In Mail and Gmail, I discussed the settings I used in Mail. Some are different than what Google recommends in Recommended IMAP client settings. I want to explain why.

First. Drafts. I did not select store messages on server as Google recommends. I have now changed that. Google recommends: “Store draft messages on the server > checked.” I don’t usually leave draft messages around. I usually write and send. But, I think storing on the server is a good thing. If I am writing email and need to come back to the draft to finish later, I can do it from my Mail client or—if away from my computer—from the web interface.

Sent. Google recommends “Store sent messages on the server > do NOT check.” I’m sticking with “DO Check.” Google’s reason is that all email sent through their server will automatically be put in the Sent box. I believe this, but I am not sure of the harm in putting mail into Sent in the Mail application. Google suggests it will cause duplication of messages. I’ve not seen this. In Mail, I often Move a message from Sent into a project folder. For example, today I received an email message regarding an interview for a graduate school program. I replied to it. I was at my day job, so using the Gmail web interface. I labelled both the received message and the reply “Grad School. The messages were still in my Gmail Inbox, but labeled. So, I clicked, “Archive.” The result when I got home and used Mail? The messages were in my “Grad School” folder. Brilliant. 🙂

Trash. Google says “Move deleted messages to the Trash mailbox > do NOT check” and “Store deleted messages on the server > do NOT check.” Google’s reasoning is that it makes no sense to delete. Google says, “Messages that are deleted from an IMAP folder (except for those in [Gmail]/Spam or [Gmail]/Trash) only have that label removed and still exist in All Mail.”

But, (I assume) since that was written, Gmail has created a “Delete” button, which puts deleted messages in the Trash. There are some messages I do not wish to save. There are some messages no one wants to save. No matter how cheap disk space is. My set-up allows me to delete things I really want to delete, putting them in the Gmail Trash. . Further, they say “Do NOT save deleted messages to your [Gmail]/Trash folder because this will delete a message in all folders.” Correct. When I delete I mean delete!

Junk mail and spam. Google says, “Do NOT enable your client’s junk mail filters. Gmail’s spam filters also work in your IMAP client, and we recommend turning off any additional anti-spam or junk mail filters within your client.” The way I have things set up in Mail allows me to tag spam that Gmail’s spam checker misses and have Mail move it into the Spam folder.

No regrets about the move to Gmail nor about using Mail with Gmail.