Gmail Going Public?

A couple of months ago, before I got a Gmail account, I signed-up for the Gmail notification service from Google so I could eventually get a invite. Well today Google just sent me that letter! I already have an account so this is not much use to me, but it might signal a public release. Here are the contents of my email:

Hi there,

Thanks for signing up to be updated on the latest Gmail happenings.����We hope it's been worth the wait, because we're excited to finally offer you an invitation to open a free Gmail account! Just click on this link to create your new account:


http://gmail.google.com/gmail/d-2-sammykrupa%40comcast.net-063bbad8927e354c940fbb6a76b44dd3452e5d84

Since last April, we've been working hard to create the best email service possible. It already comes with 1,000 megabytes of free storage, powerful Google search technology to find any message you want instantly, and a new way of organizing email that saves you time and helps you make sense of all the information in your inbox.

And here are just some of the things that we've added in the last few months:

- Free POP access: Take your messages with you. Download them, read them offline, access them using Outlook, your Blackberry or any other device that supports POP

- Gmail Notifier: Get new mail notifications and see the messages and their senders without having to open a browser

- Better contacts management: Import your contacts from Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, Outlook, and others to Gmail in just a few clicks. Add phone numbers, notes and more. Even use search to keep better track of it all.

We also wanted to thank you. For showing us your support and for being so patient. And to those who have already signed up for Gmail, thank you for giving it a try and for helping us make it better. Our users are what have made this product great.����So whether you're just signing up for your account or you've been with us since the beginning, keep letting us know how we can build you the best email service around.

That's it for now. We hope you like Gmail and will share it with your friends. We've got lots of cool new stuff planned and we can't wait for you to see our work in your Gmail accounts! Stay tuned...

Thanks,
The Gmail Team

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We sent you this message because you signed up to be updated on Gmail. If you do not wish to receive such updates in the future, you may opt-out of receiving Gmail updates by visiting:
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1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043

Anyone else get this email? Comments in the comment section on this post.

UPDATE: Some people in the comments section (thanks, dp and Mickey Reiss����!) have said that they too have gotten this email from Google.