Warning: Don't sign up for GMAIL!

13801 Views 23 Replies 19 Participants Last post by philip1519, Jul 9, 2004

Mr. PC Doc

Discussion Starter · Apr 11, 2004

Warning guys, don't sign up for Google's new email program, A.K.A. Gmail. it's rigged. Yes, they are offering a whopping 1GB of email space, yes, for FREE, but apparently, even after you delete your email it can still be read by any one including advertisers which could read your emails and send you spam according to the context of the emails, and also, it sounds like your going to be drowned in ads, etc etc. Google even said in their terms and conditions that Peoples emails would be read by "machines, not humans" would decide on the advertising inverts. Not so sure I even like the sound of that!

Read from these sites:

http://www.google-watch.org/email.html

http://www.theregister.com/2004/04/03/google_mail_is_evil_privacy/

http://www.theregister.com/2004/04/08/gmail_germany/

http://www.theregister.com/2004/04/01/google_launches_email_takes/

Don't sign up, unless you want trouble.

1 - 20 of 24 Posts

Izme

· #2 · Apr 11, 2004

Thanks for the Heads up
I looked at that but decided I didn't want to use it.
Glad I didn't now

:up:

valley

· #3 · Apr 11, 2004

Here I thought it sounded like such a good deal! Thanks for the heads up, Mr. PC! :up:

Mr. PC Doc

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 11, 2004

No problemo, always here to inform you about good news, bad news, and help with computer problems!

lol

Alfie_UK

· #5 · Apr 11, 2004

thanks for the info about Gmail,I'll check your links out. :up:

Big-K

· #6 · Apr 12, 2004

most people would probly turn it down anyways because of the ads

dannyboyfx

· #7 · Apr 12, 2004

G-mail uses a computer to see what you email was about then inserts ads that go along the same premises as the e-mail. If you say you took pictures, a kodac ad comes up. I think it is a good idea as a bussiness, however i will not be using it.

RSM123

· #8 · Apr 13, 2004

BBC News Story 13 April.

Gmail, the planned free e-mail service from Google, could be facing strong legal opposition in California
A draft law is being drawn up by local Democratic Senator Liz Figueroa, who calls Gmail "an invasion of privacy".

Google is being asked to rethink the product, which plans to offer 100 times the storage offered by some rivals.

The problem, Ms Figueroa says, is Google's plan to make revenue from users agreeing to their incoming e-mail being scanned for targeted advertising.

Objections

Californian Senator Figueroa describes the service as being a bit like "having a massive billboard in the middle of your home".

The targeted adverts would use key words after scanning your private e-mail - posting adverts for pharmaceutical products, for example, if a message mentions a medical condition.

Google's plans have already come under fire from privacy campaigners objecting to adverts linked to the content of messages, and to the permanent storage of email.

UK-based campaign group Privacy International has complained to the UK's Information Commissioner about Google's plans to send users links to advertising based on a computer scan of their correspondence, and presumed interests.

It also pointed out that Google's terms of service did not allow users to delete their emails permanently, despite European data protection legislation which gives users full control over their own communications.

Current practice

At present, users of Google's internet search engine receive advertisements for commercial sites linked to their search topic arranged down the right-hand side of their screens.

Gmail would use similar technology to scan emails and offer advertisements.

Other websites - including rivals such as Yahoo - use similar methods to select which banner adverts appear on top of a search page.

Google said in a statement that it intends to work with data protection authorities across Europe to ensure concerns are resolved.

It says the content of users' email would remain private because the process would be fully automated.

The internet search engine company has promoted free storage for each user of the equivalent of 500,000 pages of email among Gmail's benefits.

Google says this will enable users to retrieve vast amounts of old emails, and that it will back this up with superior spam filtering.

Google is privately-owned, but expected to float on the stock market later this year, a deal that could value Google at up to $25bn (£14.7bn) - slightly more than listed online retailer Amazon.

The California-based company was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

See less See more

Gibble

· #9 · Apr 13, 2004

So they do the same things as alot of other "free" email companies, but because they are upfront about their practices people chastize(sp?) them.

