Google: simplifying my life

A few posts ago I announced that I was going to retire my vanity email address due to an overload of spam. A reader suggested that I just point it to GMail and let it filter the spam for me. I had received an invite to GMail quite a while ago but never got around to using it. So I decided it was worth a try. I simply forwarded my existing address to my new GMail address and then configured it for POP/Outlook. It immediately cleaned up my incoming mail stream with almost 100% accuracy. I was amazed.

 

Then I started realizing the consequences of what I had just done. Not only did it's incredibly smart spam engine simplify my incoming mail stream, it was also providing a complete searchable archive. And given Google's search smarts, this almost completely removes the need to do any organizing/labeling whatsoever (the main thing that has slowed me down when processing email is figuring out where to put it so that I'll be able to find it when needed down the road). This is no longer an issue. I can simply delete mail from my inbox without worries, knowing that it's retrievable at will down the road.

 

I can also have access to all of my email while away from Outlook, through any Web terminal. Everything is there, completely searchable, and I don't need Exchange to make it possible. I agree with Cazzulino that Google could indeed become the Exchange Killer once they provide a decent contact manager and group calendaring. And I'm sure that is coming. I can even access my GMail inbox from my Audiovox smart phone.

 

But probably the biggest feature that pushed me over the edge was when I learned that Google Desktop Search integrates with your GMail account and provides an offline searchable index. This means that you can still search your GMail archives while on an airplane, disconnected from the Web. That was the only remaining reason for keeping a local .pst cache. I'm not sure how it stores that stuff, where the file lives, or how big it gets, but I do know there are options for encryption if you're worried about privacy.

 

So now I have what feels like complete email freedom. I can use either Outlook or the Web. I can search my email from anywhere, connected or disconnected. The search is extremely accurate, removing the need for my sophisticated local archiving scheme, which took way to much energy. The result: a simpler life.

 

Google is all about simplicity. You see it in everything they do. Google Talk is another incredibly refreshing example. The only thing that still makes me open Outlook each day is the contact manager + calendar. But surely it won't be long…  ;-)