Gmail sucks!
Originally part of Gmail invites
Some people don't like google's new Gmail product. 1 gig pah! Give me a user interface that I can use the way I need to.
B Posts: 31
Well, I hate Gmail enough that I cannot honestly recommend it to anyone *) - so if anyone wants an account badly enough to pay for it, they're welcome!
I consider the pool as a nice way to give away addresses without actually recommending it to any one in person.
Last three added to the pool...
*)
- not accessible at all (and it won't ever be either, seeing how they've implemented it): totally dependent on JavaScript and most "links" aren't real links and cannot be tabbed to
- cannot be used with keyboard only (see above)
- you have to override security settings to make it (the JavaScript) even work at all
- cannot be used with tabbed browsing
- even interferes with tabbed browsing
All this makes it clunky and slow to use; I tried it, and now consider it only an emergency online storage facility - no good for email. I'm seriously considering getting a free Yahoo! email account to sign up for some mailing lists... Reply to this
I consider the pool as a nice way to give away addresses without actually recommending it to any one in person.
Last three added to the pool...
*)
- not accessible at all (and it won't ever be either, seeing how they've implemented it): totally dependent on JavaScript and most "links" aren't real links and cannot be tabbed to
- cannot be used with keyboard only (see above)
- you have to override security settings to make it (the JavaScript) even work at all
- cannot be used with tabbed browsing
- even interferes with tabbed browsing
All this makes it clunky and slow to use; I tried it, and now consider it only an emergency online storage facility - no good for email. I'm seriously considering getting a free Yahoo! email account to sign up for some mailing lists... Reply to this
B Posts: 548
I don't think google was out to make something just like other webmail type services... they wanted to branch out and do something different. Good for them, break the mold. Not everyone is going to like it, but I'm glad you gave it a try, AND offered why you didn't like it.
Yes, heavily dependent on javascript, although they are working on a plain html version of the service minus javascript.
Tabbed browsing seems to be fine. While I don't really use it, I have a few friends using gmail that religiously use tabbed browsers. I'll have to bring this up to them. If you're using Firefox or Mozilla, installing the latest browser extension update is supposed to fix many issues. Offically, they are only supporting the following browsers: IE 5.5+, Netscape 7.1+, Mozilla 1.4+, Firefox 0.8+, Safari 1.2.1+.
check this out... I didn't even know about this (pretty cool acutally), but I was sure there had to be something.
http://gmail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6594 Reply to this
Yes, heavily dependent on javascript, although they are working on a plain html version of the service minus javascript.
Tabbed browsing seems to be fine. While I don't really use it, I have a few friends using gmail that religiously use tabbed browsers. I'll have to bring this up to them. If you're using Firefox or Mozilla, installing the latest browser extension update is supposed to fix many issues. Offically, they are only supporting the following browsers: IE 5.5+, Netscape 7.1+, Mozilla 1.4+, Firefox 0.8+, Safari 1.2.1+.
- cannot be used with keyboard only (see above)
check this out... I didn't even know about this (pretty cool acutally), but I was sure there had to be something.
http://gmail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6594 Reply to this
B Posts: 31
Tabbed browsing seems to be fine.
Only as long as you keep Gmail in a single tab. And don't use your browser's keyboard shortcuts, such as Ctrl+t to open a new tab.
But you cannot (for instance) start two drafts each in a different tab while keeping your inbox open in another one - so you can not go backwards and forwards to copy and paste between tabs. The result is ridiculously slow and inefficient.
If you're using Firefox or Mozilla, installing the latest browser extension update is supposed to fix many issues.
Mozilla 1.6 on this box - which is almost the latest and not all that different from 1.7. And yes, I need to override security settings for Gmail to work - otherwise only the scarse real links will work. What extension? I need an extension as well??
"http://gmail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6594"
First two bug reports I sent them were acknowledged quickly; the last one I elaborated more about the inaccessibility and asked is they PLEASE could make it so that at least all links were real links and could be used with the keyboard, and generally make it accessible - and I did not even receive an acknowledgement.
