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Part of that had to do with the quite limited availability of the platform.
Google was among the first Internet companies to offer invite-only access to a new service.
It was a brilliant bit of marketing but also had a more practical purpose.
Google had struggled to launch Gmail and was still learning when it moved into public beta.
The email described some of the key differences, like searching instead of filing.
Gmail didnt use folders, a time-honored way of organizing email, and instead focused on labels and conversations.
It had some advanced features like filters and address autocomplete.
Google’s pitch at the time was that we could stop wasting time deleting emails and save everything.
I think I over-committed to this concept.
This turned out to be Gmails most controversial innovation.
To provide contextual ads, Google would have to read the contents of your email.
That sounded like an insane privacy violation, andI wrote about the concernright before I gained access.
I reminded readers that computers, at least back then, didnt really read anything.
They had neither the eyes nor the consciousness to understand the context.
Its worth noting that those early concerns did nothing to hinder Gmails growth.
Along with access to Gmail came some invites that I could dole out.
They arrived in small bunches, and I would give them to co-workers, colleagues, and friends.
Some people who knew I had a Gmail account sent me emails and AOL messages pleading for access.
While not a social connection, Google was aware of the inherently social nature of email.
Keeping newbies connected was how it built that connection and generated just enough FOMO to keep the service growing.
I thought you were a search company.
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally useful and accessible.
For many people, email contains valuable information that can be difficult to retrieve.
We believe we can help with that.
That quest never stops andnot everyone is happy about it.
It never was and will likely never be a joke.
