Gmail - Overview

Gmail is a free, web based, email service that I have been using for quite a while now, primarily for backup of important documentation, rather than a normal email service.

In this posting, I want to give an overview of my impressions and usage of Gmail, and later posts will deal with more specifics of how I have Gmail work for me.

All posts related to Gmail will be labeled Gmail for your convenience in locating them.

There are a lot of features in Gmail, but here are the ones most important to the way I use the service, in no particular order:

• Storage - Currently 2,768+ megabytes, and increasing all the time.


• Labels - Labels are used instead of folders, unlike most other email applications.


• Attachment Size - Up to 10 megabytes of attachments are supported.


• Searching - Very easy to find the specific email you are looking for.

Earlier in this posting, I said that I use Gmail more for backup of important documentation; I have several regular email accounts and use the Thunderbird email client for those. The Gmail account, is what I use to send myself a compressed folder containing all data from work each day, as well as backups of newsletters, handouts, etc. from the BPCA and BRCS computer user groups.

This enables me to get the most current information I need, when I need it, from anywhere I can access the internet.

Gmail is by invitation only at this point. Luckily there are ways to obtain an invitation.

• I have some invites available from my account, that will be available to BPCA or BRCS members, as long as the supply lasts, just send me a request.


• Request an invitation from a friend, who has an account with invitations.


• Do a web search for "gmail invitations"; there are many constantly changing listings.

In future posts, I will show you how to use various features of Gmail to organize your correspondence using labels and filters.

Current Gmail users are invited to comment with how they use Gmail to increase their productivity.

Blog - Lifehacker

Occasionaly, I will post about a blog I find interesting or useful. These blogs will not be computer related necessarily.

The interesting blog for today is Lifehacker, which touts itself as a "Productivity and Software Guide".

Typically there are multiple daily entries, mostly dealing with technology. Sometimes announcements of interesting technology, sometimes how to articles, etc. I usually check it out once or twice a week, as I find time and have yet to have a day when there wasn't something of interest.

For instance, check out the September 20, 2006 post by Adam Pash "Download of the Day: tinySpell (Windows).

The post tells you about a Freeware cross-application spell checking utility. I have read it and followed the link and think this will be something worthwhile to try. If this works out for me, I will let you know in a latter posting.

Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

This post and any following posts regarding blogs I frequent will have Blogs as its label to make them easy to find.

XP - Full Screen Mode

Sometimes maximized windows just do not contain enough room when viewing Windows Explorer windows, this is where the full screen mode comes in handy.

Just press the F11 key and the window will instantly expand to cover all the viewable space on your monitor.

When you have finished using full screen mode, just press the F11 key once again, to return the window to the previous size.

This should also work in Internet Explorer and Firefox recent versions.

Format Update

I have gone back and labeled all my previous posts, in order to categorize them. Some will have 2 or 3 labels, to make it easier to narrow down a posting that applies to what you are looking for.

The sidebar order has also been changed, now the different elements are (from the top down):

• Links - Some of my favorite links.
• Labels - Categorized postings.
• Blog Archive - Self explanatory.
• Special Emails - Also self explanatory.
• About Me - Short description, with link to full profile.

I hope this will make the blog of more use to you, my reader, as this is more for you than for me.