Gmail Invitations — for anyone who still doesn't have one

[zridling]

Email me at:
zridling@gmail.com

if you're one of the few who don't have a Gmail account — and would like one — and I'll send you an invitation later today. Many people take one and use it to very effectively filter their spam through their desktop email program. Either way, they're nifty. I've got about 100 to give away.

[vrgrrl]

ah gmail...it has been a great addition to my life! thanks for the offer zaine -- google has sure been generous with their account giveaway...the cynic in me wonders what the eventual catch will be but for now...glorious!

[Darwin]

Not to co-opt this thread/Zaine's offer but I have 50 to give away as well (they've been sitting there for months as I've long since run out of friends to annoy with invites!).

If Zaine has run out, e-mail me and I'll send you an invite.

Mike

[JeffK]

Same here.  I have dozens.  Don't post requests here but email or PM me.

Jeff

[zridling]

I've still got 97, and the more the merrier. For anyone wanting to use the new Google Talk service, you do have to have a Gmail account to chat. However, invitations are freely offered from within Google Talk. Cool.

[Carol Haynes]

Just curious - what is the point of Google giving hundreds of email addresses to people but not allowing people to sign up directly?

Am I missing something here?

(I don't particularly want/need a gmail account, and do we really need yet another standard emerging for IM  - surely it would be better if interoperability became the order of the day rather than increasing dirversity! I already have 4 IM clients, I really don't want any more using up valuable CPU cycles)

[zridling]

I wondered that, too. They have 2 million current Gmail users, and I think it was to prevent them from being deluged by everyone on the planet wanting an account at the same time. However, like every google app I know, they always leave you wanting more or better features. For example, in Gmail, there's no button for delete! Just a dropdown box.

Half the folks I know use IMAP so that Gmail will filter spam for their desktop email client.

[AbteriX]

I hear GMail is also fine for data store.
There are even frontends therefor ITW.

[mouser]

thats a great point stefan - there are some special tools to let you use google mail as a backup system for your files - if someone has used one of these tools it might be nice to post about it.  for people who do not have a good offsite backup system, this could be a very useful thing to set up.

for example,
Gmail Drive: http://www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm (freeware!)

[Carol Haynes]

Could have amazing security implications ....

If you can't delete emails all sensitive email info will be held in public storage forever - what are the chances of some loopholes being found to mine that information ???

[AbteriX]

It seems there is an "law suit" in germany about GMail.
In germany there's an TM  "G-Mail" too.

So Google offers only GoogleMail.com accounts
if you surf to gmail.com from an german location.

German reports:
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/61369
http://www.netzwelt.de/news/71146-gmail-heisst-jetzt-google-mail.html


Here's an pic how the german gmail side looks like: