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I emailed from new Gmail address two years ago to express my excitement to myself. And, as you can see in the photo above, in the next email I congratulated myself!
A new job is keeping me busy in the last few days. I have become a distributor of Gmail, so to speak. Four days ago I wrote an article titled “Jamana Gmail Ko” [Gmail’s Era] and I felt it was my duty to provide an email address at the end of the article so that readers who might want to give a try to the service but have no one to get invitations from would write to me. That’s what happened and I started getting emails in numbers that I hadn’t expected. I didn’t realize that so many people would be reading teh article or (even if they read) be interested in trying out Gmail. I had hoped to received a few dozens requests for Gmail invite but as of now, the inbox says there are about 500 messages. Five days after the article, requests are still coming in.
It’s a time consuming act though. Nevertheless, I am enjoying inviting these folks to the world of Gmail. This is also part of my passion of sharing information like in journalism. First, I shared the information I knew about Gmail with the readers of Kantipur and now I am sharing my Gmail experience with them by inviting them to join this cool email service from Google. Many of the requests contain interesting messages and those kept me smiling.
Here is the article that I wrote in Kantipur.
जमाना जीमेलको
दिनेश वाग्ले
एउटा पुरानो प्रश्न- कम्प्युटर निर्माता एप्पलका प्रमुख कार्यकारी स्टिभ जब्स र एक फेसन डिजाइनरबीच के फरक छ ? उत्तर- दुवै आफ्ना उत्पादनको बनावट र सौन्दर्यप्रति अति रुचि राख्छन् । आइपोडको कामुकता चर्चा गरी के साद्दे ? तर बितेका केही वर्षमा फेसनेबल, कामुक र लोभलाग्दो हुने दौड गुगलले जितेको छ । जीमेल पछिल्लो र सशक्त उदाहरण हो ।
जीमेल छैन भने तपाईं के ‘फेसनेबल’ ? ‘कुल’ कसरी भन्ने ? दुई वर्षअघि ‘अपि्रल फुल’ मा आएको जीमेलका फ्यानहरू भन्छन्- हटमेल र याहुमेलका दिन गए, जे छ जीमेलमै छ । हुन पनि जीमेलको दुई जीबी स्पेसमा नअटाउने कुरै के रह्यो ? अनि गुगलको चकित तुल्याउने खोजी-क्षमताले जीमेललाई पनि धन्य पारेको छ जसका कारण दुई वर्षअघिका सन्देश एकै क्लिकमा फेला पर्छन् । खोजी-क्षमताले हटमेल र याहुमेलको टाउको दुखाइदिएको छ, उनीहरू चुस्त हुने अभियानमा छन् । त्यसैले हालै हटमेलले ‘विन्डोज लाइभ’ ब्रान्डअन्तर्गत सेवा थालेको छ भने याहुले नयाँ डिजाइनसहितको इमेल प्रणालीको परीक्षण गरिरहेको छ ।
अन्य इमेल सेवामा नपाइने जीमेल सुविधा ‘च्याट’ हो जसका लागि मेसेन्जर चाहिँदैन । इनबक्समा छिर्नेबित्तिकै इमेल सूचीको बायाँपट्टी ‘सम्पर्क’ हरू अन/अफलाइनमा देखिन्छन् र च्याट स्वतः सेभ गर्न (या नगर्न) मिल्छ ।
सुरुवातमा जीमेल केही विवादमा थियो, इनबक्समा देखिने शब्द-विज्ञापनका कारण । जीमेल भण्डार हुने कम्प्युटरहरूले सन्देश स्वतः पढ्छन् र त्यहाँका शब्दसँग मेल खाने विज्ञापन दायाँपट्टी देखाइदिन्छन् । त्यसले प्रयोगकर्ताको गोपनीयता भंग हुने गुनासो आएको थियो । सन्देश मानिसले नपढ्ने तथा कम्प्युटरले स्वचालित रूपमा त्यस्ता विज्ञापन राख्ने भएकाले गोपनीयतामा कुनै समस्या नहुने जीमेलले बताएको छ । विज्ञापन सबै इमेलमा हुन्छ, झन् अरूमा ध्यान विकेन्दि्रत गरिदिने झिलिमिली ब्यानर हुन्छन् ।
प्रयोगमा सहजता र भण्डारण क्षमता जीमेलको सबैभन्दा आकर्षक पक्ष भएको यसका प्रयोगकर्ता बताउँछन् । सुनौं ओजस्वी राणालाई जो मलेसियाको एउटा कलेजमा ‘लिबरल आर्टस’ (स्नातक) पढिरहेकी छन् । ‘वास्तवमा धेरै स्पेस भएकाले जीमेल मन पराउँछु,’ जीमेल च्याटमा कुरा गर्दै ओजस्वीले भनिन्- ‘उसो त हटमेलले पनि धेरै स्पेस दिन्छ तर जीमेलले जित्यो । जीमेल सेवा छिटो छ । अँ साँच्ची, जीमेलमा त्यो च्याट प्रणाली समाविष्ट छ जो मेसेन्जर प्रतिबन्धित स्थानमा प्रयोग गर्न सकिन्छ । जस्तो, मेरो कलेजको पुस्तकालय !’ पहिलेदेखिका र धेरै सम्पर्क त्यहाँ भएकाले हटमेलको मेसेन्जर अझै प्रयोग गर्ने गरेको ओजस्वीले बताइन् ।
जीमेलेको ‘स्पेस’ दुई जीबीभन्दा बढी छ र प्रत्येक सेकेन्ड चार बाइट बढिरहेको छ । अर्थात् सन् २००९ सम्ममा जीमेल स्पेस तीन जीबी पुग्नेछ । ‘कुनै सन्देश मेटाउनुपर्दैन’ भन्ने जीमेलको नारा छ । ओजस्वीको जीमेलमा १ सय ७४ एमबी भरिएको छ । ‘चार महिनाअघि मैले असावधानीवश सबै इमेल मेटाएँ,’ उनले भनिन्- ‘नभए यसको झन्डै पाँच गुणा बढी थियो ।’ अरू इमेल प्रयोगकर्तालाई जीमेलले सुरुमा अचम्मै पार्छ । ‘लामो समयसम्म हटमेल प्रयोग गरेकीले जीमेलमा फोल्डर नदेख्दा अप्ठेरो लागेको थियो,’ ओजस्वीले भनिन्- ‘तर लेबलबारे मैले छिट्टै कुरा बुझें र यो सजिलो लाग्यो । सुरुमा स्पेसले चाहिँ मलाई साँच्चै उडायो !’
