As you can see in this image or read here, you can now “Sign Up” for Gmail.
The funny thing is that you need a cellphone so that you can get an invitation code sent to your mobile , and with this code, you can create a Gmail account. An anti-spam measure.
If you try to open gmail’s website you’ll not see this “Sign Up” option because you’re not in the United States. How have I made this printscreen (being in Portugal)?
Simply by using an USA proxy.
Is this a good method, asking for a cellphone number?
Well… considering that almost everyone has a Gmail account nowadays (I still have 50 invitations..) I don’t see how this measure can be very effective.
Let us wait for the upcoming cellphone/sms features to see how this goes.
Hello
Just found your blog after cruising around looking for what other Azevedo’s do when theyre bored.
So far youre the only other one into computers besides myself that Ive found (Im a programmer currently with Cisco in San Jose, Cal).
As for Google, it seems kind of strange; while there certainly are a lot of cell phone users in the US, there arent nearly as many as in europe, for example. I cant stand them and leave mine at home. I find it hard to understand why sign up is limited to owners of a particular device, especially considering, as you point out, it probably isnt hard to get around if one really tries.
Nice of you to drop me that lines! Thanks!
You’re also the first Azevedo that I meet online. And you work at Cisco! How’s it like?