What do people think of Gmail?
Apr 4, 2004 | 6:17 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Earth (PIT)
Programs: Airline/TSA Avoidance Platinum, Hotel Disloyalty Silver, Hertz 1.7*
Posts: 5,277
http://gmail.google.com/gmail/help/about.html
So far only in private testing phase, but Google intends to make available free email accounts with 1GB of storage space each. The tradeoff is you will see targeted text ads (like Google search, those little ads on the right side) as you read your email. This has raised some privacy issues, as obviously they will need to scan the text of your mailbox in order to find keywords. Personally, I don't see why the privacy advocates are yelling. They are making very clear what will happen here, and if people are willing to trade this bit of invasion for 1GB of free email storage, why not?
So far only in private testing phase, but Google intends to make available free email accounts with 1GB of storage space each. The tradeoff is you will see targeted text ads (like Google search, those little ads on the right side) as you read your email. This has raised some privacy issues, as obviously they will need to scan the text of your mailbox in order to find keywords. Personally, I don't see why the privacy advocates are yelling. They are making very clear what will happen here, and if people are willing to trade this bit of invasion for 1GB of free email storage, why not?
Apr 4, 2004 | 6:47 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 6,053
The Register has a very good take on what the personal privacy implications are.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/36778.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/36778.html
Apr 4, 2004 | 9:01 am
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NY Metro Area
Programs: AA 2MM Yay!, UA MM, Costco General Member
Posts: 50,846
I would make an estimate and say there are at least 4 or 5 ways that electronic mail can be snagged by law enforcement or other groups that wished to do so. They simply dont need Google to do this. If you dont want someone to know about it there are ways to minimize those issues such as encryption, rereouting, etc. A firewall and appropriate software will improve privacy and how you interact with cookies. However, if you dont want someone to know about something, it probably isnt a good idea to put it on the web. Anyone who sends or receives email probably should, but doesnt have an expectation of privacy. This doesnt change that. It just makes it free.
Apr 4, 2004 | 11:25 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Earth (PIT)
Programs: Airline/TSA Avoidance Platinum, Hotel Disloyalty Silver, Hertz 1.7*
Posts: 5,277
I see the points (see also http://www.google-watch.org/ if you like), but in the end I think the truth is more like GadgetFreak's remarks above. If someone wants to be tracking us, they can do it. Assuming Google were to link our search history with our identity (not publicly but in their records) as suggest in The Register, it would make for an interesting dossier on such users I suppose. So you could say it might make the surveilance job a bit easier assuming those doing the looking are able to get that info from Google. That's all it does, though, makes it a little easier. It's not like any of this is impossible now.
Apr 4, 2004 | 11:41 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Commuting around the mid-atlantic and rust-belt on any number of RJs
Programs: TSA Random Selectee Platinum, * Gold, SPG/HH/MR mid-tier, and a tiny bag of pretzels.
Posts: 9,255
better privacy thru technology
Just run PGP, and drive the adware on Gmail nuts.....
Apr 4, 2004 | 11:56 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Programs: BA, AA, DL, KLM, UA
Posts: 37,489
If this comes to life I suspect it will have to ability to overtake Hotmail.
But then again, Hotmail can easily add storage for free as well...
One of the major limitations on Hotmail is storage and amount of free emails a day...
But then again, Hotmail can easily add storage for free as well...
One of the major limitations on Hotmail is storage and amount of free emails a day...
Apr 4, 2004 | 12:44 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: FTFOE
Programs: TalkBoard: We discuss / ad nauseum things that mean / so very little
Posts: 10,225
Originally Posted by ClueByFour
Just run PGP, and drive the adware on Gmail nuts.....
FewMiles..
Apr 4, 2004 | 1:18 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Programs: Hilton Gold, Priority Club Platinum (until December), FB Explorer, BA Blue, M&M Pleb
Posts: 8,616
I'm looking forward to getting a gmail account. I'm not sure if it will overtake hotmail as my primary personal email address though (I've had the address for too long).
As for privacy issues, as long as google are up front in terms of what their policies are then no one (and I really do mean no one) should have any cause to complain.
As to those who've suggested encryption, I don't generally recommend this as it only draws attention to the fact that you've got something to hide.
As for privacy issues, as long as google are up front in terms of what their policies are then no one (and I really do mean no one) should have any cause to complain.
As to those who've suggested encryption, I don't generally recommend this as it only draws attention to the fact that you've got something to hide.
Apr 5, 2004 | 3:54 am
#13
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott LTG
Posts: 3,583
While I understand people's concerns about privacy, it's worthwhile to keep in mind that flagging email for ads -- as gmail intends to do -- doesn't really require any more invasion of privacy than Hotmail and Yahoo's spam filters.
My concern would be to make sure that Google's privacy policy strictly limits what they -- or any company that might acquire them -- can do with the data they collect.
d.
My concern would be to make sure that Google's privacy policy strictly limits what they -- or any company that might acquire them -- can do with the data they collect.
d.
Apr 5, 2004 | 3:57 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,479
I back gadgetfreak. Anything you send out over e-mail/web or any form of Internet goes into a _public_ area. It's easy to catch any/all of it (not just 4-5 ways).
Every interaction you make is broken into packets which pass through 10s-20s of relays on its way to its final destination. Every relay site and every connection is a potential point of capture.
I don't stress about it.
Every interaction you make is broken into packets which pass through 10s-20s of relays on its way to its final destination. Every relay site and every connection is a potential point of capture.
I don't stress about it.
Apr 5, 2004 | 9:17 am
#15
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
I'll certainly give it a shot, though this line did bother me a bit (but who cares if anybody reads my e-mail?)
Google plans to support the service by serving related ads on Web pages displaying e-mail. It will scan the content of e-mail messages to serve up targeted ads.
Google plans to support the service by serving related ads on Web pages displaying e-mail. It will scan the content of e-mail messages to serve up targeted ads.