Regarding 3) VIP filter -- That's how I'm currently using AwayFind [1] with my GMail in Google Apps. My most frequent VIP filter is {if they reply today} but for some people I'll do {if they reply this week} and I get a phone call and it's read back to me. The context and timing is the important thing for me. The really powerful feature is specific words (optional) but I'm presently inclined to rely on my own reply behavior to set the tone of my perceived inbox. It's pretty addicting.
Regarding 3) VIP filter -- That's how I'm currently using AwayFind [1] with my GMail in Google Apps. My most frequent VIP filter is {if they reply today} but for some people I'll do {if they reply this week} and I get a phone call and it's read back to me. The context and timing is the important thing for me. The really powerful feature is specific words (optional) but I'm presently inclined to rely on my own reply behavior to set the tone of my perceived inbox. It's pretty addicting.
[1] #include 'disclaimer.h' /* I'm an advisor */