Beth's Blog: Nonprofits and Social Media

Outlook Free for One Year! But Will I Survive Gmail Outages?

 

It was just over a year ago that I kicked my multi-year Outlook habit.   It happened because of a horrible computer crash.  I have not gone back to Outlook and I've become completely accustomed or perhaps dependent on using gmail for GTD because all of the reasons in the video above.   So, today's Gmail outage created a horribly unproductive day.

According to SKFox blog, there isn't much you can do.   This one lasted at least a couple of hours and was very annoying.  SKFox suggests the following to keep you from banging cha cha on the keyboard:

• Use your email client like Outlook or Thunderbird to download your messages to your local machine with POP3 while keeping your gmail account unchanged. That way, even if gMail is inaccessible, you can get to your old email for reference. Of course, you have to do this once your account is up and running again.
• Visit the gMail Google group to at the least find others in your boat and get the latest updates.

Some users have reported success getting to their mail during outages by using any number of alternative links to gmail. Your mileage may vary, but here they are:

• Basic HTML version: https://mail.google.com/mail/h/
• Older version: http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=1

Today’s outage is a known issue, and I hope for all of your coming here from search engines, that it comes back up quickly for you.

Here's the link that Sonny Cloward pointed me to on Twitter about the outage (unfortunately, didn't see it because Twitter was having its own problems)

I don't use my email as a to do list, but I do have a lot of reference information in there, particularly what I haven't processed into a google doc (which was also giving me some issues).   Looks like I better figure out a way to download messages as an off line archive.

What are your best tips for being productive during a gmail outage?

OutLook Addict Seeks Gmail Rehab Program ...

Please don't laugh too hard.  I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I've had a problem for many years.  I am and have been addicted to Outlook.  There, I've named it .. now I can claim it!

When Gmail came out a few years ago, I read the raves from other NpTechers.  I set up an account, but alas I never used it much.  Every time I tried to switch from Outlook, I felt so uncomfortable, overwhelmed, and so stressed that I reverted back to my Outlook habit in less than 24 hours.

When I met Miles Maier and read about his Office 2.0 experiment, I thought I really need to change or try an experiment and blog about it like Miles.  There is something I could, perhaps, learn and share.  But, I just couldn't give up that comfort blanket that is Outlook.   And, then it got to be so shameful ....

In one of my workshops recently, I talked about online web applications  -- the value and benefits as well as the drawbacks.     Why is that I could easily make the switch from PowerPoint to SlideShare -- from Word to Google Docs from Excel to Google Spreadsheets?   But why can't shift from Outlook to gmail?  Would I never reap the full benefit of the social life of office documents?

I've had a history of getting so used to my email clients that I just can't change.  It started back in the late 1980's or early 1990s with PINE.  Remember PINE?  I loved PINE.  I used it until about 1995 when I was the last respectable geek in my crowd not using Eudora! 

I loved Eudora and it's why I live at the post office too!   I lived in Eudora and refused to switch. I held out until about 1999 or maybe 2000.  I made several noble attempts to switch to Outlook, but felt so much discomfort I was back in Eudora in less than 24 hours.  Finally, I did make the switch.

And, then, there was time I lagged from switching from leaving my beloved Covey (PAPER) organizer to a PDA.    I tried and failed so many times.  Then I kept dual systems and finally about 2-3 years ago, I made a partial switch - may calendar.   I could never let go of writing my to do list on index cards or a pad.  I don't use that feature in Outlook.

This painful crash and realization that I'm switching to a MAC  ... has given me some renewed hope that I can quit Outlook.  I'm trying ...

I'm keeping my last .pst backup in Outlook for archival purposes.  I have:

• Exported my calendar information from Outlook into Google Calendar after learning about the privacy functions and relieved that you set up reminders.
• Exported my contacts from Outlook into Gmail.  It worked.  I even found a Linked In tool bar.  I had been using Plaxo and am now need to figure out if there is a browser toolbar that works with gmail.
• I don't use Outlook for tasks, I like paper for that.  So, nothing funky here.
• In Outlook, I have extensive folder file system with accompanying rules.   I discovered the "labels" and "filters" and have set them up to mirror what I had in Outlook.
• Since I use my own domain name, I set up gmail to grab bethkanter.org email from pop server.  I switched my treo to grab my gmail email -- and also have Outlook configured to grab gmail email.  The only reason is that I want to make sure that nothing is getting lost.  Then I will disable Outlook account information and just keep that archive until I've transfered all my historic info that I really need.
• How to synch my treo calendar with google calendar

Anyone have any tips?