Letter to Google

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 Labels: GMail , Google

First off, let me just say how fantastic the GMail web interface is. For my style and usage patterns, it can't be beat. I have used a two folder system in Outlook for four to five years now, since I gave up on trying to keep things organized into folders (and Google Desktop provided a search mechanism that worked for my emails). And, the conversation view is wonderful! I also think the Google Apps for Domains suite of functionality and tools is superb.

So, naturally, I have all of my domains running on Google Apps for Domains and all email pointed to my one standard GMail account.

But, there's a problem. I have missed several important emails during the last month, two of which has caused some missed deadlines with my own MicroISV. Not good.

To be honest, I didn't think much about it until tonight when on the phone, my partner and I, were discussing some tasks that had to be done this morning and tonight, when I hadn't received either sets of emails. Very not good.

So, I logged in to the Apps account directly and found that the only emails stopped in the SPAM filter are 12 emails from my business partner spanning the last 30 days.. (Out of all emails I receive from him, the twelve trapped in the last month were probably the most important ones he sent, but that's a different story.) That also explained several disconnects we've had.

What is also really strange about this, is that I've gotten emails from the Apps account, forwarded to my standard account, then trapped as SPAM (rightfully so) in my standard account. So, what gives.. Gmail is forwarding SPAM, but trapping

Anyway, I'm hoping to find a way to completely turn off SPAM filtering on my forwarded Gmail account so I won't have this problem again. Is that possible? Or at least a whitelist protection?

My business partner is ready to go back to hosting our own email server again, including purchasing Exchange 2007. I'm hoping to stay with the great Gmail web interface, but... only if I can ensure this type of thing won't happen again.

Please help?