Google Hacks, 2nd Edition

Glean a Gmail Invite

Ask a friend, acquaintance, or stranger; swap, auction, or finagle. A Gmail invite is hard to come by—but not that hard.

Gmail is one hot property and Gmail accounts are not available to just anyone. Yes, it’s a free web mail service, but free doesn’t necessarily mean freely available—much to the chagrin of those just itching to give it a whirl. You have to be invited, either by a Googler (someone working at Google) or a friend willing to spend one of their occasionally available Gmail invites on you.

Hmm . . . scarce commodity, high demand . . . sounds like a market to me.

And that’s precisely what’s happened. Gmail accounts are meted out to close friends, traded for wares and services, auctioned off, donated, and otherwise trafficked in a marketplace of sorts.

So, where do I glean myself a Gmail invite?

Ask a friend

Chances are one of your alpha-geek friends has a Gmail account. Ask nicely and be prepared to offer a latte or three.

Ask an acquaintance

Email acquaintances with Gmail accounts are easy to spot: just look for the @gmail.com email address. Set up a filter in your email application to highlight any incoming Gmail and rifle off a response the moment you see one pop up. Your ingenuity and bravado are sure to be admired—and hopefully rewarded.

Request one of a stranger

The isnoop.net Gmail invite spooler (http://isnoop.net/gmailomatic.php) offers “a place for people with Gmail invites and those who want them to come together with minimal effort and fuss.”