# gmail is kinda rude



## mk (May 26, 2010)

from windows machine i setup thunderbird to fetch my mail from gmail. after i make my folders to separate incoming mail i found out that same folders are made in gmail account too. second after i "fetch" my mail every time i open message it appears that it downloading it not again but actually fetching it now. there is option at gmail to download for offline view my mail but first i have to download google gears or sh`t. that's kinda rude. 
not only they read my mail but they want and access to my pc. well this is a little too bit more than i want.
at youtube to send feedback i have to login with my gmail acc. (last time i try that is what asked me). can they be more low profile at harvesting everything on me?
this is very rude attitude.


----------



## anomie (May 26, 2010)

If you want a much more private (and also less fully featured) free email client, check out lavabit.


----------



## gordon@ (May 26, 2010)

The FreeBSD project forums is really not the right place to complain about Gmail.


----------



## anomie (May 26, 2010)

I agree with you, but he did put it in the "Off-Topic" forum...


> *Off-Topic* Have some non-FreeBSD related questions, or want just to chit-chat about anything that is not related to FreeBSD? This is the forum for you.



Speaking of gmail and another of their free services - google docs - I saw this little problem a few minutes ago. As of 15:20 CDT they are barfing up an SSL cert error: 


> docs.google.com uses an invalid security certificate.
> 
> The certificate is only valid for the following names:
> *.mail.google.com , *.docs.google.com
> ...



Whoops.


----------



## john_doe (May 27, 2010)

Not sure what the OP have trouble with but GMail supports IMAP. There should be no need to download anything. However, one can use smth like mail/offlineimap to keep account in sync with downloaded messages.


----------



## zeiz (May 27, 2010)

Indeed gmail reads messages and then pours a buckets of ads based on a message content to both parties.
Three years ago I was overseas and was stupid enough to communicate with my customer from gmail. As a result he received a lot of links to services similar to mine and I lost that customer whose business btw I created and cherished for years.
That's not just rude.


----------



## SirDice (May 27, 2010)

zeiz said:
			
		

> Indeed gmail reads messages and then pours a buckets of ads based on a message content to both parties. Three years ago I was overseas and was stupid enough to communicate with my customer from gmail.


You mean Google Ads? There are no ads in gmail. But perhaps you're refering to those targeted ads that show up on google search?



> As a result he received a lot of links to services similar to mine and I lost that customer whose business btw I created and cherished for years.


Sounds like a competitor had better/faster/cheaper rates 



> That's not just rude.


I hardly think that's google's fault.


----------



## zeiz (May 27, 2010)

SirDice said:
			
		

> You mean Google Ads? There are no ads in gmail. But perhaps you're refering to those targeted ads that show up on google search?


I closed my account by I remember that on the right side there were links to sites related to a message content and what was that if not ads?
Moreover it memorized "preferences" and continued the "service".



> Sounds like a competitor had better/faster/cheaper rates


I believe that "better and cheaper" is nonsense especially in solid wood furniture business. Yes, he found cheaper supplier but finally he had no choice but move to cheap market segment where he met same kind of competitors and where income depends not on quality and reputation but on cheating skills.
Long topic... but just an example: At a furniture store a salesman (one of 5 competing) was proving to me that a cabinet was made from solid wood. I showed him plywood parts, mdf parts even plastic moldings and none solid wood except 0.5mm thick veneer covering that pressed sawdust but he insisted that it's all solid wood cabinet. Finally I lost my temper and asked him: "Should I believe you or my own eyes?" He (you won't believe) started crying (really, with tears) saying: "I am honest man! I know what I'm selling! I'm honest man!!!" O boy, regular customer indeed could doubt his own eyes 


> I hardly think that's google's fault.


Of course it was my stupidity. Both: as a supplier and as a customer (of google's).
Nevertheless much more could be learned...


----------



## sixtydoses (May 27, 2010)

zeiz said:
			
		

> I closed my account by I remember that on the right side there were links to sites related to a message content and what was that if not ads?
> Moreover it memorized "preferences" and continued the "service".



Must be those Google Adwords..


----------



## zeiz (May 27, 2010)

A bear wanted to help a rabbit and killed a mosquito on it's head. Unfortunately the rabbit was found dead then.
It's easy to imaging a situation when such kind of "service" may lead to personal troubles and even tragedies.
Technology is developing exponentially but sense of ethics and morality is still the same... or not the same?


----------



## SirDice (May 28, 2010)

zeiz said:
			
		

> I closed my account by I remember that on the right side there were links to sites related to a message content and what was that if not ads?


Gmail doesn't show Adwords or any other ads.


----------



## fronclynne (May 28, 2010)

SirDice said:
			
		

> Gmail doesn't show Adwords or any other ads.



http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6603


----------



## SirDice (May 28, 2010)

Well, all I can say is I have non. No ads, no nothing. Just my email. 
And yes, it's still the 'free' version and no, I don't use any ad blockers.


----------



## anomie (May 28, 2010)

Perhaps you enabled the plain HTML version? (That's what I did.)


----------



## zeiz (May 28, 2010)

fronclynne said:
			
		

> http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6603
> 
> 
> > Until now, the ads you've seen next to a message were picked based on the content of that message only. For example, if you're looking at a confirmation email from a *hotel* in Chicago, you might see ads about flights, restaurants or other things relevant to your trip to Chicago.
> ...


Bravo, fronclynne! O, yeah, it's true but... kinda very "humble", self-conscious, forced truth.
In fact: and other *hotels* of course, and other *friends* and girlfriends and schoolmates...
At that time I spent an hour to delete (and redelete!) all my personal info stored and hidden in multiple places... what about those I couldn't access?
Of course they are improving their bugging now..."make ads more relevant to you" = "you won't feel anything while we are f*** you". What an audaciousness!
@SirDice: where their money is coming from?
AdSense... Ray Bradbury's prophecy is coming true.


----------



## phoenix (May 28, 2010)

zeiz said:
			
		

> I closed my account by I remember that on the right side there were links to sites related to a message content and what was that if not ads?
> Moreover it memorized "preferences" and continued the "service".



GMail only shows ads when you login to your account to view your messages.

GMail does not add any ads to the messages you send via GMail.  (Unlike the other services like Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail/Live, which add stuff to every message you send.)


----------



## zeiz (May 30, 2010)

True, but those are not "content sensitive".


----------



## tingo (May 30, 2010)

anomie said:
			
		

> If you want a much more private (and also less fully featured) free email client, check out lavabit.


What, no IMAP?


----------



## SirDice (May 30, 2010)

anomie said:
			
		

> Perhaps you enabled the plain HTML version? (That's what I did.)



Nope, it's the standard interface. No ads.


----------

