Extra Gmail Invites

January 3, 2005 9:05 AM

GmailFilter: Looking for creative ways to dump spare invites. [M.I.]

I've had a Gmail account since October, and have already given away invites to everyone in my own social circle who still wanted one (about 12 people). The invites keep coming, though--I've gotten 12 just in the last week, and presumably there will be more in the future. I alternately ignored them, or given them away through isnoop.net's gmail invite spooler, but was wondering if there were any more creative or meaningful ways of distributing them (i.e. donating them to non-profits or other organizations, or people in other countries who might want them, etc.). I tried gmail4thetroops.com and a similar website, but apparently the supply of invites exceeds the demand.

posted by availablelight to Computers & Internet (23 answers total)

I've basically found there's no real point in giving them away. If you don't give them away, they don't give you any more. If you do give them away, then you end up with more to give away. I just sit in stasis now, with four invites to give away. Very occasionally, I stumble across someone who is looking for one, and pass one on, and then Google gives me another to replace it.

But if you really, really want to be the gmail fairy, any large mailing list or discussion board that you belong to can be a good way to give them away. Use an aside in a post you'd otherwise make anyway, and ask people to contact you offline so you don't generate noise on the list. There are just so many out there now, that the people who really wanted them already have them.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:45 AM on January 3, 2005

By this point I thought everyone who wanted one had one, but I just found out last week my stepbrother paid a buck for one on eBay. Sheesh. I second the "share with communities you already participate in" advice, be it a web forum or a local book club.
posted by pzarquon at 9:51 AM on January 3, 2005

I've been having the exact same problem- I almost asked this question myself. I've been to a lot of the Gmail message boards, but I just recently posted that I had some on a board related to my college, and people were like, oh, me, me, me! So, maybe try other web communities you're in?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:53 AM on January 3, 2005 [1 favorite]

My sister is looking for one. I tried emailing people offering 'em on the MeFi Wiki, but no responses yet.

availablelight: when I tried to email you using the address in your profile, it bounced.
posted by hyperizer at 10:24 AM on January 3, 2005

For the record, and for interested parties on this thread, I have a few extras. Email me and I'll send them to you or those you love.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 10:28 AM on January 3, 2005

Response by poster: I'm not sure why the email in my profile wouldn't work for anyone, but do try if you want one. hyperizer, an email is on the way.
posted by availablelight at 10:41 AM on January 3, 2005

Thanks availablelight! I passed the invite along.
posted by hyperizer at 10:51 AM on January 3, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks to all for the replies--jacquilynne, it somehow hadn't occured to me that "getting rid of" invites was akin to digging a hole in sand.

I'm happy to give them out to any MeFite who emails me, or anyone on the couple other communities I frequent. I was hoping, however, that somewhere there existed some small charity or organization or group that might benefit from gmail accounts--something like gmail4thetroops.com set out to be. Ah well.
posted by availablelight at 10:53 AM on January 3, 2005

Hyperizer mentioned it but I'll throw out the link: You can always put a note up on the Gmail node of the MeFi Wiki.
posted by mendel at 11:08 AM on January 3, 2005

I wish someone would write an app to auto-send out all my invites to isnoop or whoever, since everything is kind of a pain to do by hand.
posted by mathowie at 11:14 AM on January 3, 2005

What I can't figure out is why some people's cap at 4 or 6, and mine caps at 10. I have 10 invites to give and they're replenished as soon as I give 'em.

I wonder if it's because I have one of the earliest gmail accounts, from day 1 of gmail service for non-google employees. Maybe there's a special perk for that.
posted by u.n. owen at 11:17 AM on January 3, 2005

What I can't figure out is why...mine caps at 10. ... I wonder if it's because I have one of the earliest gmail accounts...

Nope. I've got ten, and mine's relatively recent.
posted by cribcage at 12:01 PM on January 3, 2005

Don't know what the ethics of this might be, but here's an idea:

Instead of giving out the invites, which will only be replenished by the Gmail Fairy, why not send the invites to yourself and set up a number of accounts -- you could use them for registering for websites when you think you'll get spam, for instance.

I know, it's kind of like giving King Soloman a gold watch. With a gig of email space, and a decent spam filter, I'm not sure what the point would be, but it's an option.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:09 PM on January 3, 2005

There's also always Gmailswap, through which I acquired my Gmail account for a glossy photo of Bob Dylan, and through which I traded one of my invitations for a bag of dried hot chili peppers. Everybody wins!

Also: if anyone wants an invite, email me.
posted by Dr. Wu at 12:25 PM on January 3, 2005

Oops - please disregard my suggestion. Looks like Gmailswap hasn't been updated in about two months.
posted by Dr. Wu at 12:36 PM on January 3, 2005

I too have more invites than I can use/give away.

Email me if you are interested.
posted by Sheppagus at 1:04 PM on January 3, 2005

ditto on the have invites to pass out, email me if you would like one.
posted by squeak at 1:08 PM on January 3, 2005

I have almost 50 invites. They are the bane of my existence, along with these gmail threads that pop up every month.
posted by justgary at 4:59 PM on January 3, 2005

Response by poster: I dunno, I did a MeFi and AskMe search and couldn't find anything related to "getting rid of" invites (or conversely, getting them) since back when they were actually hot and sought-after. Maybe you mean on other forums.
posted by availablelight at 5:12 PM on January 3, 2005

I also have invites available, if anyone is still interested.

On a (kind of) related topic: I haven't used my gmail address in any websites except MeFi, only for members to see, and I've started getting spam since. has anyone else had this problem or am I just terribly unlucky?
posted by Penks at 9:54 PM on January 3, 2005

You're unlucky; it hasn't happened to me yet.
posted by calwatch at 1:41 AM on January 5, 2005

I have six invites available if anyone wants them.
posted by SisterHavana at 11:10 AM on January 5, 2005

Say hello to the Gmail Invite Spooler. I send all my invites this way- I don't know where they all go, but they go. Halleluhiuh.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:54 PM on January 23, 2005 [1 favorite]