Ever since gmail offered unlimited space (and I went broadband), I've been using it as a highly available, reliable and free archiving system. Whenever I want to keep forever, I just email to myself. And it remains forever in my inbox and sent items. But gmail has a problem (? may be feature is a better word ?). It does not let you send executable files. And you cannot zip it to fool gmail. So the other day I wanted to archive this old game called Prince of Persia (Was my favourite for a very very long time... and I would still play it if at all it runs in wine). Buu gmail wont let me send it :-| Solution ? Simple compose the mail and leave it in drafts ;-) Just label it with the same label you use for your other archives. I actually spent a lot of time trying to figure out a mind-dazzling way to email it (encryption and stuff like that). But realized that while I was busy thinking ... gmail smartly saved the draft without testing for the so called forbidden contents. So next time you want to archive something ... Just email it.
P.S. There are two problems with this approach. First - the age old copyright laws. I believe google has all the rights over the stuff in your mail box. But being a ordinary user as I am, I don't think google has any reason to try use my stuff. Second - Maximum attachment size. But it hasn't been a problem so far. And anyways max attachment size has been increasing with time so should not be a problem in future as well.
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FYI, they don't have rights over anything.
However, I recently heard of a few cases where Gmail died on users, and the account restored to them was blank. Yes, they lost everything.
I'm having second thoughts about how I'm using it now..
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