AOL's Acidic Gmail Chortle

We can't tell if this is clever or desperate. Last Friday, AOL's Webmail team threw up a blog post mocking Gmail for being consistently late introducing nifty features to its e-mail service. The gagsters pretend they've just run into Gmail at a Halloween party and praise its costume for being so deliciously retro. "We think it's great that you're using this holiday to pay homage to the one who started it all, who got 35 million people online at once, gave them all email, great content and messaging capabilities, and even created a forum that encouraged them to speak in emoticons," the post kicks off, as if emoticons were something other than the pustulating sores they are.

From there, it's on to ribbing Google for being behind the times on instant messaging, sidebar options, and attachment warnings. "They say imitation is the best form of flattery," the team winds up, "so Gmail, we thank you and we are indeed very flattered. Putting together a costume that is so dead-on could not have been easy, and you've got it down pat. Trying to convince all the other kids at the party that the only thing to use is Gmail and putting out a press release every time you add a new button to the service is just so 1998. We're telling you—this outfit brings back memories!"

File it under chortling past the graveyard. As Wired's Chris Snyder points out, this post only underscores how thoroughly Google has surpassed a company that once set the standards for electronic communication. "And it's also a funny way of putting your best foot forward when you are, um, for sale," Snyder adds.