Gmail: replies load images

We all know that Google are very good at what they do and most of know that they allow their employees a certain amount of time for personal projects to help improve Google as a whole and things like Google Docs came from it.

Now Gmail has pipped AOL for the 3rd biggest email provider they are starting to focus more making it more convenient for their users.

The latest cool thing is Gmail "Now displaying images in messages from your contacts" by David de Kloet July 20.
Basically, if you are in the recipient's address book and they have emailed you twice, your images will automatically load. Also your emails need to be authenticated (SPF and/or DKIM).

What does that mean to senders? You have to ask people to reply to your emails!
"Replies!" I hear you cry. Oooh, are you scared?

I hate it when an email is from do-not-reply@ima-rubbish-emailmarketer.com, it alienates people, especially now with all of the social media and Seth Godin taking us, quite rightly, out of the age of the broadcast and into the age of interaction.

The thing is, handling email replies is complicated: you get auto-replies, lots and lots of spam to your mailing address and then if you have a large list someone has to read them all.

Any good ESP will filter out the auto-replies and only send through the real replies and be authenticated with SPF and DKIM - pure360 definitely is.

If this picks up and other ISPs also adopt it, ESPs will have to do something with their software to make this easier and we'll have a whole new strategy to talk about - which is great for me.