Gmail Makes Other Netmail Companies Cry...

Published on April 18, 2005 By greywar In Internet

On April 1 Gmail posted a little April Fool's joke called the "Infinity +1" storage solution. It was supposed to allow unlimited storage for all users. Of course this was just for launghs put in reality Gmail did in fact double it's already massive 1GB of free storage to 2GB+ and it increases every second as they add more space. Observe :

That is an astonishing number even for a pay service much less a free one. Can Yahoo, Hotmail, etc... even hope to compete with this? Google's business acumen leaves me stunned.

Comments (Page 4)

Jafo

on Apr 19, 2005

I can't say I trust my bank, my credit card company or my telecom provider nearly as much

I must admit I 'need' to trust my bank...it has my money.

Gmail is a public co....so what? Telling you they will invade your privacy for fun and profit beforehand doesn't make them cute and cuddly....it just means they have to be up-front with it because anything less and people would eventually have their balls.

Either way...they have the fun and profit...

greywar

on Apr 19, 2005

Especially, since just about everyone I know complains about pop up ads and unsolicited email on a daily basis

There are pop ups and spam on Gmail? Where? I personally have *never* gotten spam there. Not even one. This is no different than television ads. Free service in exchange for free info. In TV's case it is your viewing habits. Here it is email and click throughs. Same same.

Zoomba

on Apr 19, 2005

Just because you say "yes, I agree to have my email scanned, and that information can be sent to someone else so they can send me ads" doesn't make it right

Actually, in this case it isn't a right or wrong issue... it's an issue of a contract you agreed to. Your allowing scanning and ads is the payment for services rendered. You don't have to take the service if that is a large enough issue for you. It becomes wrong if you sign up for a service that initially promises in its terms that your data is safe and secure and will never be sold to third parties, but the agreement is later changed and they mine all data from before the change (though not wrong if they only mine data since the change since you could discontinue service).

You have no rights when it comes to most online services really. You are entering into a contract for a service that is non-essential. It is not right or wrong since no one is forcing you to use these services.

Elesarr

on Apr 19, 2005

the only point I am trying to make: it is an invasion of privacy.

I am not talking about the contents of the emails or trying to hide anything from anyone or that there are "secrets" to be gained by scannning the email, or even if it is going to sold to a third-party (or some alien overlord): I did not say/imply any of those things.

Even by agreeing to the contract it is still an invasion of privacy: just because someone agrees to it doesn't make it any less an invasion.

Zoomba

on Apr 19, 2005

Invasion implies an unwilling entrance. You can not invade my house if I open the door and invite you in. An invasion of privacy is when your personal information is obtained in a way you have not explicitly agreed to or is not legal. This can be in the form of a hacker, a peeping tom, a company selling your data when they said they wouldn't etc...

Contracts are an example of sacrificing privacy and rights in exchange for a service or good. They aren't an invasion.

Jafo

on Apr 19, 2005

'Erosion of privacy' ....there you go....for the times when 'invasion' appears NQR..... Spell checker

greywar

on Apr 19, 2005

You can not invade my house if I open the door and invite you in.

I hereby crown Zoomba the Analogy Emperor!

Zoomba

on Apr 19, 2005

An erosion occurs when laws and court rulings start to lessen your privacy and rights. By voluntarily accepting the terms of a contract you are giving them up on very specific terms on a case-by-case basis. My agreeing to GMails terms does not affect my other email accounts I hold with other providers. My agreeing to GMails terms is no worse than agreeing to the terms of my bank.

I know the risks of having information placed online. Be it placed on a weblog, sent in an email or provided in signing up for some service I know it's now "out there" and I have little control over it. By placing myself online, I am making myself a quasi-public figure, and as such expectations have to change a bit. I protect myself by limiting what information I broadcast over the wire.

You selectively give up your rights on a daily basis every time you buy something, use a piece of software, drive a car, use a credit card etc... GMail is no worse than anything else in the average person's life. They just don't understand it and therefore they are afraid of it.

Elesarr

on Apr 19, 2005

Zoomba - I am not afraid of Gmail...please - was that necessary?

