Email has same value of reliability, that we had with telegraphy. We have relied on telegraphy since many years, to communicate faster. However, with the invention of emails, the telegraphy looks really primitive today. Such is the pervasive usage and indulgence it has become. The email requires Internet and several protocols, this allows the email to be sent and received. The commonality of email has brought various options, which includes
a) Hosted Email Solutions (POP services)
b) Corporate Email (Requires dedicated email server like MS Exchange or Sendmail)
c) Free email service (Gmail, Hotmail and AOL)
Considering the large number of Internet users, Gmail can be considered to be having the largest user base.
There are several tips and tricks that are unknown to many Gmail users and can always come in handy.We are going to see few Gmail features that enhance your mailing performance:
– Mail Checker Plus
Lets you see the unread emails in your Chrome toolbar. This allows you to preview, spam, delete and archive your emails even without getting into Gmail.
– Mute
‘Mute’ option available under “More” helps you archive the threads you longer need.
– Paste Unformatted
Formatting a copied content in the email text box is not only time consuming but also annoying. Paste unformat option enabled by Ctrl+Shift+V, copies text matter unchanged when copied from word file or web pages without changing the font and size.
– Undo Send
With this option you have some reprieve when you accidently sent an email that never was supposed to send or in that condition – either uncompleted or with errors or without proofreading it. You can set time for the email to be ‘finally’ sent before you can call the shots. That is stop from being sent. You can press Undo send within the time it is finally set to send i.e. within the ‘call back time’.
– Selectively quote
Selective quoting enables you to mark the text in the received email and reply the mail without having to re-type the selected or quoted parts of the email received. This option not only saves but also highlights as to what part you are replying specifically from his/her email.
– Search Gmail Like a Pro
This utility lets you search your email every effectively without having to go through the entire inbox for a search items. You can either call it selective search tool for it enables searches only for selected emails labelled appropriately saving time and headache.
– Account Activity
As the name clearly indicates this option lets you monitor your login activities. It lets you to know if somebody else is using your email account without your consent. Besides that, it will help you logout your session in case you have forgotten to logout in your office and came out. Upon reaching home, you can view your login activities and logout from the session which you forgot to logout.
– Off the Record
This feature allows you to delete all the chat history and start chat afresh.
– Gmail Labs
Gmail Labs accessed from Settings offers several useful features that help you manage your email experience a lot better. You have kept looking out for updates and additions lets you confined within features you know.
– Email Labels
You can distinguish your emails with coloured labels for ready recognition and selection.
– Multiple email accounts
A very important feature this allows to access your other emails without logouts and logins.
– Gmail Settings for IMAP/SMTP/POP Servers
Gmail can work smoothly with IMAP/SMTP/POP incoming and outgoing servers well. You can read the tips and tricks Gmail Settings for IMAP/SMTP/POP Servers to use Gmail smoothly.
Gmail still has several other widgets and built-ins to improve your efficiency with the emailing system. A naïve user of Gmail without knowing these new functions will spend long time for daily mundane activities searching and trying to manage email conversations of his interest in his own methods. An inquisitive user will often explore the tools and use them methodically.