I had a similar experience with a print-job. I totally went with the cheaper ad, they were even local!

Why the hell would anyone do business on a free email account? If I see someone's email come in from gmail, yahoo, or hotmail I immediately take them less serious

You mean google is trying to make money out of that free service they provide?

Outrageous!

I keep my admin, domain, accounting accounts.... business stuff.. on my main email accounts.

I use gmail for web forms, social sites, programs, blogs, membership purchases, anything that can and probably will get spam, goes here.

Now I don't have to sort through program bs, social spam, blog comment crap, membership ex-member spam, and all that bullshit. Google deals with it, and I get 99% spam free email without having to lift a finger.

You can also forward [email protected] to google and send back out from that address, so it never says @gmail. It's also a great backup when your host, mail server or the internet is being stupid.

Get back to your POP3 account :)!

I use gmail for email, documents, and the other stuff. I've never noticed the ads either. I've completely trained myself to ignore ads. It's very rare that I even notice them even on my own sites.

This is the entire purpose of gmail. It's targeted ads.

how about having your own mail instead? then you're in control. i personally use gmail just for emergencies or if i travel and i dont carry my laptop. install on your server a client such as Squirrel Mail and it's done.

Maybe have business deal discussions on the phone so you can lock it instead of email.

whats funny is when i check the spam folder and theres an advertismant for spam recipes

You are dead right.

This has never been a secret. I have always been aware of this and its why I never use it.

Just because other free email providers don't target their ads as well as google, doesn't mean they are not still scannning your emails.

As somebody else said in the thread..... "no such thing as a free lunch"

From their privacy notice (referenced by Baddog):
"# Google maintains and processes your Gmail account and its contents to provide the Gmail service to you and to improve our services. The Gmail service includes relevant advertising and related links based on the IP address, content of messages and other information related to your use of Gmail.
"# Google's computers process the information in your messages for various purposes, including formatting and displaying the information to you, delivering advertisements and related links, preventing unsolicited bulk email (spam), backing up your messages, and other purposes relating to offering you Gmail."

I never really thought about how that would steal business from gmail users, but certainly the danger is there. I love gmail, but that aspect makes me a little hesitant...

yea, it is pretty messed up indeed...

I agree, for general shit mail that I know is going to get spammed to hell, I also have a yahoo adress, I check it once a month or if I just signde up to someting and dont wanna deal with all the shit that comes with........

But I would never approach anyone I intend to do business with through the use of g-mail, yahoo, aol, or any such shit. And anyone who approaches me through such means should expect that I might not take them to seriously, if I do at all.

Yeh, that was one of the major concerns about using Gmail at its outset, as I recall.

Here are a buncha things that have always been problematic:
http://oreilly.com/pub/wlg/4707
http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/GmailAGadvisory.htm
http://www.gmail-is-too-creepy.com/

but you pay for the mail service, gmail is free

Never use a freee email service for anything remotely important or private...:2 cents:

Nothing is free. If you think it is, read the fine print.

SPIDERS, they're just as scary on the internet.

You're a dumbass then... I've seen million dollar businesses use hotmail.

That would explain the ads for the tranny dating sites...

solution: use a real email setup on your own domain. free email services are not free.

They are placing ads based on the subject of your conversation, that's not stealing is it?