So Why Can't Google Afford to offer Gmail to Everyone?

[grobe]

I was thinking of signing up for Google as a backup email account (I am thinking my current address may be getting spam-blocked at places) but Google requires a referral--so signed up at Yahoo instead.
While I can understand why it did this originally (debugging the system, avoiding overloads while being rolled out), I don't see why it continues.

Incompetence seems the most likely answer.

[pele]

I thought they did it to weed out the riff raff. ;)
If it's by referral then maybe the people that use it are less likely to abuse it by spamming etc.

[skibum]

If ya want a Gmail account, just ask anyone who has one, everybody has invites.

[TinkyWinky]

less likely to abuse it

Perhaps - but then that hasn't stopped me getting quite a few viagra and other dodgy emails....

[balam]

If you have a mobile phone that accepts text messages and you live in one of a very limited list of countries (less than a dozen!), then you can "invite" yourself to Gmail.

[google.com...]

FYI: I have not tried this, so there's bound to be some big caveats that I'm not aware of.

[blairsp]

Think I have 50 invites left of my original 50 (?) So if anyone wants one PM me