Making the most of your mail

Having used the title ‘sucking eggs‘ already in this series of blogs – I find it difficult to use again. Instead I will apologize for the ‘basic’ content of my blog to date and continue on with some more basic set up rules to enhance your web experience.

The next few summations are for the benefit of, and at the behest of the technophobic and time-poor stragglers currently toying with the idea of entering the ‘pixel-zone’. These people of whom I speak (my friends) lie in the outer of the forest, in the scrub – they are the ‘On-Off’ ‘In-Out’, ‘Send-Receive’, ‘30-50′ subgroup.

One aspect in which they claim proficiency is email. I speak now of a richer level of experience – Gmail.

Gmail has to be one of the most time-efficient steps I have taken in rationalising my internet usage and I have become a staunch exponent of the Gmail service.

Top reasons to sign up

• Simple and strightforward to sign up for an account
• It is free
• Amazingly simple to search for any word in any document
• Huge storage space (7GB i.e. 7000MB of storage)
• Great spam filtering tool
• Minimal ads – no flash ads
• Great labeling system with stars and simple drop down menu to add lables to emails or conversations
• Simple keyboard shortcuts
• Ability to incorporate your gmail, calender, reader, iGoogle and other tools in the Google suite of products
• …and many more

But that’s not all…with the use of Firefox plugins the experience can become even richer and more enjoyable. Better Gmail2 is a fantastic addon which enhances the features of your Gmail using experience. It is simple to install and edit the preferences to suit your needs. Read more about better Gmail2 at Lifehacker

• Firstly install the Firefox addon for Better Gmail 2
• Then install the Greasemonkey addon script
• Restart Firefox browser
• Then refine your Preferences/Options by going to the ‘tools’ section your browser, scroll to and click on ‘add-ons’ in the Firefox Add-on Toolbar

• In Messages tab you can add row highlights and attatchment icons
• Change your skin to suit your viewing needs - such as the new Gmail redesigned
• Add the Folders4Gmail section to increase the power of your email sub-level organisation

• Restart Firefox to see Gmail in a whole new light!

• Start using email in a whole new way – on your phone or from any browser

• Enjoy
• Consider more advanced options combining gmail and Firefox with 13 more fantastic extensions as defined by Mashable.com