Do you really think that other email companies don't do similar things?

Google's past practices lead me to believe they will be honest about their practices and that if they say humans won't read your emails, that humans won't be reading your emails (well, other than the intended recipients!).

700mb80min

· #10 · Apr 13, 2004

I totally agree and will definately have a look when it comes out .

RSM123

· #11 · Apr 13, 2004

Gibble said:
Do you really think that other email companies don't do similar things?

Google's past practices lead me to believe they will be honest about their practices

Don't shoot the messenger - just passing on what I read

Rich.

jimi

· #12 · Apr 13, 2004

anyone going to agree to these TOS??

"John Gilmore, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation warned that Google's proposed Gmail terms of service don't just "restate the law. They sweep it aside.... You agree to accept any future changes to the terms or policies. Any. If you don't agree NOW to all future changes, you can't ever use the service, even now under the current terms."

Google can investigate your use of the service and access and disclose your information in compliance with any government request, no subpoena or court order necessary, Gilmore said.

Users, meanwhile, are forbidden from extracting copies of their own e-mail from the service, he said."

McTimson

· #13 · Apr 13, 2004

Technicians with time on their hands and lousy ethics can--if they want--read your mail. At least Google clearly claims that no human will ever read your mail (except the recipient, of course).

I don't get what the big fuss is about the ads...they're just the simple text ads that show up on the right side of the screen, like when you do a Google search. Would it really be that bad to have them on your webmail? The other email companies already have those ads, they're just bigger, more distracting, and have no relevance to what you're interested in. Who knows, maybe you'll see something you want on the Google ads...and for 1GB of space, can you really complain about it?

Anyway, here's an article from people who tested the Gmail service already..

deh

· #14 · Apr 13, 2004

It is true that atleast google does tell you upfront and also true that email can be hacked by the unscrupulous but I can totally understand why people would think it is unsettling that reading/scanning email is part of a company's policy.

gws226

· #15 · Apr 13, 2004

McTimson said:
Technicians with time on their hands and lousy ethics can--if they want--read your mail. At least Google clearly claims that no human will ever read your mail (except the recipient, of course).

I don't get what the big fuss is about the ads...they're just the simple text ads that show up on the right side of the screen, like when you do a Google search. Would it really be that bad to have them on your webmail? The other email companies already have those ads, they're just bigger, more distracting, and have no relevance to what you're interested in. Who knows, maybe you'll see something you want on the Google ads...and for 1GB of space, can you really complain about it?

Anyway, here's an article from people who tested the Gmail service already..

Very true, infact the admin went into my account just the otherday to delete messages.... I had 5,000 messages in my delete folder... but geesh... all he had to do was ask!!

McTimson

· #16 · Apr 17, 2004

Another update: Google has made an 'about' page here, it covers all the privacy concerns. Especially this one:

Does Gmail intend to keep copies of my email even after I've deleted it, or closed my account?

No. Google keeps multiple backup copies of messages so that we can recover them in case of errors or system failure. Even if a message has been deleted or an account is no longer active, messages may remain on our backup systems for some period of time. This is standard practice in the email industry, which Gmail and other major webmail services follow in order to provide a reliable service for users. However, Google will make reasonable efforts to remove deleted information from our systems as quickly as is practical.

Theist

· #17 · Jun 3, 2004

How do I sign up? When can I get aGmail account?

Gibble

· #18 · Jun 3, 2004

You can't yet, it's only in beta.

Raziel_Storm

· #19 · Jun 4, 2004

Thanks for the warning. I wasn't really sure I would have anyway, but now I won't even consider it!

The_Hobbit81

· #20 · Jul 8, 2004

I've been look at all the related documents about GMail and I personally would get one, if they wern't as rare as hens teeth. In the mean time I have found 'Walla' email. It is completely free, has 1000Mb or 1Gb of storage and a search function for your email. I have signed up and already love it. Check it out and see what you think.

From The Hobbit
~©¿©~
****U

P.S I wanted this as a post or thread, but did not know how to. Can someone please tell me how.

1 - 20 of 24 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.