Gmail is Google's new free email service that gives users a gigabyte of storage space (compared to the 6 megs that I have with my Yahoo account), so you never have to worry about cleaning out your folders. Plus, there is a search function whereby you can search all email messages for a text string. So if I wanted to find all my emails talking about Neil Bush and prostitutes, then I could easily do that.
As a user of this blogging service, I was able to sign up for an account before it's offered to the general public. I'm so special. Envy me.
How does Google provide this free service? Advertising. But the catch is that they scan your emails for content so that they can target what type of ads appeal to different users. This sets off some alarms for people concerned about that silly little thing called "privacy." Some may understandably worry about others snooping through personal emails. But seriously, nothing sent over the internet is entirely secure anyway, and it's not like the FBI/CIA/DSH/NSA/DOJ/PTA aren't already monitoring everything that I do. So what do I care?