On May 24, 2007, at 4:35 PM, Lounds, Victor wrote:

> Is this horse dead yet?

If this horse isn't dead yet, can someone put it out of its misery?

I don't see how having google manage our email is going to solve some  
kind of magic problem. If all anyone really cares about is having an  
MSU front-end to google's *existing* service then use one of the  
438743982743 hacks to give google that MSU look.

You can have google now, why do we need some kind of special back  
door dealing with them? Anyone can sign up for a free account. Right  
now I tell people to email me at my MSU address and it goes to gmail.  
When I send mail from gmail, it appears to people to be coming from  
my MSU address.

So what does having google in our machine room buy us? Nothing that  
we don't already have. I don't see why MSU needs to compete with  
service providers. Scrooge McDuck always said, "Work smarter not  
harder." Hell if these places want to provide free services, I say we  
exploit what is already there.

I don't see the need to enter into an unnecessary agreement with a  
company who's interests have nothing to do with our own. In fact I  
would say their interests are questionable if they are so excited for  
universities to jump on board so badly that they will give away the  
milk for free.

I say they can have msu.edu when they pry it from our cold dead hands.
--Ray