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Use iGoogle's Gmail Gadget to Get Around Blocked Gmail
Posted by Kevin Purdy at 11:00 PM on July 21, 2008
The Daily Gyan blog adds to the list of work-arounds to access Gmail at places where it's normally blocked—this time, by using the fully-functional gadget available in the "new" iGoogle. If you're willing to sign up as a "developer" to get an early preview of Google's reworked start page, as Adam explained how to do, you simply add the Gmail gadget, click the "maximize" button on it, and you've got a nearly complete inbox view. And since iGoogle comes from a Google.com URL, it's less likely to be blocked, unless, of course, the IT overlords in question are reading this right now.
Tags: gmail | igoogle | it lockdown | work
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
stu
Posted July 22, 2008 4:07 PM
I noticed this with the old iGoogle, but was always infuriated by only being able to see 4 words of the subject and nothing else.
neil2121
Posted 12:23 AM 22/7/08
You no longer have to sign up as a developer to get access to the new igoogle according to this google blog.
[googlesystem.blogspot.com]
neil2121
suprfli
Posted 12:45 AM 22/7/08
To add to Norcross & Kandy's comments, the "IT Overlords" typically get their marching orders from Human Resources and Legal. Web-based email is typically blocked to prevent data leakage(users emailing out sensitive documents) or to prevent users from downloading a malicious attachment or clicking on malicious URLs such as phishing sites. The average Jane Office Worker isn't as savvy about what to click on and not click on in emails and to have that in a corporate environment is opening you up for legal and IT nightmares.
If you have urgent personal email that needs your attention during business hours get a smartphone or go to your local free wifi coffee shop at lunch and check email on your personal laptop.
suprfli
Kandy477
Posted 12:39 AM 22/7/08
I second Norcross's comment - the "IT Overlords" aren't blocking things just to be mean to you. There are valid reasons for everything we do, even if they aren't readily apparent to the average user.
Don't get fired over your personal email. I'm sure that anything sent to your personal email address isn't so critical that it can't wait until you get home.
Kandy477
Norcross
Posted 12:30 AM 22/7/08
Careful here. The reason why it's blocked in most places is due to regulatory issues. My office has all personal web-based email blocked due to Sarbanes-Oxley concerns (all email has to be archived). A simple work-around? Get a smartphone with a data plan, and avoid getting fired.
Norcross
Jim (The Canuck One)
Posted 12:56 AM 22/7/08
@suprfli: Agreed. Case in point, a certain shop I know of, which shall remain nameless, recently had a small flood of malware infected machines.
It turns out some perfectly nice people, when accessing their private email, would read messages like "New Photos of China Earthquake: url with IP address" and would click the damn link without thinking for 3 bloody seconds. Sigh.
Jim (The Canuck One)
Neo
Posted 2:09 AM 22/7/08
@suprfli:
most of the times "IT Overlords" and "Human Resources" are just different names of "The Devil"
Neo
kersti
Posted 7:07 AM 22/7/08
I use igoogle to see if I have any email of interest, if it's something that I really want to see (such as a message from my mum) I'll log in via my mobile phone and eiher read it on that or forward it to work.
kersti
Quicksilver_Johny
Posted 8:24 AM 22/7/08
@Kandy477: School-based IT Overlords are in fact, evil.
Quicksilver_Johny
kameronkilchrist
Posted 11:37 AM 22/7/08
i don't know if anyone else's school/organization uses lightspeed to filter, but if they do, just go to [mail.google.com]
it totally gets around the filter. if they're even smarter and also have dns filtering, grab the ip for mail.google.com from home (72.14.247.83).
A DNS search says [googlemail.google.com] should also work.
kameronkilchrist
kameronkilchrist
Posted 11:58 AM 22/7/08
those links were supposed to make the httpS very clear. apparently using https causes the filter to not filter.
kameronkilchrist
MePerson
Posted 2:08 AM 23/7/08
Just go to [www.google.com] .
MePerson