zap]

Hey, look at this first

http://gmail-is-too-creepy.com/

[BaseLine]

Hey, look at this first

http://gmail-is-too-creepy.com/

While we're at it, take a look at this:

http://www.echelonwatch.org/

[PKTechDude]

I would love to have one...
Send me a PM with your e-mail address and I'll send you an invite. I only have 2 left...

[PKTechDude]

While we're at it, take a look at this:

http://www.echelonwatch.org/
Or read this:
http://www.eff.org/effector/17/13.php

[zap]

excellent article pktechdude!

[PKTechDude]

excellent article pktechdude!
Thanks! :) I think the article is a little paranoid but it's nice to know how GMail operates and how to counter some of its privacy issues (if one so desires).

[AgentSun]

no one emails me at my gmail account, so it's not like google has much to string to my email account! sigh, so unloved.

[I-am-so-Johns-girl]

Sooo....have I made a big mistake getting a gmail account??? :shocked:

[AgentSun]

not at all. gmail is really a breakthrough in the way email is set up and the way it's interacting with people. google's technology really is great. you just have to be careful (like with all things on the internet) what you put out there for people to find or see.

don't panic!

[Kurt_eh]

I'm with AS.

There's only three people have my gmail addy. One who sent the invite to me, and two who've requested one.

Perhaps it helps to distribute it to chums... :D

Is anyone having problems accessing gmail today?

every time I try www.gmail.com

I get stuck in an endless "Loading" | "redirecting" loop :mad:

[PKTechDude]

^

Nope, no problems here. It does seem to be running a little slow today though.

I'm also with everyone who says to go ahead and use GMail. Just be careful when using it.

[LT Garrix]

I see enough other ads on the internet that I don't want it on my email. Also, I don't have a need to save tons of email. That I do, I self organize into folders for future reference. As it all downloads to my PC, there are no storage issues.

I don't consider myself a huge privacy freak, but I really don't want all my email stored on the web for those few bits that I may not want the world to know about.

And I like the fact that the lawyer found Google placed an ad for a competitor on his email. :D

[sny]

Hey, look at this first

http://gmail-is-too-creepy.com/

A great deal of that is true with any email service. Including your ISP or your work email, not just webmail. Legally, your employer or your ISP can look at your mail. I work in IT. Some of us have the ability to look at your mail. Some people get extraordinarily freaked out by this, but you know what? There are more exciting things to do at work, even on a slow day, that for us to go shuffling through your mail.

We really don't give a darn about what Myrtle said to Fred or who is sending cute e-cards of puppies to whom. No one's likely to be nosing through your mail unless they have reason to. Like, they've been notified that you may be using your account for illegal purposes. NO email is completely private. It takes a great many hops and hits (and may be stored on) many servers in between. People may guess or crack your password. For some people it isn't hard, like those folks that use their dog's name, or have their passwords on a post-it on their monitor. Email isn't bulletproof. This is why you don't email your credit card number, or any other sensitive information, to ANYONE.

Any email service, or indeed, any web service, period, reserves the right to change it's TOS at any point, and they often do. Policies almost always start out vague, then get more concrete as all the details are ironed out. And as the article points out, Google is no more "creepy" in its privacy policy than the other webmail clients. If any ISP or webmail gets a subpoena, more than likely, they'll be forking over your info. If you want completely private communications, you're going to have to learn telepathy. Phones can be tapped, places can be bugged, cameras may be installed that you know nothing about, conversations can be overheard, letters may be intercepted, but unless you take a vow of silence and become a hermit somewhere, you gotta communicate.

As for the big flap over "inappropriate ads", that's pretty laughable. If someone is going to read an article on dangers of online pharmacies, then proceed to click on an ad for an online pharmacy and order, perhaps this person shouldn't be using the internet. Because they're probably already being pelted with pharmacy ads and spam already, and in a far more obnoxious manner, like popups. Most of the time, I don't even notice the ads in my gmail account. About the only time I do is when they're unintentionally funny. Like when a friend and I were laughing about how silly Jessica Simpson is, and the ad was for a Jessica Simpson Fans website.

I had my eyes wide open when I got an account. I figure I don't have much to worry about. I'm pretty boring online. Even the evilest online company wouldn't exactly be rubbing their hands in glee over what they can find out about me online. Like most things, it's not too scary if you use some basic common sense about online behavior. Like, don't do anything online that you don't want found out, because there is no such thing as complete "web anonymity". Too many people think that just because they can't be seen face to face, they can do whatever they want without fear of repercussions or having their privacy breached. A great deal of your privacy is entrusted to the integrity of the people/companies handling your data. Always has been.

[Alexxia]

So...anyone have a G-mail invite left? :D

[PKTechDude]

So...anyone have a G-mail invite left? :D
You're in luck! I have exactly **1** left. :eek:

If you're interested, just send me a PM with your e-mail address. :D

[BrowderChick]

I got the account because of all the stuff I do with the genealogy. I can use it for that and not clog my regular account. I dont have anyone on my Gmail list. *sniff* :(

[samati75]

I have 6. email me at "samati75 at gmail dot com" and I will send them out.

(I had 6 and gave 3 away. Now I have 6 again. lol, I got replenished!)

[BaseLine]

no one emails me at my gmail account, so it's not like google has much to string to my email account! sigh, so unloved.

You could always use it as an extra harddrive (http://richard.jones.name/google-hacks/gmail-filesystem/gmail-filesystem.html). :)

[AxezCore]

Is anyone having problems accessing gmail today?

every time I try www.gmail.com

I get stuck in an endless "Loading" | "redirecting" loop :mad:

I've had the same error Kurt, so I tried doing a source code lookup on the page and it told me it was my firewall blocking java. could be the same for you.

as for the google creepyness I see it as little more than the conspiracy nuts and other doomsayers seeing nothing but the worst case scenarios. Unless you use encryption, everything you write online can pretty much be traced back to you given time and effort. just like everytime you talk on your cellphone your neighbor might very well be listening to it on his scanner, no electronic communication short of quantom encryption is 100% secure, but the chances of someone caring enough to actually go through the trouble of digging up or snooping on to it is slim to none. My point being that if you have something you want to keep a secret you should use a good old fashioned pen and paper, or atleast some sort of encryption if you must use email.

Apart from that little rant i also have 6 gmail invites if anyone is interested :D

[samati75]

If any of you have Invites left over, you can donate them at http://www.gmailforthetroops.com . They make sure the ppl reqesting the accounts are actual military personnel. This is great for soliders who want to keep every email and picture they are sent during thier tour.

[Kurt_eh]

I've had the same error Kurt, so I tried doing a source code lookup on the page and it told me it was my firewall blocking java. could be the same for you.

as for the google creepyness I see it as little more than the conspiracy nuts and other doomsayers seeing nothing but the worst case scenarios. Unless you use encryption, everything you write online can pretty much be traced back to you given time and effort. just like everytime you talk on your cellphone your neighbor might very well be listening to it on his scanner, no electronic communication short of quantom encryption is 100% secure, but the chances of someone caring enough to actually go through the trouble of digging up or snooping on to it is slim to none. My point being that if you have something you want to keep a secret you should use a good old fashioned pen and paper, or atleast some sort of encryption if you must use email.

Apart from that little rant i also have 6 gmail invites if anyone is interested :D

Do you know how I can fix this little problem? I'm using Zone Alarm.

[Alexxia]

Just moving this to the next page so nobody misses it. I think it's a good idea.
If any of you have Invites left over, you can donate them at http://www.gmailforthetroops.com . They make sure the ppl reqesting the accounts are actual military personnel. This is great for soliders who want to keep every email and picture they are sent during thier tour.