Gmail: Search instead of Sort Jun19 '05

I’ve been using Google’s email service, Gmail, for about a year now.

I am so glad I don’t manage email like I used to.

Gmail suggests, "Search, don’t Sort." This tiny motto means so much.

I can’t tell you how much time I save, by allowing Gmail to find, sort, and delete messages for me – while I get on with my life.

Before Gmail

In my previous experiences with email software, I’d create folders – one for each person that I got emails from. This became extremely burdensome – the more people I knew. Also, the daily task of putting each email into the appropriate folder became almost a full time job.

Especially with all the spam included.

Even with filters, and such, there always seemed to be so much email that didn’t get filtered appropriately.

Not to mention, if I needed to find an old email, with pertinent information, it would sometimes take quite a bit of time – searching through dozens of folders, and folders within folders.

I had had enough.

I had considered email "the kiss of death."

This was the "information revolution?" This was supposed to enhance communication?

From my desktop view, it was clutter upon clutter. I enjoyed life much more before "the mess of email" entered my life.

Enter Gmail

Ever since I’ve started using Gmail, I’ve noticed a decrease in my time spent managing my email.

Spam

Gmail handles spam extremely well.

Before Gmail, I’d get anywhere from 20–100 spam messages a day, appearing in my inbox. Now, I still get spam, but all of it is filtered to the trash, so I never see it.

Some spam still sneaks through – but I only get about 2–6 spam messages a day, now – thanks to Gmail.

Search

The search capabilities in Gmail are incredible.

When searching for pertinent information in an email, all I have to do is recall one or two words that pertain to that email, or that could have been included in the email... rather than trying to remember who sent it to me, when they sent it – if I replied, etc, etc – and then digging through folders to find the email.

Gmail even takes searching a few steps further, provided you can remember more information.

For example, you can search only through From items, if you wish, just by typing this:

from:dad, where dad is your search term. This will find all messages sent by Dad.

Or, how about searching through the Subject:

subject:father’s day

The bottom line

Search capabilities, in any application or utility, are far better than sorting could ever do.

Categories: Email , Search

Add Feedback (view all)

Leave feedback

Feedback

Input format: The editor controls below will assist with Markdown syntax.

Status

Sub-status

Your info Name: Email (will not show on page):

Follow new comments via email? (You can turn this off any time)

Do you want your comments emailed to yourself?

Home Page (optional):

I disagree entirely and will provide an example where Gmail search falls short. AFTER you have searched on the one/two words that you can recall fr ... Read more.

I'm not sure I'm entirely following... But I'll try. The "generalities" you mention (it came from x, y, z, and it was around 2 MB) - Gmail's ... Read more.

A useful feature for GMail (not sure if it exists) would be to sort the inbox by size. If you are running out of space for example, this i ... Read more.

I have found the lack of a sorting capability a serious defect in gmail. "Search" does not adequately replace sort if you don't have exactly the r ... Read more.

I want to see and analyze all my emails grouped by who sent them, without having to type each sender's name into the search box and then only see t ... Read more.

matthom is published and produced by Matt Thommes - an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from a suburb of Chicago. Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.