Long before Google revolutionized the world of digital communication with the introduction of Gmail in 2004, the name “Gmail” already referred to a completely different service for fans of the famous cat. Garfield. This strange email was offered on Garfield’s website in the 1990s and allowed thousands of users to communicate and access exclusive content about the character, marking a special period in the early history of the Internet.
The first Gmail service remembered by those who used the Internet in the late 1990s was born out of Paws Inc., the company responsible for the franchise founded by Jim Davis. Through the domain gmail.garfield.com, followers of the orange cat could receive an email address with the “Gmail” badge.and relates directly to the character and his universe.
This email was primarily a resource for interacting with the various sections of the Garfield website and provided the opportunity for free communication in the era before Google’s dominance, making it a rare digital phenomenon.
The gmail.com domain never ended up in the hands of Paws Inc., which preferred to keep all services centralized in its own web ecosystem, allowing them to optimize resources and user service.
With Google’s introduction of Gmail in 2004, the coexistence of the two services became unsustainable. It is mentioned that there was pressure from Google and that eventually Garfield’s company decided to move its service to the domain e-garfield.com and also adopted a new name: e-garfield.
According to records, this change occurred in 2001, before the public appearance of Google’s Gmail, leading to some uncertainty about the exact details of the conflict between the two companies.
The purpose of Garfield’s email was functional: testimony from the period indicates that an account was required to access certain interactive areas on the character’s website, although it was also available as a free, standalone email.
With the development of Internet and the emergence of other messaging systems and social networks, both Garfield’s original website and his historic email have disappeared. Changing consumer habits and the creator’s increasing age caused the website to stop working.
At times, the domain even redirected to sites with questionable legality, which worried fans. However, Garfield’s main domain was currently under the protection of Nickelodeonto ensure protection against unwanted use and thus maintain, if only symbolically, that unusual phase in which Gmail was a synonym for cats and lasagna.
Garfield is a comic book character created by Jim Davis in 1978. He is a domestic cat with orange fur known for his laziness, love of food – especially lasagna – and sarcastic sense of humor. He lives with his owner Jon Arbuckle and dog Odie, whom he often manipulates to satisfy his own whims.
Over the years, Garfield has become a pop culture icon. His comic strips are published in thousands of newspapers around the world and have inspired animated series, films and a wide range of products. The irreverent personality and everyday situations in which he stars have allowed the character to remain relevant across multiple generations.
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