Most of the Toronto media has already covered the availability of email alerts about TTC service. The signup page is available on their website. I got the first alert after signing up earlier this week. Here’s what they look like:

from		My TTC <TTC@myttce-alerts.com>
reply-to	11002-1322TTC@myttce-alerts.com
to		xxxxxxxxxxxx
date		Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 10:37 PM
subject		TTC Service Alert [Yonge-University-Spadina Subway Line]
mailed-by	myttce-alerts.com

A section of the Yonge-University-Spadina Subway service is currently shut
down from Eglinton Station to Bloor Station. Shuttle buses are in service.

Last updated Jan 15, 2009 10:37 PM

Sent: 1/15/09 10:37 PM

It’s hard to tell from this email if it was sent timely, but as more people use this service, I bet they get it figured out quite quickly.

You can get my latest posts emailed to your email addres. If you are interested, you can sign up here.

Since Gmail came out with it’s large 1gb email accounts, millions and millions of people have signed up for it and use it as their primary email. However, one of my friends just had his email account disabled for no apparent reason. Moreover, a Google search of “Gmail disabled” reveals that this has happened to thousands of people over the past few years. Some of the people get their account back, but many just don’t hear from the Gmail team at all and are forced to lose their email and switch to another provider.

We rely so much on email these days that it’s hard to imagine someone being so careless with handling their customer service this way. However, Goggle is a virtual company and there’s no phone number to call, and their email is not answered by many of the people that have contacted them.

For now, I’m going to lessen my reliance on Gmail.