e-Column #96

Google suffers unjust criticism for free e-mail service: "Most e-mail providers offer roughly 10 megabytes of storage space. So when Google announced on April 1 that it would launch a free e-mail service that provided 1,000 megabytes of storage, some thought it was a practical joke. And some politicians and privacy advocates still wish it was."

Update: I was originally not aware that the published version of the column was missing the last few paragraphs. Here they are:

You can read more about Google's response to privacy concerns at http://gmail.google.com/gmail/help/more.html. Although Gmail has not officially launched, you can use it in its beta form at https://gmail.google.com/.

Of course, if you prefer giant, flashing, slow-loading, graphic advertisements and like to have all your e-mail messages stamped at the bottom with ads for Yahoo or MSN, you're free to stick with those services.

And let's all hope Sen. Figueroa didn't give the telephone companies any ideas.