Finally, Gmail Exits The Land Of Beta

I wouldn’t have noticed it had I not read about it first on Tech Crunch and a couple of other technology sites. Google’s email program – Gmail – which has been around for five years now and of which I am a committed user, finally has exited beta. Gmail along with several other Google applications (apps) no longer are sitting in beta which means they are ready for your review.

Say that again?

Gmail has long past AOL mail in the number of worldwide users and should soon overtake AOL in the US market alone. Hotmail and Yahoo mail are still out of reach, but Hotmail’s numbers are declining at least in the US. Yahoo seems to have its top position secured for right now, but as we all know Google will do whatever it can to increase its market share at the expense of everyone else.

Bye, Bye Microsoft Office

I long ago quit using Microsoft Office products, having embraced OpenOffice a few years back. Along with Gmail, the suite of Google apps being touted make Google a worthy Microsoft competitor especially if you like to share files and documents. Currently, Google’s apps include Google Docs, Google Talk, Google Calendar and other stuff, something Google charges businesses just $50 per year per user which is about one-third the price of Microsoft.

Lots of businesses have gotten rid of in-house email, choosing to sign up their employees to Gmail which means that they can outsource some of their Information Technology needs. I once used Hotmail (got banned for spamming so they locked down my account….grrr) and I still used Yahoo Mail for one or two back up email addresses. Honestly, I think Gmail is the best email product hands down especially since I can use it as an email aggregation where I can pull in mail from various accounts. Oh, by the way, Outlook has failed me miserably too on several occasions.

A Beta Label Freaks Some People Out

Tech Crunch reported that Google removed the beta label for its customers who may have viewed it as a stumbling block to Google Apps. Some business folks freak out when they see the word “beta” used, thinking that they’re getting a test product that is flawed and certain to crash. Believe me, I can relate to this as I have customers who aren’t particularly web savvy, but see beta as an obstacle worth avoiding.

Of course, if you miss seeing the beta label with Gmail you can get it back by visiting Google Labs, click on settings where you can enable the beta label.

Photo Credit:  Svilen Mushkatov

When Blogging Makes You Sick

Over on Writing Thoughts, the freelance writing blog owned and operated by Laura Spencer, I read her article titled, Does Blogging Stress You Out? where she shares information gleaned from a New York Times (NYT) story about the hazards of blogging. In the NYT story, Some Brand-Name Bloggers Say Stress of Posting Is a Hazard to Their Health I learned that a brand-name blogger, Om Malik, suffered a heart attack late last month which he attributed to stress over blogging. Thankfully, Malik is recovering from his health crisis and has returned to work.

Of course, when I read Laura’s article and saw the supplied link, I immediately went to the NYT article for more information. I occasionally read the tech blogs — TechCrunch, for one — but I am not familiar with Om Malik or his blog. As I scanned through the article and then read an update by Malik I learned just how stressful blogging is for him. In addition, he shared how some bad habits have contributed to his health problems including eating fatty foods, smoking, and a lack of exercise. To have a heart attack at such a young age, 41, is not a good sign and I hope that Malik can change his lifestyle to embrace healthy living practices.

Blogging (or any writing for that matter) can be stressful especially if time constraints are involved. Yet, I know I blog/write better when I take the time to eat right, exercise and get a good night’s sleep. The more visible your blog, the more likely you’ll feel the pressure to peform as your readership is dependent on what you have to say about a particular subject. With updates occuring in rapidfire succession daily in the tech world, staying on top of the game is a must.

How about you? Do you stress out over blogging or do you maintain a good balance throughout the day? Like Laura, I can sometimes feel pressured to blog, but I have to push away from my laptop and do something else when the stress builds. I can’t imagine brand-blogging — there seems to be too much pressure to meet rolling deadlines!

Photo Credit: Walter Groesel