Those leg-pullers over at Google released this press release announcing a beta version of Gmail, which will feature 1 gig of storage and the ability to search for any email ever sent or received. It also promises to turn “annoying spam e-mail messages into the equivalent of canned meat.”
“
Recent Posts
- E-Books Can Subvert Book Bans, But Corporate Profit-Seeking Stands in the Way March 10, 2024
- Ten Stories That Shaped 2023 December 15, 2023
- War Sows Disruption at the National Book Awards November 16, 2023
- “No one else is saving it”: the fight to protect a historic music collection November 16, 2023
- No, I Donβt Want to Join Your Book Club November 9, 2023
- Iowa election 2023: Pella Public Library retains independence November 9, 2023
- A door at a Swedish library was accidentally left open 446 people came in, borrowed 245 books. Every single one was returned November 9, 2023
Recent Comments
- Examining Arab and Muslim librarians in fiction – Pop Culture Library Review on Librarian Combats Muslim Stereotypes
- St. Paul libraries face moment of reckoning – LISNews – News For Librarians on Secret and mysterious libraries
- Ellie on Just How Gross Are Library Books, Exactly?
- Prodigious1one on The Teaching Librarian Versus The Teacher
- Jason on Ten Stories That Shaped 2019
- centaurea on Libraries using Internet Trust Tools
LISNews Archives
- March 2024 (1)
- December 2023 (1)
- November 2023 (5)
- October 2023 (1)
- September 2023 (1)
- August 2023 (22)
- February 2023 (3)
- January 2023 (20)
- December 2022 (6)
- February 2022 (3)
- December 2021 (1)
- December 2020 (1)
- July 2020 (11)
- June 2020 (11)
- January 2020 (1)
- December 2019 (2)
- November 2019 (4)
- October 2019 (1)
- June 2019 (1)
- May 2019 (4)
- April 2019 (3)
- March 2019 (11)
- February 2019 (41)
- January 2019 (31)
- December 2018 (6)
- November 2018 (11)
- October 2018 (15)
- September 2018 (9)
- August 2018 (22)
- July 2018 (1)
- June 2018 (1)
- May 2018 (7)
- April 2018 (8)
- March 2018 (5)
- February 2018 (17)
- January 2018 (13)
- December 2017 (8)
- November 2017 (16)
- October 2017 (18)
- September 2017 (11)
- August 2017 (8)
- July 2017 (8)
- June 2017 (21)
- May 2017 (39)
- April 2017 (22)
- March 2017 (15)
- February 2017 (21)
- January 2017 (40)
- December 2016 (20)
- November 2016 (9)
- October 2016 (20)
- September 2016 (48)
- August 2016 (48)
- July 2016 (55)
- June 2016 (61)
- May 2016 (39)
- April 2016 (67)
- March 2016 (81)
- February 2016 (85)
- January 2016 (69)
- December 2015 (90)
- November 2015 (126)
- October 2015 (107)
- September 2015 (85)
- August 2015 (42)
- July 2015 (32)
- June 2015 (35)
- May 2015 (39)
- April 2015 (14)
- March 2015 (60)
- February 2015 (75)
- January 2015 (44)
- December 2014 (30)
- November 2014 (39)
- October 2014 (43)
- September 2014 (30)
- August 2014 (36)
- July 2014 (59)
- June 2014 (46)
- May 2014 (62)
- April 2014 (58)
- March 2014 (52)
- February 2014 (37)
- January 2014 (42)
- December 2013 (41)
- November 2013 (25)
- October 2013 (43)
- September 2013 (28)
- August 2013 (32)
- July 2013 (61)
- June 2013 (51)
- May 2013 (50)
- April 2013 (52)
- March 2013 (68)
- February 2013 (62)
- January 2013 (62)
- December 2012 (53)
- November 2012 (64)
- October 2012 (111)
- September 2012 (109)
- August 2012 (128)
- July 2012 (57)
- June 2012 (75)
- May 2012 (163)
- April 2012 (158)
- March 2012 (109)
- February 2012 (125)
- January 2012 (136)
- December 2011 (109)
- November 2011 (74)
- October 2011 (82)
- September 2011 (95)
- August 2011 (106)
- July 2011 (93)
- June 2011 (102)
- May 2011 (94)
- April 2011 (105)
- March 2011 (100)
- February 2011 (92)
- January 2011 (110)
- December 2010 (124)
- November 2010 (83)
- October 2010 (118)
- September 2010 (115)
- August 2010 (110)
- July 2010 (108)
- June 2010 (113)
- May 2010 (78)
- April 2010 (121)
- March 2010 (191)
- February 2010 (182)
