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Re:Google turns on "Download Gmail Archive" feature by brudgers on Saturday February 08, 2014 @10:03PM (#7204121)
Non-tech people use Gmail because it's free, portable across ISPs [though they don't use the term "ISP"] and a gmail address is socially acceptable in a professional setting, unlike Hotmail, Yahoo, Mac, or AOL...hmm...a CompuServe address, now that would be nerdtastic.

Anyway, I can't see why a tech savvy person wouldn't just have a domain and email hosting service instead of gmail and being locked to Google's whims, e.g. the ability to download could be a first step to shuttering gmail since gmail doesn't provide the core tracking data Google uses while creating specific privacy headaches - I.e. gmail is problematic to monetize efficiently.

Re:Google turns on "Download Gmail Archive" feature by snogglethorpe on Sunday February 09, 2014 @01:02AM (#7204572)
> I can't see why a tech savvy person wouldn't just have a domain and email hosting service instead of gmail

Maintaining your own email server to the same level of reliability (backups, etc), speed, and functionality as gmail would be a lot of work. Not every "tech savvy" person out there wants to invest the time and resources needed to duplicate what gmail gives them for free.

[Also gmail's web interface is very, very, good, and it's well-integrated with other google products, which are very popular.]

Re:Google turns on "Download Gmail Archive" feature by fauigerzigerk on Sunday February 09, 2014 @01:26AM (#7204632)
Why does Gmail not provide valuable tracking data? It has tons of very personal content, it has contacts, so I don't see what's missing if you're in the business of compiling personal profiles.