New Gmail account - how to import old mail???

[California]

My local ISP sold their email accounts to Gmail a couple of years ago. What I see is entirely Gmail except the header on the page and the return address included in my emails. (Help screens etc all show Gmail).

Anybody know how to establish a new free Gmail account and transfer in all my existing mail?

 

[ttriff]

Official Gmail Blog

 

[brin]

You may want to read this before you go with Google and Gmail...I am going to drop Gmail and here is why....Google tracks consumers’ online activities across products, and users can’t opt out - The Washington Post

 

[rekees4300]

I recommend Hotmail. Read the following re privacy issues with Gmail.

Gmail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[California]

I've been following the Google privacy concerns. Long ago I worked on security audits in large computer and email systems, so I've always kept an eye on this issue.

I've concluded there is no longer any expectation of privacy for anything conveyed over the internet. Recognizing this, I never opened a Facebook or Twitter account. Note that my username on here was chosen to be hard (not impossible) to trace to an individual - unless you are a moderator here and can see the IP I post from.

Recall that businesses must inform you when they "share your personal data with their trusted associates". Soon after I got DSL in the late 90's I started getting spam that proved PacBell (now ATT) was renting their subscriber list out. There's no place to hide from this openness if you live in the modern electronic world. The only privacy is information you didn't post or email.

I don't think it makes much difference security-wise, which provider I use for email.

 

[yooper1]

Google announces privacy changes across products; users can't opt out

Google tracks consumers online activities across products, and users cant opt out - The Washington Post

Google will soon know far more about who you are and what you do on the Web.

The Web giant announced Tuesday that it plans to follow the activities of users across nearly all of its ubiquitous sites, including YouTube, Gmail and its leading search engine.

 

[California]

Official Gmail Blog - Import your mail and contacts from other accounts.

Ttriff, Thanks! I didn't find that the last time I looked. It sounds like just what I need.

Google ... users can't opt out

Yeah. Have you noticed when they identify some loon suspected of plotting to bomb a Federal building, they always say he researched on Google how to make explosives - over several months. I don't know how long Google says they keep data but your search history seems to be available to investigators indefinitely. I expect likewise to marketers who want to search Google's files for potential customers to spam.

What was that quote about Facebook? Something like if access is provided to you free, then you yourself are the commodity being sold (to advertisers who pay money to Facebook to learn about you). Mark Zuckerberg (age 27 Facebook owner) has made $17 BILLION selling your personal data to advertisers.

What the CIA failed to do in 60 years, Zuck has done in 7: knowing what 800 million people--more than 10% of the world's population--think, read and listen to, plus who they know, what they like and where they live, travel, vote, shop, worship.

source: Forbes - Worlds Most Powerful People - #9:

Now with all the buzzwords in my second paragraph to trigger the alarms I've probably been added to some Watch List. Welcome to the 21st century.

 

[California]

I just opened my email and found Google's security announcement that those articles described. Here's a link to it:

google . com/policies/]Policies & Principles

I didn't see any surprises. I think any Internet user needs to recognize this is how our modern world works - whether or not they are telling you.

Fifteen years ago I was auditing construction contractors by matching their entire labor payroll database against our inspectors logs of who was observed on the job at what times and also against our Accounts Payable records showing what we had actually paid out for the time & materials work that was invoiced to us. Across many contracts at once. (re Change Orders on big public works contracts.) If I could create such an analysis 15 years ago on a laptop working alone, I can't imagine what Google (the guys with Street View camera cars all over the world) and all their programmers could devise today. Privacy is dead.