Google has launched Advanced IMAP Controls in Gmail Labs, a feature that lets users fine-tune the behavior of the IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) technology that outside e-mail services or software can use to access Gmail accounts.
The options are such that you can limit which of your mail labels are exposed as folders to outside e-mail clients to improve performance. according to the Gmail blog posting, “if you find your mail client choking on a big All Mail folder,” the often-overstuffed location where Gmail messages are archived so they’re still available but not in the way.
This is interesting because it shows how flexible an infrastructure Google has built under Gmail. That’s powerful because the company can monitor how often people use the options, and how that affects Gmail’s performance and utility.
The Gmail Labs options are largely independent of each other, Google can test many improvements simultaneously. The overall approach lets the company gradually morph Gmail rather than release massive, disruptive overhauls.
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