This is an Outrage

by Kieran Healy on June 21, 2004

It turns out that not one but two of my students now have Gmail accounts and I—I, what sits on their dissertation committees! I what gives them papers to grade!—do not. Appalling. I am investigating whether I can become a co-author on both of their Gmail accounts despite having done nothing to get one of my own. There’s a lot of precedent for that kind of thing.

Update: Well, that didn’t take long. Two readers generously emailed with invitations: Alex Halavais was first, so I took up his offer. Thanks very much, Alex and Brad. For my next trick I will publicly sulk about not having enough $50 bills.

{ 13 comments }

1

John Quiggin 06.21.04 at 4:01 am

This is obviously like one of those special flight lounges that the mobile vulgus aren’t even supposed to know about. I mean, I had heard of Gmail, but I didn’t realise there was some sort of invitation-only club. What gives here?

2

Henry 06.21.04 at 4:33 am

I mean, I had heard of Gmail, but I didn’t realise there was some sort of invitation-only club. What gives here? As far as I can tell, it’s less an invitation-only club than a class of a pyramid scheme – those (or some of those) who already have an account are given an allotment of accounts to disburse to others. And if anyone out there has another account begging that they’d like to give to a Timberteer, I’d be happy to take it off their hands …
3

Henry 06.21.04 at 4:58 am

And I’ve just been offered one … thanks

4

John Quiggin 06.21.04 at 5:03 am

Me too, please! Same for the $50 notes

5

robbo 06.21.04 at 5:59 am

Well…not that I’d necessarily accept just any old invitation from just anyone… Oh, who am I kidding? I’d do just anything to join the kool new club! Ask me ask me ask me

6

scaramouche 06.21.04 at 7:40 am

I don’t know if anyone saw this link about Gmail is too creepy at Pen-Elayne on the Web. Whaddya’ think now?

7

John Quiggin 06.21.04 at 12:37 pm

I got my invite (thanks, Baptiste!). Now I have to work out what to do with it! It seems as if a gigabyte of Google-searchable storage ought to be really useful, but I’m not immediately sure how. Like Scaramouche I’m a bit leery of putting all my email into such a system. I might try forwarding blog comments there.

8

dop 06.21.04 at 5:57 pm

Yeah, GMail is great!

Server Error
Gmail is temporarily unavailable. Cross your fingers and try again in a few minutes.
All this and they get to send you targeted marketing too!

9

Chuchundra 06.21.04 at 9:43 pm

I was jonesing for a GMail account for a while too. I schemed and plotted how I might aquire an invite. Finally, I did what you did…begged my users for one. Hey, whatever works.

10

eszter 06.22.04 at 12:50 pm

At this point I’m starting to wonder whether I’ll be cooler if I don’t have a Gmail account.:) Nah, please somebody send me an invitation. Thanks.:)

11

enzo 06.22.04 at 8:22 pm

Ehm, can I have an invitation too? I’m not a Timberteer, but at least let me be a g-mailer!! I mean, I’m a not a co-blogger at a very cool blog, hence for the sake of some weird conception of equality I’m entitled to something else as a compensation… ;) yes, an extremely weird conception of equality, but I just thought that it was worth giving it a try.

12

eszter 06.24.04 at 8:05 am

I’m all set, thanks. Unfortunately, as expected this late in the game “eszter@” is already taken so now I’m at a loss…

13

taak 06.24.04 at 8:09 am

Just because it’s scarce doesn’t mean you have to want it…. this is marketing

Comments on this entry are closed.