Google already makes online email easy for us with all the cool tools and features they jam pack into it. But Rapportive, a third party developing company, has created a way to harness social media to make Gmail even better.
In a nutshell, Rapportive places a sidebar on the right side or your Gmail screen when you’re reading an email. That sidebar displays a picture of the sender and taps into their publicly viewable social media feeds to give you a snapshot of who’s emailing you on the other end- whether you’re connected to them via social media or not.
The obvious benefits stand out when you think of Craigslist or other sites where strangers solicit you uninvited. In a world of Nigerian Princes who all want me to unwittingly give up my personal information, I find a little extra comfort in Rapportive.
WE INTERRUPT THIS NORMALLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM FOR A CREEPER ALERT
Yes, that means that there may be plenty of Johns and Janes out there already using Rapportive to feed them info about you on their end. I’m one of them.
If you’re worried about oversharing, the best solution is to limit what’s publicly viewable about you online- if you’re concerned with that sort of thing. But consistent adherence to smart personal information sharing rules should keep you out of hot water.
What cool tools do you have added to your Gmail account to make it more powerful? Leave them in the comments below!
