I was playing with an idea of synchronizing labeled GMail messages to Basecamp. I liked this idea. You can label your messages with your project name, or setup automatic rules for labeling and get your conversations with customers be synchronized to your Basecamp account. Nice? Definitely.
I’ve even wrote some simple code that uses GMailer library. But, first of all, it’s a kind of hack. GMail does not offer any official API except “preview” Atom feeds and POP3. First seems to be not very viable because it previews only few latest messages and, AFAIR, cutted message content. The second approach is definitely inefficient.
Second, GMailer library will be broken instantly when Google will change Gmail web interface.
Third, it seems that it is just illegal to use GMailer’s approach.
So, adding small but (as for me) useful features for such a good web application as Google is in fact rejected. I’ve found myself thinking about Premium Gmail accounts with full access API enabled. I’m ready to pay a reasonable fee for this feature.
But is it interesting for Google? I don’t know.
Hello Yrashk, I am setting up a site, in which I want to enable preview of web mails from gmail. looking for gmailer info I’ve encountered your post and saw the following - “Third, it seems that it is just illegal to use GMailer’s approach.” Did you mean it’s illegal to use gmailer to fetch emails from gmail, or just for a specific use you were referring to? Thank you Guy
Guy,
as per some conversation I’ve had on IRC somebody said that he is working for Google said that Google might consider massive HTTP usage (using some kind of bots, which could be created with GMailer) as a not normal behavior and thus ban your IP. That’s what I’ve heard.
Yurii.