Jun 03, 2003 10:05 AM
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(Updated Jun 03, 2003 10:06 AM)
Features on web-based services is the Keyword. Features, Features, Features. Well, we developers are experienced and when we say this 80 – 20 rule, trust us. 80% of the features are used just 20% of the time.
Let us analyse the features:
1. Ease of Navigation
The buttons / links for various commands are to be placed where it is normally expected. This improves utilization and surfing for your emails become enjoyable. Searching for Send button or Save button is very frustrating. You find the netizens have very short temper. That is the reason why you see many flare-ups in net forums.
2. Message Throughput
Many email service providers sends the message to their SMTP gateway almost immediately you hit the Send button. Many hardware/software investments are made to support concurrent uses of Gateways via different mirror sites. Some email service providers queue your messages and send in bulk. Mailcity is one example.
3. Interfering Ads
Nothing comes free in this world. You are bound to have sponsors who support the service financially. You will have Ads and Banners. But then, if they interfere with your flow, it easily flames your tempers. One good example is rediffmail and how they keep showing ads upon login and change the position of link Go to Inbox frequently. Plain, Unadulterated Irritation.
4. Spell Check and Format
Though this is a normal feature now a days, it comes in handy is the spelling, grammar and punctuations checked. This is important if you use the mail for business and other non-personal use.
5. Storage
This is similar to network bandwidth or the cash in hand. Always in shortage as our needs grow. Very simple postulate – Bigger is Better. With the proliferation of digital photography and streaming A/V, mails with attachments of size greater than 500K seems so normal now.
Some service providers do not receive mails once the size exceeds the account limit. Some other worse – they delete old mails to accommodate this. If that is the case, take proper care to store the message by segregating. I have one mail id for public and 5 different mail id for my own archiving. This way the 5 mail ids are private and I am sure the messages there in will not get deleted as it is unlikely for those ids to receive big mails.
6. Chats
My email should give me the ability to chat and either a support by ICQ or belonging to a popular id just to chat will make sense. Though this has nothing to do with mails, Simple users can use just their email id to chat too. That is convenience. Yahoo is the best this way, their messenger also allow you to use HTTP Proxy for chat meaning, I can chat behind a firewall at my office :-)
7. Auto-Forward
Not many give you this feature as they want you to come to their web site and see the mail and read the ads to keep the service free. If you say No Ads Only mails. The Reply would be sorry. Usa.net had this feature. When guys used to go to places where internet access is extremely slow or not available. The usa.net mails are auto forwarded to their IMAP or POP mail (usually provided by company) which can be read offline.
8. Spam
I can hear you guys muttering “How will this discussion be complete without something on this”. The block sender option and bulk / junk mail folders do not solve the problem of allowing legitimate mails and blocking the unsolicited ones.
To analyze this, I did the following comparative study 3/4 years back.
Created dummy ids on 5 famous mail service providers.
Used some of these ids for registering in forums (like mouthshut), news groups, Online Retail stores, Auction sites and one id is left completely inactive (Our little secret).
After 6 months we analysed the spam mails received and found the maximum spammers. The figures given below are number of spam mails unsolicited + from the service provider himself some promotions, useless announcements etc).
Hotmail – 370 + 15
Yahoo – 95 + 5
Mailcity – 0 + 2
Rediffmail – 81 + 8
Usa.net – 10 + 1
Nagar.com – 0 + 0 (Probably this was not popular then)
Less popular an email service, lower the chance of spam and Hotmail is notorious. They sell your ids to spammers. All we got on Hotmail is how to manage our credit limits, Lose weight and enlarge our private parts. That’s nasty.
A Matrix on features and popular services were made. But many needs updating to carry relevance in today’s world. I have not discussed uptime as the technology today allows providers to have ~100% uptime fairly easily.
Hope the above made a good read.
Adios
Ram
