I'm not sure what this API enables that can't be done over IMAP. IMAP may not be as familiar as JSON-over-REST, but it's supported by virtually all mail clients

I'm not sure what this API enables that can't be done over IMAP. IMAP may not be as familiar as JSON-over-REST, but it's supported by virtually all mail clients and providers, which makes it about as open as you can get. Already the Gmail IMAP implementation is non-standard in a number of annoying-but-workable ways. I've been suspecting for a while that they're going to kill it or lock it down, the way they did for XMPP and Talk[0]. I really hope this isn't the first step towards that. As bpodgursky pointed out, this sentence is troubling: > It will replace IMAP, a common but complex way for applications to communicate with most email services, limiting the number of apps that can work with Gmail Emphasis mine. [0] I admittedly had no evidence for this speculation before today, just a worry.