स्पेसकै कुरा गर्दा अब जीमेलमा वर्ड फाइलहरू पनि जस्ताको तस्तै भण्डारण गर्न सकिन्छ- इनबक्सको माथिल्लो भागमा रहेको ‘डक्स एन्ड स्पेडसिट’ मार्फत । ‘फरवार्डिङ’ सुविधाबाट कुनै एउटा जीमेलमा आएका सन्देशलाई स्वतः अर्को ठेगानामा पठाउन या आउटलुकमार्फत कम्प्युटरमा झारेर अफलाइन हेर्न सकिन्छ । हटमेल या याहुमा भएका सम्पर्कलाई जीमेलमा ल्याउन सकिन्छ जो जीमेल खोल्ने बित्तिकैको सन्देशमा हेर्न सकिन्छ ।
यति पढेपछि जीमेल प्रयोग गर्न मन लागे त्यो हुने साथीसँग निम्ता माग्नुस् । चिनेको कसैसँग छैन भने, विषय हरफमा जीमेल चाहियो भन्दै blogmandu at gmail.com मा इमेल गर्नुस् ।
Internet and email habit of Nepali people has changed over the years. More and more young people are becoming loyal consumers and heavy users of Internet and email in cities like Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Pokhara. They want to try out new technologies and services. I have found that the more and more young users are not just limiting their internet usage in Chats or messaging. In my interaction with young internet users in various cyber cafes in Kathmandu couple of months ago, many said that they were logging on to look for universities in the US or UK or Australia. Some of them wanted to be in touch with friends they made during their stay abroad.
Even if we are one of the poorest countries in the world, emailing has become a very necessary part of Nepali life; that is to say in the city area. I can’t imagine working without Email though we went through that horrible experience for a week following Feb 1, 2005 when King Gyanendra dismissed democracy, imposed autocracy and emergency, cut off telephone liens and switched off Internet connections. Emailing has emerged as new cultural phenomena in Nepal that is changing the way people communication. An email account is a must if you are studying in private colleges to be considered that you are not unfashionable. No email, you are considered backward. Young people have found it easier to communicate via email things that they can’t say in telephone. Instant messaging and chat are other examples. Not to mention the growing popularity of mobile SMS phones among youth.
Hotmail and Yahoo Mail are the most popular fee email service in Nepal. More than 95 percent of the requests I received were from Hotmail and Yahoo addresses. Sorry Bill Gates and Jerry Yang but Gmail is so cool that I want many people to try it once. I don’t mind if they don’t like the service and stick with old addresses. I have noticed that Hotmail and Yahoo have also upgraded their services and space which is definitely good.
So my friends were asking me if I was hired by Gmail as they saw me writing article on Gmail and inviting readers to it. No, I am not hired by Gmail or associated with Google. I wrote the article because I thought it was important for readers to know about the service and I gave the email address to make sure that those interested would get opportunity to try the service as it can’t be used without invitation.
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Gmail (and Google in a whole) and I am immensely enjoying the service since the third week of April, 2004, 22 days after it was launched by the search engine company. I wrote an article in Nepal Magazine about Gmail at that time. My request to try Gmail for that article was reciprocated by someone at Gmail and I got the invitation from Google. I have abandoned Hotmail since then (though I have reactivated the account for reporting purpose) and I rarely use my Yahoo accounts. And I am totally into Gmail chat that is incorporated into the inbox. I rarely use MSN messenger (though I have been logging in to the service once a day these days for reporting purpose) that too with my own domain email address.
I have invited many people in Gmail and those I invited have also invited many others. Gmail network in Nepal is growing day by day. I think people will be enjoying Gmailing until a new service with better features comes into effect.
Note: Okay, if you still don’t have Gmail and want to give a try, email me at blogmandu (@) gmail.com. Don’t forget to mention “Wagle, Malai Gmail Chahiyo [I want Gmail]” in the subject line!
Dinesh Wagle on Nepali Society 