- January 2010 (168)
- December 2009 (129)
- November 2009 (116)
- October 2009 (131)
- September 2009 (149)
- August 2009 (162)
- July 2009 (166)
- June 2009 (189)
- May 2009 (112)
- April 2009 (164)
- March 2009 (185)
- February 2009 (151)
- January 2009 (173)
- December 2008 (200)
- November 2008 (155)
- October 2008 (252)
- September 2008 (267)
- August 2008 (193)
- July 2008 (208)
- June 2008 (161)
- May 2008 (208)
- April 2008 (253)
- March 2008 (201)
- February 2008 (246)
- January 2008 (185)
- December 2007 (200)
- November 2007 (208)
- October 2007 (241)
- September 2007 (227)
- August 2007 (269)
- July 2007 (201)
- June 2007 (205)
- May 2007 (157)
- April 2007 (217)
- March 2007 (250)
- February 2007 (183)
- January 2007 (181)
- December 2006 (163)
- November 2006 (180)
- October 2006 (170)
- September 2006 (215)
- August 2006 (210)
- July 2006 (202)
- June 2006 (257)
- May 2006 (280)
- April 2006 (271)
- March 2006 (347)
- February 2006 (284)
- January 2006 (300)
- December 2005 (267)
- November 2005 (238)
- October 2005 (364)
- September 2005 (349)
- August 2005 (377)
- July 2005 (382)
- June 2005 (403)
- May 2005 (371)
- April 2005 (420)
- March 2005 (367)
- February 2005 (368)
- January 2005 (346)
- December 2004 (311)
- November 2004 (260)
- October 2004 (308)
- September 2004 (228)
- August 2004 (319)
- July 2004 (395)
- June 2004 (338)
- May 2004 (288)
- April 2004 (364)
- March 2004 (348)
- February 2004 (438)
- January 2004 (266)
- December 2003 (222)
- November 2003 (226)
- October 2003 (281)
- September 2003 (317)
- August 2003 (315)
- July 2003 (278)
- June 2003 (282)
- May 2003 (265)
- April 2003 (271)
- March 2003 (249)
- February 2003 (283)
- January 2003 (210)
- December 2002 (186)
- November 2002 (184)
- October 2002 (222)
- September 2002 (210)
- August 2002 (207)
- July 2002 (184)
- June 2002 (166)
- May 2002 (160)
- April 2002 (195)
- March 2002 (183)
- February 2002 (195)
- January 2002 (203)
- December 2001 (203)
- November 2001 (238)
- October 2001 (183)
- September 2001 (153)
- August 2001 (204)
- July 2001 (243)
- June 2001 (176)
- May 2001 (92)
- April 2001 (116)
- March 2001 (153)
- February 2001 (142)
- January 2001 (131)
- December 2000 (110)
- November 2000 (124)
- October 2000 (128)
- September 2000 (132)
- August 2000 (138)
- July 2000 (166)
- June 2000 (135)
- May 2000 (120)
- April 2000 (121)
- March 2000 (181)
- February 2000 (163)
- January 2000 (54)
- November 1999 (37)
Joke?
Can you provide a source to say that this is a joke? I have seen this story from numerous sources and at this point I have come to the conclusion that it is a legitimate story.
Re:Joke? π
You’d think if they were running with it as an April Fool’s joke, they’d date the press release for April 1 — it does sound way over the top though in the “too good to be true” department. I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.
Re:Joke?
It’s not obvious enough?
The Urban Legends Reference Page at Snopes.com spends a lot of time and computer resources cataloging stories whose legitimacy stems from a popular concensus of reality. Check it out. They file under three broad categories: True, Indeterminate, False. Make it your first stop, always, in checking the veracity of something that sounds too good to be true or too silly to be credible.
Sources
AP Is Reporting it as fact. Google Is interviewing candidates for engineering positions at their lunar hosting and research center, opening late in the spring of 2007.
Re:Sources π
Hmmm. Given that their artist’s conception looks like a Trade Federation Starship I’ve really got my doubts about that one.
I noticed that the AP article didn’t quote any Google spokespersons, and I am mindful of that story of the California city council that wanted to ban dihydrogen monoxide.
Re:Sources
I’d certainly like to work on the HiDeHiDeHo project at GCHEESE. I was hoping it was true. Damn!
