Weekly Spotlight: Gmail and all things Google

I’m a Gmail-aholic. I can admit it, I’m not embarrassed. The decision to go Gmail came about after quickly realizing my school does not allot enough space to student e-mail inboxes. So, I started forwarding everything to Gmail. And now, my life is controlled by Google. Is that a good or bad thing? Regardless, I’d like to take a little foray into Google’s offerings (look for these at the top right of the page).

• Gmail. The ability to label and archive a seemingly endless number of e-mails has given my life order; the search and conversation functions make finding a specific e-mail more manageable; and a separate spam folder keeps me from wasting time. Also, I gave up AIM for Gmail Chat. I haven’t looked back since.
• Documents. This has become my new jump drive. With Google Documents you can prepare documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Also, you can upload old files and organize them into different folders. This application is almost a “hard drive away from hard drive.”
• Reader. I know no better blog aggregator, and I challenge someone to present me with one. I organize my daily reading into a variety of folders and even have them listed in my reading priority. Google Reader lets you stay on top of updates on news sites and your favorite blogs with little effort.
• Calendar. Although my planner and I are still attached at the hip, Google Calendar is a backup for me.

The most important feature of all these Google options is that they’re free and accessible on any computer with the Internet. There’s no need to worry about compatible programs. Lastly, with more people jumping on the Gmail bandwagon, you can share documents and calendar events with other users. -Rachel