May 23, 2006

How To Use Gmail Efficiently

Follow this order when composing emails:

* First think if you have to attach files to your email. Select the attachments so they will be already uploaded by the time you finish your mail. If you have many small files to attach or text documents, put all the files in an archive. It's faster and easier to download.

* Then type the text of your email. For compatibility reasons, stay with plain text. Most of the time HTML emails will create problems or will be useless.

* Check the spelling of your text. Gmail has a very cool spell checker with support for 38 languages.

* Then summarize the content of your email and type a meaningful title ("Check this!" or "Hi" aren't good examples of meaningful titles).

* Insert the recipient's email address. If you have more recipients, don't forget to include them in the BCC section.

* Send your mail. This should happen instantly.

Inspired by Google Blogoscoped.

Also see:
5 fast ways to check Gmail

7 comments:

  1. More specifically for Gmail: Learn to use (and love) the "Archive" feature.

    Lots of people I know simply keep all their emails in their inboxes, defeating the purpose of the archive feature (All Mail). When you're finished reading an email that you don't need anymore, archive it. This removes it from your inbox, moves it to "All Mail", and allows it to be viewed and searched for later.

    If a specific email needs your follow-up attention, star it and leave it in your inbox. Leave it there until your follow up is completed, at which point you can archive it.

    This way, your inbox acts as more of a "hot items" list, only showing you new emails and/or emails that still need some sort of action or attention.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I post this idea on my blog http://www.mr-seo.com/wordpress/

    Couldn't gmail just make it so if someone put the word attached in an email it could check to see if a file was attached? Since most people use that word when they attached a file.

    ReplyDelete
  3. For security reason or whatever, I created another Gmail account and forward all the message there...So I won't lose it even if I delete it...

    -Haochi

    ReplyDelete
  4. I like google's various products (especially google pages), but this this blog post is just plain old goofy. Please tell me something more substantial than this. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is standard with emails I thought you would go into labels and stars, something unique to gmail that makes using it efficient

    ReplyDelete
  6. I attached a link to YouTube to my email. And the recipient receives it with a preview at the end of the text. How to get rid of that preview?
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Boris:

    This is a standard Gmail feature and can't be disabled.

    ReplyDelete

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