Recalling emails doesn't work
February 25, 2008
It’s Funny when you see someone try to recall an email.
Of course, the recall function serves only to highlight the original email to be read more closely, just to see where the rickett has been dropped, and how loud the clang was.
Another example of a terrible email mistake here at email tide
There are three Matt Lambert’s in the UK around the technology field, one at Microsoft and one at a telecoms company. So, I do get voicemails from people I’ve never heard of every now and again….although nothing interesting. But the more people you are ‘acquainted’ with, the less well you might know them, and this is going to happen more often.
In the comments in the linked article, there is a Thunderbird plugin that is designed with the ‘are you sure you want to send this’ button built in. Not bad, but possibly subject to the similar address blindness after a while.
What this highlights (again) is the fact that Email is a fairly blunt tool with which to be handling sensitive documents.
Surely there must be some enterprise 2.0 software that could handle a central repository, and sharing mechanism for messages, without overloading the user with yet more passwords. It makes you wonder if any other legal companies have gone with Google Docs for this?
Is Sharepoint the right vehicle – I’ve heard varying reports. I’ve got another Avanquest training session on this next week, perhaps it will sink in this time.
Talking of Passwords, methinks it is worth another look at OpenID again.
Gmail for business – Google Apps mini review
February 10, 2008
When I looked for free web based email, I knew Gmail was going to be the best option.
With huge amounts of storage, accessible from my various PC’s, Spam filters and desktop notifications (so I don’t have to check for new mail, which is the most important), plus Gtalk Instant Messaging on the same login – so it proved.
Thus, when I wanted to have separate ‘blog’ email, I took a look at Google Apps (it’s free, so why not).
Google Apps is Gmail, but with your own domain – (e.g. mail is sent to name@company.com) but with all the above benefits, and more. Being free, I think it’s great value, and even at the premier edition at $50 per user per year – compared to the cost of running premises based equivalents is a no brainer.
Setting it up does mean you need your own domain, and access to the control panel to follow google’s instructions in moving the Email MX records…..it’s easier than it sounds though, and knowing someone who can help is useful.
On first impressions, it was good. But last year…..
I had the problem of trying to access two separate Gmail accounts from the same machine – it turned out to be very unwieldy flicking from account to account and notifications weren’t as timely if I wasn’t logged in.
It’s amazing how the little things prevent you from using and being completely happy with software.
Recently however, Google Apps and Gmail have both moved to supporting IMAP, and my problems have been solved. It’s brilliant!
One of the most useful additional applications is Docs – great for sharing information between boundaries….accessible from anywhere. I haven’t worked out my three different calendars yet, but there are apparently synching apps available.
I’m now using Thunderbird to receive and send mail from multiple gmail accounts (as well as a separate email account for work!). I can still be logged in to my primary gmail account (personal) for most of the day.
With all the above facilities, Google Apps is aimed at companies – but I always wondered whether companies would get over the trust issue. That is, trusting Google to look after their email.
I figured for my own part that if Google let any information go, their share price would slide, and therefore they had more to lose than I did.
Email server, Software, support, Spam software, archiving, the list of savings just goes on.
If you don’t need to support a LAN to run documents and email (with failover support), this tends to help free up both funds and the staff from looking after it, not to mention users who can literally work anywhere with mobile broadband.
It has to be worth most small companies time in having a look at this, and if Legal companies are happy to trust their customer’s information, then that shouldn’t stop anyone.