This program gives a good description of what's going on and how the program works. It is shareware but there is an earlier freeware version available (see the link last post). I expect they all do more or less the the same thing.

Yes, google mail is not accessible through POP3 yet...this is still a beta-test.

I know it is not pop3 compatible yet, but I would like to be able to use thunderbird with my yahoo account. It asks me to type in info about where I recieve my mail and what I send it through, and I don't know the codes to type in.

Oh, I think TW might be a good person to ask about that. I set up a POP3 account long ago, but I don't remember the keywords.

Yahoo mail is only POP3 compatible if you've signed up for the Yahoo Plus service, which costs $19.99 a year. If you're using the free version it won't work with anything but webmail.

New feature for gmail. Almost like POP3.

If you want to be able to check your mail without opening a browser window and typing in the url, get Gmail notifier, a nifty little application that you can get when you sign in to your mail and click on "New Features".

I just downloaded that yesterday. Works well!

I've used gmail for about a month now, and I love it. I have Four Invitations, pm me if you would like one. =]

I just got gmail through an invite from my boyfriend. I haven't played around with it much - I'll probably keep my yahoo account for much of my email - but it was SOOO easy to import my contacts! I also like the feature that allows you to see the entire conversation. And how it remembers addresses you've emailed even when you didn't add them to your contacts list.

Just to say a few days ago I turned on and found my red 98% full indicator on Hotmail had been replaced by 1% full. The free market actually worked, thanks to Google offering so much free, I've now not only got almost unlimited storage on Hotmail to keep its customers (which worked for me!) but can now use it for more than two attached photos per email, which was impossible before.

My guess is that like HD drives on PCs, static memory must have become so much more compact in the last few years that what would take up one disc in the past could now probably fit a tenth of the space. If that's true, it should save our own wonderful site from ever slowing from its growing archives, as it would be nice if much older threads could still be accesible in another 5 years when I'll still be here! I know it was off topic, but it just made me think of the implications of expanded memory capacities

I had the same with my Hotmail, but mine was 'upgraded' over a week or so ago! Now I have more room in all my email accounts than I know what to do with!

A few privacy issues have been raised on the Internet about the way Gmail handles your information. You'll find more about it at http://gmail-is-too-creepy.com/ and on links from that page.

It's not like a human is actually reading your e-mail. It just scans it and looks for key words to find ads. I have no problem with it.

What I am most uncomfortable with is the fact that even once you've deleted a message, it still remains stored on their servers.

Nevertheless, Gmail's pros outweigh its cons tremendously, and I'm happy using it.

I didn't know Gmail kept your old e-mails. Are you sure those just aren't archived ones?

I won't be opening a Gmail account but not for any privacy reasons. I just don't need all that space. I once worked out how many average e-mails could be stored with average file attachments. The number involved enough zero's to give me a headache. It doesn't take much to that .

Work things out using the right-hand column of this calculator if you like. Use your own figures maybe but I think the average HTML e-mail (as opposed to plain text that takes up alot less) is about 15 or less Kilobytes. Not all e-mails have file attachments but just suppose they did. What's an average file attachment? Images are probably the largest sort, so maybe 2 - 300 Kilobytes? (less than that is better for e-mailing purposes). Type 300 into the Kilobytes box on the calculator, hit the 'Calculate' button and see how much of a Gigabyte it uses.

Even if Gmail is used purely for storage of images, only a fraction of the Gigabyte will be needed. Try the calculator on a 500Kb or even a megabyte image (images become very slow to upload after that). It's no wonder nothing ever needs deleting from Gmail. I can't think what good all that space is. It's a bit like having a cake that's the size of a football field. Very nice but not a hope of eating it all.

The privacy part wouldn't worry me. I long ago realised there is little privacy on the Internet. I'm sure my IP address (being a more or less static one) can be tracked for advertising purposes. Also, if I were up to no good on the Internet, I could be traced to my ISP ...and further if the authorities thought it necessary.

If I did have a Gmail account and e-mail information was scrutinised, what would they find out? That I'm going out mountain-biking, or that I had a good time at my birthday party? I don't mind anyone knowing the sort of information my e-mails hold. Maybe on those two subjects Google would target me with ads relevant to cycling and keep-fit products. They'll realise I need alot of puff to blow out the number of candles my cakes have these days

However, If I was into any illegal activities, or if there was anything I wanted to keep strictly confidential, I wouldn't communicate by Gmail anyway, or any other Internet method without some sort of strong encryption. Even then, nothing's 'un-crackable' I suppose.

P.S. Sorry for the bits mentioning 'cake'. I've just been eating some, so it's foremost in the mind at present.

If anyone is seriously worried about their email being read then they ought not use email, it is as simple as that as it can be accessed at various stages and should never be treated as private and secure.

It never fails to amaze me that my organisation receives email from people using their work email and are asking for advice about their employment or other private issues.

A lot of people are using Gmail so they can send photos of loved ones. I think that's a great idea - I hate spending all the time attaching the stupid files (one by one!) only to have the email bounce because my relative doesn't have enough space in their inbox.

And it's also good for someone like my boyfriend who has saved every single email I've ever sent him.

I only get a mere 10 megabytes from my ISP for e-mail. Yet, with this space I can upload/download whole bunches of photographs in a single zip file, as well as video clips etc. There has been one occasion when the 10 megabytes has been a bit restrictive. This was when I wanted to send about 40 holiday photos to someone. I had to do it in two zip files, which was no trouble really. This maybe demonstates how pointless a gigabyte might turn out to be.

All I'm trying to say is that, rather than it being actually useful, the 1 gigabyte may only be something offered to persuade you to sign up for Gmail's advertisements rather than anyone else's. In terms of the usefulness of storage space, I think those offering less are equally as good. Judge the email providers on their service but maybe not on the space they offer. They all offer a more than adequate amount of that.

I realise Gmail fans will now be trying to fill the gigabyte up Of course it's possible to do that if you really want to but where's the advantage? E-mails and files can be downloaded and kept on your computer's own hard disk(s). If you're worried about hard disk failures, they can backed up on CD, DVD or other media. I think this is preferable to being subject to the whims of Internet connections and speeds.

For the images, it's easy because not only do I know some people whose email accounts were too small (like my cousin in the Navy!), but I can also keep the images in my gmail account so I can access them from anywhere in the world and mail them to whomever wants them (or if they're sitting with me, I can show them without needing to email).

Yes, I can put the images on my website. But with my luck with hosts, I don't want to have to worry about that. So it's like one of the USB drives that I don't have to worry about bringing with me everywhere.

I have 4 invites right now if anyone wants a gmail account...