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Comment by thinkzig | Hacker News Reader

Finally. I've been asking for this for years.

Allowing you to authenticate against another SMTP server always seemed like such an easy win for them and I couldn't understand why they didn't just do it. But I guess I'm not the one supporting millions of people on my platform. :)

This makes GMail an even stronger candidate now to replace a desktop mail client in my book. Thanks, Google.

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Why is this feature so important to you? Perhaps I can learn something useful.

It's useful because if you're using Gmail to manage email from your own domain(s), and have a non-Gmail primary email address, now people receiving your email won't have to know that you're using Gmail. Often I would get people start using my Gmail account even though I was sending mail from my own domain's email address.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/30/gmail-kisses-on-behalf-...

Google Apps for your domain can help you out--use Gmail and your domain all at once.

Then you have to log in to multiple places, no?

I did that, and abandoned it in favor of regular gmail. Gmail for domains did not have (at that time - I don't know the sitation now) all the features of regular gmail and it had a fixed space quota.

I wish I could migrate my normal Gmail account (all received email to date, current labels and rules) to my Google Apps for your domain account.

It would be time consuming especially if you have a lot of email, but it is possible. Set up your current account in an IMAP client like Thunderbird, download all the messages to local folders, set up the Apps account, move messages into that account.

you can use the new Filter Import/Export tool in Gmail Labs to migrate your rules: http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-in-labs-filter-imp...

What if you have multiple domains?

Just so you know, you can still see the email originated from gmail; you just don't get to see the gmail username. Probably not a huge issue, though?

Right. The first time I noticed the issue, I sent email to my landlord at the time (who was an older guy, a police officer and not all that technically-inclined). He saw my gmail username and somehow thought it was my last name. I thought I was sending him an email from "<firstname>@<lastname>.com"

But yeah, I don't care if someone can open up the headers and trace it back to gmail. I don't want (a) people getting confused; and (b) to have to reveal my gmail address every time I send mail with their client.

Another reason this matters: some places/domains require email to be directed through their auth'd SMTP servers. It means they can do things like sign all emails, or guarantee that all emails you send to people at the same workplace will be encrypted whenever they're transmitted over the public internet.

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