Google has pushed a new feature that integrates its email client, Gmail and social network Google+ in a very handy way. Gmail users will now be able to send emails to people they have in their Google+ circles. This feature has outdone one of the basic cornerstone that was required to send emails – knowing the email address of the recipient. You need not to have the email id of the recipient as long as you have him/her in any of your Google+ circle.
While most of the tech companies are busy showing off their products at the Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas, search juggernaut is rethinking the email mechanism.
The emails sent this way will land in the primary tab, and not Social – unless the sender isn’t in your connection and you haven’t changed the default settings, or any other place that might not get much of your attention. But you can obviously decide the people you would want to receive emails from.
Emailing Google+ connections also takes advantage of Gmail’s new inbox’s categories. When someone in your circles emails you, the email will appear in the Primary category. But if you don’t have them in your circles, it will be filtered into the Social category (if enabled) and they’ll only be able start another conversation with you if you respond or add them to your circles, says David Nachum, Product Manager at Gmail.
If you don’t see this feature in your Gmail just yet, don’t sweat on it. The feature will take some days to be completely rolled out to all its users.
Although this feature does sound like an awesome idea, it raises some security concerns like strangers spamming your account. Twitter did a similar feature recently where any of the followers were allowed to send DM (Direct Message) to the people they follow, irrespective whether they follow you or not. But this feature was very shortly removed as well. It will be interesting to see if Google has thought this through.
