It was inevitable. They updated a “corporate” firewall at work (read: tighten down the ol’ browsing screws). Not that I have much time to even surf the ‘net, nor do I get much personal email, but I do like to check my Gmail account periodically.

Well I found a way to check and even SEND Gmail without going to Google’s site. Here’s how.

• Sign up for a PageFlakes.com account [don't worry, it's free]
• Log in. Your user ID will be the email address you sign up with.
• Click on the big “Menu” button located in the upper right hand corner.
• Find the “Top Flakes” (left sidebar) and click on it.
• Find the Email icon and click on it.
• An email widget will be added to your content area at the bottom of your Pageflakes screen. Select the “please configure your email account” link.
• Next, configure the appropriate Account Settings and Preferences. Note: “Pop Download” must be enabled in your GMail settings. You can follow a handy-dandy link to Gmail to configure this (hi-evuh, you may need to configure your Gmail from home, since you can’t friggin’ do this at work!)

When all is said and done, you can navigate to Pageflakes.com, login and then view your Gmail inbox widget while safely tucked behind your company’s firewall blanket (read: woobie). Go ahead, read your email, reply or compose away!

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* I’ve since discovered that using a secure server URL

will circumnavigate the firewall also.

Try using this address in your browser:

Notice the HTTPS://

This will may allow full access to your Gmail.