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Story: Google Mail hit with account deletion controversy

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I'm 100% webmail now, because I've lost at least three hard drives to crashes over the past 10 years or so. I don't have confidential, mission-critical information in my mailboxes -- what I do have there are messages from friends and family, or messages from mailing lists that don't have long-term archives. Those are the sort of messages I'd like to keep but can't be always bothered to save on my local storage. If I lose those messages, I'd be mighty upset but life would go on.

As to confidential, mission-critical email -- well d'uh, there's no such thing as confidential email unless you use encryption, which I have yet to see in a Webmail service.

As to "crucial", especially business-related files -- I do have some of those on my Webmail accounts but they're mainly for archival purposes. I'm a writer and consultant and I save my stuff, including work-in-progress, somewhere in my Webmail. But I also back up my work-in-progress on either CD or USB thumbdrive. Perhaps those who do rely on their Webmail for storing biz-related files can explain what kind of files they keep online, because I can't relate to the concept.

In summary, I rely 100% on Webmail -- no local POP/IMAP client for me -- in effect, I'm entrusting my data to professionals whose job it is to keep mail running and my files reasonably safe. My job is to write articles or reports, presentations, and documentation for my clients, the Webmail provider's job is to manage my mail services and my data. Whether it's a paid service or not is irrelevant, because ultimately, someone pays. Paying would give me the right to certain expectations and the corresponding redress for my provider's failure to meet those expectations. Subscribing to a no-fee service means that someone else -- e.g., advertisers -- foots the bill, and they wouldn't be happy to learn of poor service, would they?

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