4/21/2004 04:45:00 PM

Things I Want From Gmail:

1. Offline capabilities - I want to be able to backup the archive of my Gmail offline.

2. More Nuanced Filters - When I create a new Filter that takes action by assigning Labels to messages as they arrive I want the option to instruct Gmail to parse my active and archived conversations to tag the relevant messages according to the new Filter's parameters.

3. Attachments - The visual queues when you are uploading an attachment, particularly when it is a large attachment, are too ambiguous. A small, "Sending..." against a hovering red background in the upper right corner is not visible enough. When I first was attempting to test the attachment limit by sending a 17 Meg mp3 I did not even realize that the file was being uploaded to the server. I tried to send the message and was met with an alert box that said, "The document contains no data." In the end this file never made it up to the server, but Gmail never came back to tell me why. What is the limit on attachment size?

4. PDA Browser Access - I want to be able to search my email from my iPaq and Axim. I am sure other's will want the same for their Palm or Symbian device.

While I am on the topic of Gmail...

Why I like Gmail more than Hotmail:

1. External Links - Hotmail opens links embedded in emails in a browser that has a Hotmail frame across the top obscuring the URL for the page one is visiting. Firebird/fox right-click and "Show Only This Frame" takes care of this, but users of IE are not so lucky. No such problem with Gmail.

2. Time Context - Gmail has this amazingly simple feature that tells me how long a message has been in my possession. Every message has an indicator at the top right that says, "2 hours ago" or "5 days ago".... with Hotmail I not only get to do complicated math from the email headers to figure out such things... I also have to try to figure out what timezone each timestamp is from... and if the mailserver was configured such that the date is even meaningful.

3. Spell Check - See comments here.

4. Address Recognition - Nicknames are so turn of the millennium! Gmail uses an Intellisense-like capability to recognize an address you are typing and gives you a list of options. Hotmail... you get to remember arcane nicknames, manually type an entire address or open a cumbersome address book and select recipients. Ugh.

5. Advertising - Free services have to pay the bills and, long term, benefit the bottom line. Hotmail has an ever growing obsession with obtrusive ads. Gmail serves context-sensitive Ad Words in one area on the right. If they have no ad that fits with the context of your email you see none. Hotmail sends out ads at the bottom of each email you send. Gmail is 100% clean email.

6. Organization - Computer "folders" are a digital metaphor taken directly from the physical world. It is a cultural handle to help comprehension that we do not need anymore. Gmail has some folders, but they are not encouraging their users to create any. Instead Gmail users tag email messages with language that makes them easier to locate in the future. Even though it is as arcane as speaking in terms of "Horse Power" the cultural currency for the "folder" will be with us for some time. That not withstanding metadata is better. Gmail starts us down that path.

7. Granular Control - I can determine how many conversations (message threads) I want to have on each page. I have setup filters to apply labels to messages I receive from specific people or that use specific keywords. I can choose to use keyboard shortcuts like in a desktop app. I like control.