Gmail
If you get here before February 14, 2009, you can request free GMail stickers from Google for a stamped self-addressed envelop. While supplies last--here's the link http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/get-your-gmail-stickers.html.
You know all about email--its advantages, disadvantages, the spam, the requests from Nigerian princes and offers of drug sales. Gmail
claims it offers a less spammed email, more features for organization and customization, and many features that are useful for productivity and some features that no other email offers. Which might just be true; I don't think another other service offers Mail Goggles--a feature that inserts a math equation to solve before you can send. Mail Goggles is designed to prevent "impaired emailing"--don't regret those late night weekend email. Must be useful to some. Other Gmail features:
- Google Search within Gmail
- Conversation grouping--emails appear with responses
- Chat right inside Gmail: It’s just one click to chat with the people you already email.
- Lots of space: Over 2864 megabytes (and counting) of free storage so you’ll never need to delete another message.
- Access on mobile devices
Here are some stories on how others use Gmail:
Gmail does offer many features that are more useful than Goggles. Canned Response has saved the WJMN team time in sending out authentication emails. We have all forgotten to add an attachement to an email--the Forgotten Attachment reminder can prevent this. Explore these features in Labs under Settings and turn on those you find useful.
You can add chat to your Gmail, implement filters, new accounts, forward your email, and change the appearance of your account from dozens provided under Themes. You can explore all of this under Settings. Keep up with changes and features by subscribing to the Official Gmail Blog.
Activities
- If you are not using Gmail as your email account, try it out for a few days (you can send it to your regular email by setting that up under Forwarding and POP/IMAP).
- Explore the Gmail features under Labs. Turn some on that you think would be useful.
- Browse the Themes and choose a snappy new look for your Gmail account.
- Embed the calendar on you iGoogle page or in your blog.
- Blog about your experience and ideas for Gmail.
Like Gmail
There are many free email services--HotMail, Yahoo are two that are well-known. About.com lists the "Top 17" free email services here. Each has its own set of features. Here a few more that you may not know:
- "Green" email from ThinkHost, a wind and solar powered web hosting company, also plows 10% of its annual revenue value into other community and environmental projects. Your email can be Name @activist.cc, @hippiemail.com, @globaluprising.com. or @communitymail.net
- Genealogy Today offers free email accounts
You may need a temporary address for some reason and while you can create more than one address in your Gmail account, you might not want to "waste" it on a temporary address. These service provide temporary addresses that expire very quickly--as few as 10 minutes in some cases.
You can dress up your Web or Outlook email with themes, just like Gmail, at these sites. Use caution, not only because these require downloads, unlike Gmail, but the themes may be appropriate only for your personal email. Not all sites work with all email.
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