New Mandatory GMail Compose

[Tom]

I just meant that I'd have kept using my old email client, but it was re-written near two years ago now, and still isn't stable.. but the old version isn't supported or maintained anymore, and even debian gave up on it recently. So I had to upgrade to the new version

[Tom]

I also find the basis for this change dubious, Google claimed that the majority of e-mail communication sent through GMail is as short as an IM message and therefore is the dominant form of e-mail (I question this analysis). At any rate, they've modified the one part of e-mail everyone uses without any kind of option to configure it. Not smart.

I've noticed that their "conversation" interface encourages that sort of behavior. After the first message, it seems more like a chat, than a mail. So Im thinking most people end up falling into that. Which is why "most email" to google is in chat form.

[Mr. Analog]

And let's not consider the amount of one-liner responses initiated by larger e-mail

To me this should have been something you could turn on or off, not something on by default.

[Darren Dirt]

To me this should have been something you could turn on or off, not something on by default.

YEAH, just like the "show conversations as THREADS*" option which can (duh) be disabled/enabled



*ironically, this was the big "selling point" for me to get hooked into Gmail, and I'm sure I'm not the only one -- but forcing people to use even THAT option would be dumb, let alone imposing upon long-term users this NEW "IM conversation" interface which is nothing people were asking for, certainly not a stand-out improvement over other email offerings (which the auto-threading was, imo).

[Mr. Analog]

That's a really good example Darren, there have been many features that give you new abilities without taking away old ones.

I guess I'm particularly soured by customer relationship that Google wants vs the one they actually have. On one hand they open things up for testing, where you can give feedback and help guide development, unfortunately this is not a proportionate slice of the actual user base. From my experience the majority of the beta testers that sign up are disturbingly sycophantic and not really far thinking. You will catch @%&# from other testers if you think the very premise of the thing you are beta testing is a poor idea. I've seen this bite Google in the ass more than once, and more than once they've had to roll back changes that were probably not cheap to develop or roll out.

This year has been particularly bad with changes to YouTube and GMail and though the warning signs have been raised early in beta Google has in most cases chosen to push forward to disastrous results.

[Lazybones]

It should be noted that a whole generation of kids that primarily used SMS before entering the workforce do not use email the same way we do.

[Darren Dirt]

It should be noted that a whole generation of kids that primarily used SMS before entering the workforce do not use email the same way we do.

That same generation has perhaps NEVER sent a non-"e" mail through the postal service. Does that mean we should change how that works too? 

[Lazybones]

It should be noted that a whole generation of kids that primarily used SMS before entering the workforce do not use email the same way we do.

That same generation has perhaps NEVER sent a non-"e" mail through the postal service. Does that mean we should change how that works too? 

Not sure if the wink refers to it but the public postal systems are getting close to falling apart due to drops in regular mail. A large number of online deliveries are done via private firms and common mail such as bills and statements now get delivered via email like you stated.

[Darren Dirt]

I just meant that the actual physical "art of letter writing" is becoming a memory, along the lines of a foot-pedal-powered sewing machine, etc.

Many of the next generations will never be required to do so, heck not even mail a utility bill ... technology ftw I guess.