Replacing Webmail

Sorry, Webmail, your days are numbered -- at least, they would be if we had our way.\nLast Thursday, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that Google unveiled a program called "Google Apps for Education" that "lets participating colleges outsource their student e-mail while still allowing campus users to have an address that originates from the college's domain, meaning it will still end in .edu." (Oct. 20). Furthermore, Google is offering this service to colleges for free. That's right: FREE. \nNow, we don't know if you have had the opportunity to use Google's proprietary e-mail client, Gmail, yet -- but we're big fans (those of you who've sent us letters at idsopinion@gmail.com may have figured this out). The Web-based application works just like Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail or IU Webmail, except it does the job better in a variety of key ways - such as grouping e-mails and replies into a running conversation and auto-saving draft e-mails. The user is able to search his or her Inbox simply by typing keywords into a search box (like with a standard search engine), rather than the more cumbersome search form employed by Webmail (or, God forbid, browsing page-by-page). Labels and stars for organizing e-mails and a tough spam filter make Gmail, by far, the best e-mail client available. And included in the "Google Apps for Education" package is Google Calendar, Google Chat and a Web-page creator. \nFurthermore, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Arizona State University recently took Google up on its offer -- 65,000 students had access to the new system in two weeks, and, according to ASU officials, the University will now save $400,000 a year. \nSo, yeah, we're jealous.\nSure, there's a trade-off involved. Like Gmail, the Google university e-mail comes with AdSense ads -- but these aren't particularly obtrusive on Gmail, arranged as they are as blocks of text on the right-hand side of the screen (and there's no reason to assume they'd be more intrusive in the Univeristy edition). And some universities have worried about losing direct control over access to their e-mail systems. And, yet, University Information Technology Services has time and again failed to control spam or provide a decent method of organizing messages. Also, when it comes to protecting privacy, what will UITS be able to offer that Google cannot? And have you seen how slowly Webmail has been running lately? If Google is capable of archiving seemingly every last bit of available information on the Web, they can probably handle a university e-mail system.\nBesides, we certainly don't have a chat application or a calendar -- both of which could be crucial educational tools.\nNo offense, UITS. You do a great job fixing broken computers, but Webmail is God-awful. Many students already forward their IU mail to Gmail because there's simply not enough space. As the University can both save money and provide higher quality services to students and faculty, it would be ridiculous not to consider this opportunity.