gmail, solitude, eye surgery

Thanks to "tibicina" for the Gmail account! Jeff is massively jealous. :-) The mask cartoon you see in the upper left of this entry is one of the Livejournal user pictures I made for tibicina in appreciation.

Yes, I know about their email-scanning ad technology but frankly, so far I find their advertising *much* less intrusive than Yahoo's, and would actually prefer seeing ads that target my specific interests than general ads about things in which I have absolutely no interest. Here's what Gmail's help file says:

---

"Google is NOT reading your mail. Privacy is an issue we take very seriously. Gmail is a technology-based program. Advertising and related information are shown using a completely automated process. Ads are selected for relevance and served by Google computers using the same contextual advertising technology that powers our AdSense program. This technology enables Google to effectively target dynamically changing content, such as email, or news stories.

Because the ads and Related Pages are matched to information that is of interest to you, we hope you'll find them relevant and useful."

---

"Google does not and will never rent, sell or share information that personally identifies you for marketing purposes without your express permission. No email content or other personally identifiable information will be provided to advertisers.

Privacy is an issue we take very seriously. Only ads classified as Family-Safe are distributed through our content network and to your Gmail inbox. For example, Google would block certain ads from running next to an email about catastrophic news."

---

The Fuss About Gmail and Privacy: Nine Reasons Why It's Bogus by Tim O'Reilly (founder and CEO of O'Reilly & Associates as well as an activist for Internet standards and for open source software) is an excellent article on the topic.

I've already had a few friends ask if I have any invites to share. Sadly, no. I believe that small numbers of invites are being offered to randomly chosen Gmail users. You can always check Gmailswap.com if you have something to offer in exchange. If you want to find out more about Gmail, here is an Extremetech.com review of the beta release.

So far, I really like the keyboard shortcuts, conversation threading, and (of course) the search flexibility. The contacts list needs major improvements. I will post a detailed report after I have had a chance to use it for a while.

On the advice of my optometrist, I went to see an eye specialist yesterday. Found out I need laser surgery to fix a couple of small holes in the retina of my left eye to avoid the risk of retinal detachment. My operation is scheduled for late August. I am under the impression that the operation is very common and nothing to worry about, but I would still appreciate hearing from any of you who have had the same operation about what the experience was like. The rational part of me knows there's no reason to be nervous. The irrational part keep flashing to that infamous torture/brainwashing scene in A Clockwork Orange. :-)

Went to see Hairspray at the Princess of Wales Theatre last night. I opted for the cheapest seat, which ended up to be in nosebleed territory and with a partially obstructed view, but still enjoyed this very fluffy but fun musical (i.e. I got my money's worth).

Some people may find it odd that I went to a show like this by myself. And while it's true that I often do prefer going with a friend, there are also times I enjoy doing things on my own. An acquaintance once told me that she would never want to be seen in a restaurant or movie theater by herself because she was afraid people would think she was a loser. I remember being surprised and more than a little disappointed in her, and my interest in pursuing a closer friendship with this person dwindled considerably.

I'm far more picky about how I spend my time than I was 20 years ago, when I was much more into the "hang out with as many people as possible as much of the time" idea of fun. Now I spend time with people because of who they are and because of how much I value their specific friendship, not because there's nothing better to do, or because I'm afraid of being alone. I would like to hope that the friends I spend time with feel the same way.

I find that knowing how to value my solitude makes me better appreciate and enjoy the time I spend with other people. :-)

My posts may be highly sporadic over the next couple weeks, but I will be back online mid-July.

June 2004 comments: Read Blatherchat | Post in Blatherchat | Livejournal comments