Gmail hacks
Gmail is good.
It has a ton of storage. WSU Webmail does not. It’s easy to forward your WSU webmail to a gmail account. Here’s how:
In order:
- create a gmail account.
- Then, forward your WSU webmail to it (from your WSU account).
- You can also send messages from your gmail as your wayne.edu address. You set this up from you gmail account settings.
- Configure the gmail
- Apply Filters
Applying filters is the most important part of this equation. Experts generally agree that you should kick the email-checking habit. By reducing the amount of stuff-you-don’t-wanna-read from your inbox, you can save tons of time! Here are a few of my favorite filters (specific to the WSU LISP Listserv):
[Reduces the number of textbook-selling emails]
To: LISPINF
Has the Words: (sale OR selling OR wanted OR needed OR Looking) AND (book OR textbook OR texts OR text)
Doesn’t Have: “Job Posting” OR “REMINDER”
Do this: Skip Inbox, Apply label “Textbooks”
[Unsuccessful unsubscribe attempts can get annoying!]
Has the Words: signoff lispinf
Do this: Skip Inbox, Apply label “idiot”
Do this: Skip Inbox, Apply label “idiot”
[Lets me browse the Job Postings when it's occasionally useful to me]
Subject:(JOB POSTING)
Do this: Skip Inbox, Apply label “Job Posting”
Do this: Skip Inbox, Apply label “Job Posting”
One thing you can do with filters is forward your emails — So, using mailbucket, you can make RSS feeds for certain threads.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments. Thanks!
(On Jan 12th, 2008 at 5:49 pm)
Don’t forget about mute for those random threads that seem to go on without end! It used to be that you could use the shortcut key of ‘m’ to mute any thread, that still works but now GMail has provided the option in the thread’s dropdown box. Anything that is muted will automatically get archived and skip your inbox altogether.
Great tips Brad!
(On Jan 12th, 2008 at 7:15 pm)
Thanks for the tips, Brad. It seems this semester has been especially bad for textbook sales and I appreciate that I won’t have to see them as much from now on!
(On Jan 12th, 2008 at 7:56 pm)
I got this link through the listserv. Great ideas Brad! I definitely took your advice