GMail - A way to improve the main search page

What do most people include in emails? URLS and some context...

"Check out this great site on hacking your xbox..."
or
"Did you read this article about long term bonds at ..."

While blogs do a similar function, not everyone uses blogs, and even if they do, not everything is done in the public.

Since GMail can scan anything coming in and going out, this has many potential benefits.
- The indexer would know when new content is "available" instead of having to check millions of sites periodically for changes.
- As an add-on, since the content is fresh, it can capture trends better. (although the news section seems to do a pretty good job already)


In terms of privacy, as long as Google doesn't associate any of the content with the sender/receivers, it can save some trouble there. Unfortunately, if I include my name at the end and send a link to some warez site, would searching for my name bring up that site...? I suppose this scenario could be covered by a warning clause in the privacy statement. Or maybe an option that could be turned on to "include my contents in the global index"

Probably won't happen due to the privacy controversy, but I think it's an interesting concept.

AEB
Wednesday, April 7, 2004

clever idea!

Google can also create a Friendster-like directed graph of users based on their email interaction. PageRank can suddenly apply to PEOPLE who send or receive lots of email, making their email links and connections more definitive. The "PersonRank" algorithm would only require one of the users (sender or receiver) to be a Gmail user. woah, that is a scary thought...

runtime
Wednesday, April 7, 2004

They're getting enough bad press about selling advertising based on email content.

I could only imagine the flurry that that idea would bring ;-)

Edward
Wednesday, April 7, 2004

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