New Features at Gmail

by Art Fag City on February 11, 2008 · 19 comments Events

gmail.jpg

Allow me to take a minute to complain about the idiocy gmail has suddenly taken to assuming of its users. Positive changes to programs do not include adding a feature that allows you to “go to this link” after you’ve attached it to a word in your email. I put it there myself so someone else could look at it, so why would I a) not know how to follow my own link, b) need it again? Also, previously the picture icon of a broken link in the tool bar menu told me with complete clarity how to remove a link I decided I didn’t want. Now, the “remove this link” message serves only to obscure the text I’m writing.

The most annoying added idiot feature however has little to this. Undoubtedly designed by money makers wanting you to stay around longer and click on their ads, a pop up now appears when you click to sign out of your account reading, “Are you sure you want to navigate away from this page?” Thanks for your concern gmail, but it’s not like you don’t save my drafts every two seconds (except of course, when I’m writing something long and important and you decide not to work.) I know what I’m doing.

Speaking to the larger philosophies behind Google, the initial success behind the search engine, to my mind, lay in their decision not to try and anticipate what a user might want, but rather assuming we knew best (ie no categories, and filters based the number of links to a particular website.) These new changes seem antithetical to the reasons Google became popular in the first place.

Additional note: I love that gmail is free, but it also means it offers no services when you actually need it. Given my reliance on the service, this does make me a little uncomfortable.

{ 19 comments }

matt lucas February 12, 2008 at 4:11 pm

If you let them know the new feature sucks, I bet it disapears soon.

matt lucas February 12, 2008 at 11:11 am

If you let them know the new feature sucks, I bet it disapears soon.

Art Fag City February 12, 2008 at 5:47 pm

That’s part of the problem. You can’t. There’s no way to send google feedback, except of course to index your complaint.

Art Fag City February 12, 2008 at 5:47 pm

That’s part of the problem. You can’t. There’s no way to send google feedback, except of course to index your complaint.

Art Fag City February 12, 2008 at 12:47 pm

That’s part of the problem. You can’t. There’s no way to send google feedback, except of course to index your complaint.

matt lucas February 12, 2008 at 7:19 pm
matt lucas February 12, 2008 at 7:19 pm
matt lucas February 12, 2008 at 7:19 pm
matt lucas February 12, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Art Fag City February 12, 2008 at 7:22 pm

I guess this is why comments exist.

Art Fag City February 12, 2008 at 2:22 pm

I guess this is why comments exist.

paul February 13, 2008 at 9:03 pm

You can use gmail from a pop mail client like Thunderbird. That’s what I do. If you don’t like their interface you can pick a client with an interface you do like. I also gotta have access to my email when I’m not online.

paul February 13, 2008 at 4:03 pm

You can use gmail from a pop mail client like Thunderbird. That’s what I do. If you don’t like their interface you can pick a client with an interface you do like. I also gotta have access to my email when I’m not online.

Erik February 14, 2008 at 7:43 am

I was going to say the same thingas Paul, use a email client like thunderbird or Mail on a Mac…
If use use the IMAP setting instead of POP, the online version will be the same as ur desktop version ( i.e. deleted email will be deleted)

Erik February 14, 2008 at 7:43 am

I was going to say the same thingas Paul, use a email client like thunderbird or Mail on a Mac…
If use use the IMAP setting instead of POP, the online version will be the same as ur desktop version ( i.e. deleted email will be deleted)

Erik February 14, 2008 at 2:43 am

I was going to say the same thingas Paul, use a email client like thunderbird or Mail on a Mac…
If use use the IMAP setting instead of POP, the online version will be the same as ur desktop version ( i.e. deleted email will be deleted)

Art Fag City February 14, 2008 at 7:56 am

Thanks for the tip! I guess given my new found hatred for gmail I should probably do that…and also set up a client for gchat. I use thunderbird for artcal emails already, but those nerdier than me set it up.

Art Fag City February 14, 2008 at 2:56 am

Thanks for the tip! I guess given my new found hatred for gmail I should probably do that…and also set up a client for gchat. I use thunderbird for artcal emails already, but those nerdier than me set it up.

Jerrall April 9, 2011 at 9:21 pm

gmail has alot of nice features except “help when you need it”

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