I was making a statement on what I see as an invasion of privacy that permeates our entire society as a whole, and the reason I don't use Gmail myself: Gmail just happened to be the "product" that was being discussed here.

Goodness! please use whatever you choose - I have already said that if you wanted to then fine. Not that what I say or think is really going to get you to change your mind or anyone else's for that matter

My feeling remains that people are much too complacent about what is perceived as "erosions", "invasions", or other ways that privacy is affected whether we are aware of it or not - no matter how nice and pleasant it appears on the surface: history has shown us many examples of things that have gone on for ages that in the end were not at all okay or correct.

I think you are missing the bigger picture I am looking at, and I was perhaps incorrect in stating my views here. So I apologize to greywar if I have in any way detracted from this thread and it's contents.

Peace.

kona0197

on Apr 19, 2005

Next time you check your email look at the right hand side of the screen while in your inbox on viewing your mail. See the ads? Google SCANNED your emails and then put those ads up there. Thats why Jafo dosen't like Google. They read every email you get.

pjpowell

on Apr 19, 2005

Google scanning my emails is no different to my servers spam checking software scanning my emails. An automated process is searching the emails for specific keywords. In googles case it targets adverts to them. In the spam checkers case it uses a system to determine if it's spam.

Essencay

on Apr 19, 2005

Google scanning my emails is no different to my servers spam checking software scanning my emails

I have a choice to opt out on my ISP's spam scanning software and use my own software on my pc. I do not believe gmail gives you a choice to opt out of their advertising vehicle.

I have no reason to trust or not to trust Google, but I would err on the side of caution. I think they should offer a "Pay for the space you use" mail storage system that doesn't scan your mail as an option...in good faith.

Emily

on Apr 19, 2005

I know. What the hell am I going to do with over 2000 mb??

Dan Kaschel

on Apr 19, 2005

A couple points.

1. I've seen words used like "sent information" and "read e-mails" regarding GMail's collection of info. That just shows a lack of knowledge. E-mail parsing is as simple as searching for words to improve the likelihood of ad relevance. That doesn't involve "reading" (which implies comprehension) or sending information to other companies. It's about as invasive as the function that checks the size of the e-mail.

2. I like Google. They're the good guys; I don't think you give them enough credit. They do a good job at everything they do. I jumped at getting a GMail account because i knew it would be the sweetest, most function-rich free service availible. They haven't disappointed me yet.

3. All good lists of reasons come in threes.

Dan

Jafo

on Apr 19, 2005

E-mail parsing is as simple as searching for words to improve the likelihood of ad relevance. That doesn't involve "reading" (which implies comprehension) or sending information to other companies.

Information is gathered.....maybe just a 'keyword'.

It is forwarded to an Advertising company to indicate YOU as a potential customer for a product.

That is an intelligent response to the 'information gathered'.

Ergo it is comprehension.

If information is NOT sent to 'other companies' how is it you are targetted by those other companies?

So what if a person from gmail does not physically walk over to the advertiser brandishing your name and address [though they 'could']...the result is identical.

If you argue it is truly anonymous then it is like all other SPAM.

If you consent to receiving SPAM then good for you.

Gmail are not 'good guys' just because they tell you they are going to intrude on your communication. You are paying for what you get.

They [gmail] sucker everyone into fevered distribution of 'invites' [good old pyramid selling] so they can have a captive audience for their advertiser targetting...and obviously the faster the take up the better for them.

If they [gmail] sat in a corner and waited for people to notice the facility the take up would be too slow to reap benefits for the Advertisers...so flooding through blind hysteria was/is the only option.

Gee...I MUST have a gmail account...all my friends have one.

The problem is it's really relatively youth-oriented...as perhaps the older [wiser?] value their diminishing rights/privacy more as they've seen it/them eroded for far longer.

Imagine....

You telephone your Aunt Maud...ask how her arthritis is going.....

Next day the phone rings...."Hi...it's Invasive Pharmaceuticals here....we have a great deal on Exit-Arthritis....19.95 if you have your credit card handy".

You guys may think nothing of it.....

I'll be buggered if I'm going to unwittingly be an Advertiser's dummy....

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