Google announced that they're launching a web-based email service called GMail that will allow people to store a gigabyte of emails and will enable them to search through their mail using search technology. Sounds cool... but can you trust any news report on or around April 1?
Google got in under the wire by a few hours, even on Atlantic Time, and Evan Williams would've had to be in cahoots deceiving his readers, so I can only assume the news is true. So, does this day of deceit actually affect how companies release their news? Does anyone take anything they hear seriously on April 1? I've been burned too many times in years past with promises of incredible occurrences like the year my dad convinced us there was a worm in my sister's cereal bowl... Hmm. Hmmm.
Comments
Daniel Von Fange - March 31, 2004 9:37 pm
I wonder if companies ever think of using April first to test out new ideas on the public...
Daniel Von Fange - March 31, 2004 9:39 pm
Press release is dated April First. It's gotta be a hoax. Of course, Google is a company that just might make an important announcement on April First for the fun of it.
Lori - April 2, 2004 5:11 pm
I heard the announcement on CBC this morning-a trusted news source! So believe what you read/heard, we'll be seeing it in a few weeks.
Maggie - April 16, 2004 8:40 pm
The Gmail idea is true as I'm sure you know now. Think about the invasion of privacy since it searchs for keywords in your email. And, that leads to the capability of keeping a database on you. It's downright creepy. Also I note that there have already been state governments taking steps to limit this - VA I think and CA - legislatively mostly.
Isaac - April 16, 2004 9:36 pm
I'm sorry, but thats hogwash - plain and simple. Hotmail and yahoo mail have far more advertisements on any given page. Sure - they don't match up with keywords in your email - but that doesn't mean that microsoft and yahoo don't have access to all the content of your emails stored in their free email services.
I really don't get how people are freaked about this. If you use free email servers (hell, even if you don't - its not like email is a secure protocal at all) - there is nothing stopping someone with enough intrest from indexing your emails, and keeping a "database on you". Plus, those already exist, in many forms.
Nick Burka - April 26, 2004 12:46 pm
Good review of GMail that sides with Isaac on Salon today.