The Google jinx?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been managing my own mail and mail server, and just using Outlook as the mail client. Over the years I’ve become increasingly frustrated with Outlook’s bloat, and I haven’t exactly been too impressed with what the other groupware clients have to offer. On top of that, the open source webmail options are pretty weak, at least for now. SquirrelMail’s interface is terrible and Horde’s not too much better. That’s bound to change, and I’m anxiously waiting for the Hula project to hit beta, but when Google Apps for Your Domain came down the pipe, I decided it was finally time to give the Gmail interface a try.
After a few months, there’s no doubt in my mind it’s a much better way to handle email, but what I liked about the Google Apps for Your domain offering right off the bat is its lack of ads. I haven’t come across any coverage on this, but it seems that changed about a week or two ago. It’s not that I’m a huge privacy nut or that I really give a damn about seeing ads — I’m not the most observant fellow (evidenced by the fact that I have no idea when the ads started showing), but what particularly disturbs me about the Gmail ads is just how relevant they are. For instance, my buddy Sam just emailed me about doing a little happy hour tonight, and goddamn if the first sponsored link wasn’t:
Maryland DUI Lawyer
“Pleading guilty is the number one
all time mistake.” Leonard Stamm.
www.lennystamm.com
While I don’t plan on driving tonight, I still find myself more than a little creeped out by Google’s foreshadowing. Damn you Google!