Lynn, belated welcome to a wonderfully friendly (and fun) forum.
I am not the ost frequent of folcs anymore on here but think this is basically how the holiday exchange works. I think 2 kind folcs volunteer to head it up. They create an email to which anyone interested in participating sends their name and mailing address to. I think this process happens over a months time to give as many people as want an opportunity to sign up. Once "sign ups" (if you want to call it that) are over, the 2 coordinators divide up the list of participants and match people up. This is all done "secretly" so no one knows until they get their card who their "secret holiday folc" will be. To make it "harder" to guess, I don't think it's ever an even exchange. Like if I was given your name, you wouldn't be given mine. Then during December and even January as people get their cards, they post, "revealing" their sender. It's a lot of fun and good way to get to know someone on here a little more personally. I am extremely cautious online and admit to not participating in this until a couple years ago, but, I did and all went well.
Whew, did I get that right? I hope!
Back on gmail topic, yikes, that does not sound very good about Google. I definitely don't like the idea of them holding onto my personal info. To be honest, I preferred the ease of Yahoo Mail to gmail. Maybe, I'll have to try it again. The main reason I wanted an alternate email is to seperate personal messages from those from stores such as KMART or CVS, who now have those savings cards. It just makes it easier.
Anyway, I pulled a Lois Lane ramble here, sorry about that!
Welcome and thank you again,
Mona
