Frequently Asked Questions about Google Apps for Education (GAE)
General
- What does Google Apps for Education (GAE) gain us?
- Will my email address change with GAE?
- Who do I call if I have problems with or questions about GAE?
- I'm a senior graduating before the migration deadline. Should I still migrate or remain with what I'm using?
- GAE is free to educational institutions like St. Olaf, so how does Google make money?
- Can Google stop GAE service or start charging for it?
Privacy
- What are the Security and Privacy Issues with GAE? What happens with our email when it sits on Google’s servers? Is Google reading my mail?
- So, is my data private with GAE?
- If my email, address book and calendar information is stored off-campus on Google’s servers, who owns this data?
- If my email, address book and calendar information is stored off campus on Google’s servers, who has access to it?
Gmail
- What changes with GAE?
- I’m already a Gmail user. Can I combine my existing Gmail account with GAE at St. Olaf?
- Can I still use Thunderbird/Outlook/Mac Mail/Eudora with GAE?
- I'm forwarding my email to another address. Do I still need to go through the migration?
- Can I search for partial words?
- How are filters applied to messages?
- When I print my mail using File -> Print, the printout is not correct. Why?
- How do I label a message in my inbox with an existing label?
- How can I find a St. Olaf email address?
- How can I have Gmail alert me in the task bar when I have new mail?
- Why don't I receive an email when I send a message to a mailing list (or alias) that I'm on?
- Is there a way to make the banner that appears above the Archive/Spam/Delete buttons and the Inbox listing go away? It is promoting entertainment, news items, etc.
- Why did I get locked out of my email?
- Gmail isn't loading. What should I do?
- I am going to be gone for a few days and won't be able to check e-mail. Can I set up a vacation/auto-responder message?
- I placed a note in the address book for all the people in my group, yet when I do a search for contacts they don't come up. Why?
- I like to keep "templates" of messages I send often. How do I do that in Gmail?
- Can I add an email to a conversation by changing its subject line?
- How do I transfer my mail from my St. Olaf Gmail account to some other account? (i.e., I'm leaving St. Olaf and want to take my mail with me.)
- I have Google Talk installed, but when I click on a mailto link, the Gmail "To:" field is empty...
- How do I check my email if gmail.stolaf.edu isn't working?
- I have Mac OSX 10.3 and can't get mailto links to use gmail.
Calendars
- How can I prevent people's calendar invitations from automatically appearing on my calendar?
- I have many Google calendars displayed at once and I want to just view one or two for now. Can I switch between calendars or hide certain calendars?
- How can I see/add a holiday calendar?
- How do I get a calendar with St. Olaf events?
- Can I get a daily summary of my calendar via email?
- How can I add a document attachment to my calendar event?
Chat/Instant Messaging
- How can I prevent people I don't want to chat with from chatting with me?
- How can I be alerted when an instant message comes in?
- How can I limit who can chat with me?
Google Docs
Mobile Units
- Can I access my GAE account with a mobile web browser?
- Can I sync my PDA and cell phone with GAE?
- How do I reset the convenience key on my Blackberry?
- I am not receiving email on my Blackberry until long after it is sent. What's wrong?
Can't Find Your Question?
If you can't find your question listed above, you can also check out these resources:
- Google's Gmail Help
- Gmail Known Issues
- Google's Calendar Help
- Google Calendar Known Issues
- IIT Helpdesk: x3830, helpdesk@stolaf.edu or IM at stocomputerhelp