Gmail Account Since Google Launched

¶ … Gmail Account

Since Google launched its new free web-based e-mail system, Gmail has become somewhat of an exclusive club. With new accounts being opened every day, users will need to know the ins and outs of checking e-mail using the unique features of Gmail. Gmail retains many of the traditional e-mail application features: an Inbox, a Draft letter list; a Trash bin. However, Gmail differs from other web-based e-mail accounts in that a Gmail account allows for two gigabytes of storage and automatically "threads" e-mails like topics on an Internet forum or bulletin board. With so much space, users will not have to go through and discard old e-mails as often. Moreover, in accordance with their robust search engine, Google's mail system incorporates powerful search features that help users locate the exact message they are looking for. To take advantage of all of the rich features that a Gmail account has to offer, you will need to follow some simple steps, as outlined below.

Setting Up a Gmail Account

Getting a Gmail account is not as easy as signing up for Hotmail or Yahoo. Because Gmail accounts are currently limited, only users with invitations are permitted to open new accounts. Therefore, the first step to opening a Gmail account is to ask -- or beg! -- your friends or family members to invite you to Gmail. Sending an invitation is simple for the person with the account; their inbox should show a small box in the left frame entitled "Invite a Friend." Your friend will then input your current e-mail address. If you don't already have an e-mail address, you can quickly open a Yahoo e-mail account first by going to Yahoo.com; or you can ask another friend for temporary access to his or her account.

Once your friend sends you an invitation, you will follow the instructions in the e-mail. You will eventually be directed to the Gmail homepage at www.gmail.comand will have to fill out a form with some personal information, including your desired username and password. Once the setup procedure is completed, you are ready to log on to your new Gmail account.

Getting Started

Go to www.gmail.com.You will be prompted to enter your username and password; do so now. Then you will be directed to your Gmail inbox. The inbox looks similar to the inboxes of other web-based mail accounts. However, Gmail was also designed with special features that rely on codes not supported by some web browsers. Among the browsers that support the full features of Gmail include Internet Explorer 5.5 and above; Netscape 7.1 and above; Mozilla 1.4 and above; Mozilla Firefox 0.8 and above; Safari 1.2.1 and above; and Opera 8.00 and above. If you do not use any of these browsers, you can still access and use your Gmail but without some of its special features. JavaScript and cookies must be enabled in order for Gmail to function properly.

The Gmail Inbox

Now familiarize yourself with the basic Gmail interface. Whether or not you are using a fully-supported browser, your Inbox will appear mostly the same. The Gmail Inbox is arranged with top and left-hand frames and the Gmail logo in the upper left. The top frame contains a fill-in text box to search either your mail account or the entire Web using the Google engine. The search parameters can be altered and you can create filters for narrowing your searches: simply click on the hypertext reading "Show search options" or "Create a filter." On the very right of the upper frame reads your personal e-mail address. Next to your e-mail address are three hypertext buttons: "Settings," "Help," and "Sign Out." Clicking on the "Settings" button will take you out of the Inbox to a separate page where you can personalize your Gmail account. Here, you can change many options including the default language you use. Gmail supports many different languages from Dutch to Korean. You can also add a signature to your outgoing mails and add a forwarding address for your mail. Clicking on "Help" will actually open a new page in your browser, where you can find answers to any number of questions you have regarding using Gmail.

Checking your Mail: The Basics

1. Get Mail! The main frame of the Gmail inbox offers a list of your incoming mail. If you just set up your Gmail account, you will likely have only one welcome message automatically sent from the Gmail team. You might want to ask some of your friends to send you messages or send yourself a test message from another e-mail account so that you can begin playing with the features of Gmail.

2. Once you have accumulated some e-mails, checking your Gmail account is easy. Log on and you will be automatically directed to the Inbox. Unread mail appears in bold print. To read an individual message, click on it. If you are using a fully-supported browser, you will also see a star next to each e-mail. You can click on the star to flag important messages.

Working with Your Gmail: Reading, Writing, and Responding to Messages

1. Read your mail. From your Inbox, click on any message. To reply to the e-mail start typing into the box available below. If you click the hypertext "Reply," you will see more options such as the ability to attach a file, or send carbon copies. Replying to the message without editing the subject will enable you to create a thread.

2. One of the most unique features of Gmail is its ability to "thread" your e-mail and read them as you would read a topic on an Internet forum or bulletin board. Threading your e-mail enhances your ability to organize your mail. When you and a friend send e-mails back and forth to one another, each successive reply is collected and organized under one thread. You will automatically create e-mail threads when you and a correspondent have replied to each others' e-mails at least once, and have not altered the subject (also known as the title) of the e-mail.

3. To compose a new e-mail, click on the hypertext button beneath the main Gmail logo that reads "Compose Mail."

Working within Threads

Working with threads might seem tricky at first. However, Gmail offers an intuitive graphical user interface to help you.

1. Click on any e-mail from your Inbox. If the message is part of a larger thread, you will see the entire list of prior e-mails from both you and your correspondent. To save space, Gmail automatically cascades the older messages, but you can see the name of the sender and the first line of the message body. Furthermore, any message that contained an attachment will have a small red icon in the shape of an envelope next to it.