Good Morning Silicon Valley makes an important observation about Google's new free email service, gmail - as per their terms of use, they are able to read/analyze and correlate all data in all message you open - basically, by using this service your life is an open book... giving Google, Inc. and whoever they choose to partner or cooperate with access to all your words and other content shared with whoever you communicate with.

The stated purpose of this is to better target their advertising to and for you - they'll know all your interests and relationships so they can focus on you. Assuming you don't care about your personal privacy then who cares. But if you consider your mail private property, stay away from gmail and all other free email services, including yahoo, MSN, and AOL. As soon as possible, we'll find a way to provide anyone interested with a REALNEO email account and protect your privacy...

Read on about the issue with gmail:

Well, it's about time:
Google is finally adding POP3 (Post Office Protocol) support to its Gmail service.
Soon Gmail users will be able to check their accounts with
POP3-compliant e-mail clients will be able to download their Gmail
messages to their PCs, PDAs and cell phones. What's the catch? As one Slashdot reader points out,
there isn't one as long as you agree to Gmail's terms of service. "The
catch is the same as it has always been. They are algorithmically
analysing [the e-mails you open in Gmail] and correlating that data to
determine trends, demographics, etc. It's not like they are hiding
this; it's part of the agreement you make to get free e-mail. They have
built a pipe through which a huge portion of the world's information
flow can pass, and they are using it to learn things about the world
and about the structure and hierarchy of human relationships. The data
is saleable, but they can profit from it without ever selling it, or
ever letting any human agents access information that uniquely
identifies YOU. Remember, they sell advertising. At a premium price.
All marketing and advertising agencies do data gathering, and Gmail is
how Google is doing it."