IMAP and gmail

Most people are probably happy with using their browser for read mails. I am not. I want a separate application, preferably thunderbird, which gives me more flexibility and more responsiveness. I have been irritated for a long time that the only way around the problem was by accessing POP3 to fetch mails from the google service. I have been using IMAP for years and am not going back to a solution that is local only and will not allow me to access my mails from anywhere and from several terminals at the same time.

But there are ways to turn around the problems, by using some free hosting services. Here is what I did to make it all work:

1. I started an account at an e-mail free hosting service that supports IMAP. There are at least two that will work: inmail24.com and fastmail.fm. Both services offer enough storage for a while, the second one forbidding use for businesses. You will have to look for the appropriate host name for IMAP, it is not always obvious.
   
2. I have arranged to forward all incoming gmail emails to the account from one of these services. This account will never be public, since I only use it for forwarding.
3. I also have arranged to keep all emails at google, since this offers me the security of a backup.
   
4. In thunderbird, I have declared the "hidden" account as my gmail account.
5. I have made sure to use the gmail settings for sending emails, since the account is hidden from the public.
6. Whenever I need to create folders or to create filters for these new folders, I log in onto one of the free IMAP services and make the necessary modifications there.