Re:Sources
Actually, it kind of looks like the Death Star…
or one of the buildings on Genosis (sp?). LOL…
My favorite quote is:
“Our new goal is to “organize all the useful information in the universe and serve it to you on a lightly salted cracker.”
Re:Joke?
No, it is not obvious enough. I went to Snopes on this and they had nothing. So, I have news sources reporting this as a story. No one but Rochelle at LISNEWS reporting this as a joke, what am I to think. Always trust Rochelle?
Why is one gig of stirage space beyond reason? They don’t have to instantly give everyone one gig, you have to get enough mail to use that storage. Most people will be in the several meg range for the first year or two. The idea is that you have up to a gig if you need it. Also as a year goes by the cost of storage space continues to drop.
That dihydrogen monoxide story is not a good example at all to this. That I could have found at Snopes, this is not there. If you are a librarian provide me with a SOURCE for your claim that the Google mail is a joke or don’t bother replying.
Re:Joke
Well, you’re not the only one confused. It’s being reported as straight-up news by many outlets. Here’s a comment about the confusion.
And here’s something from one of the very detailed gmail info pages:
“During this testing period, the Gmail interface is only available in English. However, we’re committed to making Gmail available to as many people in as many languages as possible. And Gmail accounts can already be used to read and send email in most languages (even Klingon).
First it says it’s very limited and only in English. Then it says it can already be used to read most languages, including Klingon.
April 1st
Whether the new Google email is a joke I wanted to make a comment about April Fools jokes by companies. I do not think companies or news organizations should ever participate in starting an April Fools story. Disinformation can hurt people. If Google email is a hoax there may be someone out there that is selling some of their Microsoft stock because they think Hotmail is going to take a hit. Even innocuous jokes have some ability to cause harm. Also what happens when someday a life is lost because of one of these jokes. People should not have to wonder whether information coming from a news source or a company is a joke.
Re:April 1st
A colleauge and I were just discussing this, wondering if it is a way overblown joke way of introducing some sort of email service in the future. If so, it seems like a huge gamble, since people, like the New York Times editor who decided to run the story (with hundreds of others) don’t like to be made to look foolish. Although google has the market so cornered that I can’t imagine any significant harm being done to their bottom line.
Wait until Friday, but…
I see Motley Fool isn’t sure whether Gmail is a joke or not. I suspect we’ll know better tomorrow.
Meanwhile, given that some folks seem to think the offer of 1GB of storage is a showstopper, look at it another way:
At quantity-one end-user prices, that’s sixtyfive cents worth of storage. (You can buy a 120GB drive for $75.) I’m guessing Google gets better than quantity-one prices.
So, the question should be: Can Google get enough revenue from text ads to afford some fraction of sixtyfive cents per Gmail user?
Which sounds a little different than, can Google afford to provide ONE WHOLE GIGABYTE of space?
Re:Sources
Or SpaceBall City…
(I didn’t think of Spaceballs until after I posted)
Will eat my hat if necessary
This CNN story is the first I’ve seen that uses sources other than the goofy press release. “…Jonathan Rosenberg, vice president of the products group at Google, said the Gmail announcement was legitimate. He did concede that the company did get caught up in the spirit of April Fool’s Day in its press release.”
If such is the case, pass me my April Fool’s cap, and I’ll commence to munching on it on April 2.
Re:Wait until Friday, but…
I once read an FAQ at a hosting company (when I was shopping for servers) and it attempted to answer the question “how can you offer so much bandwidth for so little money” and the answer was something like “most of our users don’t use any where near that much”
I think the same thing applies here. Most people will never ever use that much space. I can offer unlimited space/email/bandwidth on LISHost because most everyone doesn’t use more than a meg or 2. For many people the log files are bigger than everything on their site.
Opps…. Fang was wrong!/ 01/rtr1320652.html
Reuters just put out a story that the Google email is not a hoax. http://www.forbes.com/technology/newswire/2004/04
So for Fang’s comment of, “It’s not obvious enough?”
Nope it was not obvious and the story turned out to be true. Check that on Snopes.
Klingon Interface
Good gawd! Google has a Klingon interface. Who knew?
Web4Lib
There’s been a lot of discussion about this on Web4Lib today and the consensus there is that this is for real, and very interesting. The search engine function for email seems like a dream come true to me, but the listserv folks brought up some interesting privacy concerns (how safe would your gig of space be?). Hope we find out soon what’s really going on.
http://googlecities.com/freewebsite?
compete
or become digital archaeology