At that point I gave up on them - they're obviously interested only in making something "cool" - for sharpeyed, nimble-limbed people exclusively. That includes me, for now (with my glasses on) but it's enough of a reason for me not to recommend it (or even use it except as a bit of on-line storage).
[Edited: 13:59 - iamback ]
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B Posts: 4,685
Now I see where the branch thread feature will come in useful - going to branch this discussion into - "gmail sucks because" and "get your gmail here" :o)
I personally can't comment on the interface of gmail - I don't use it - I have horde webmail for when I travel and a laptop usually.
Added - used the new branch feature and here we go :) Reply to this
I personally can't comment on the interface of gmail - I don't use it - I have horde webmail for when I travel and a laptop usually.
Added - used the new branch feature and here we go :) Reply to this
B Posts: 4,685
> Nice branching, Ali! :)
Now I'm going to have to branch this thread into a discussion on branching ;)
Back on topic - I did a search for "gmail sucks" on Google and - 345 pages agree - conversely "gmail rocks" - 2,430.
Until I use it I have to refrain from judgement. Reply to this
Now I'm going to have to branch this thread into a discussion on branching ;)
Back on topic - I did a search for "gmail sucks" on Google and - 345 pages agree - conversely "gmail rocks" - 2,430.
Until I use it I have to refrain from judgement. Reply to this
B Posts: 548
So "Rocks" is the official good word these days? I thought it was r0x0rz! heh Reply to this
B Posts: 4,685
Well the self-feeding nature of the web strikes again - if you search for "gmail sucks" on Google - guess what crops up at numero uno... Reply to this
B Posts: 31
... or third if you enclose it in quotes (like this: ["gmail sucks"] where [] represents the input field) ... for now, at least. :D
(And I do have a Yahoo! mail account by now.) Reply to this
(And I do have a Yahoo! mail account by now.) Reply to this
B Posts: 548
wondering if this has improved any... they just turned a year old, and read this on their site. Thought it was funny and wondered if they read this forum.
Support for more browsers
Basic HTML view lets you access your Gmail messages from almost any computer running almost any web browser, even old ones (not just IE5.5+, Mozilla, and Safari). Especially great for traveling, since you never know what kind of browser that internet café in Siberia is going to have.
hahahah
Reply to this
Support for more browsers
Basic HTML view lets you access your Gmail messages from almost any computer running almost any web browser, even old ones (not just IE5.5+, Mozilla, and Safari). Especially great for traveling, since you never know what kind of browser that internet café in Siberia is going to have.
hahahah
Reply to this
B Posts: 31
Basic HTML view lets you access your Gmail messages from almost any computer running almost any web browser, even old ones (not just IE5.5+, Mozilla, and Safari).
In theory, that is. You still cannot get at your settings without JavaScript, so the app is still inaccessible (and, to me, just plain unusable). Getting there, no cigar yet.
Especially great for traveling, since you never know what kind of browser that internet café in Siberia is going to have.
Going by experience from my last trip (across Asia though not not Siberia) you'd have a good chance of finding a Win98 (not Win98SE) PC with Internet Explorer 4, maybe 5 - and with a slow dial-up connection.
One of the scripts I had installed for Squirrelmail broke on such a system, so it's quite likely GMail will not allow you to get to your settings. Reply to this
N Posts: 1
Back in 2004, Google asked me to do a user interface analysis for a small project.
www.sims.berkeley.edu/~patrick/gmail/
One year later, they have added many nice features, but they still are still violating sound user interface design like "recognition over recall" or error prevention.
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www.sims.berkeley.edu/~patrick/gmail/
One year later, they have added many nice features, but they still are still violating sound user interface design like "recognition over recall" or error prevention.
Reply to this
B Posts: 4,685
Off topic:
I use Mail 2 web - accesses my pop server directly - nice things about it are:
I use my own account even when I'm in an internet cafe.
It works even in Burma.
Downsides.
You need a pop server
No spam filter
Basically as a stop gap measure when I can't get my laptop connected it works really well.
On topic:
So it's now 2006... does gmail still suck? Reply to this
I use Mail 2 web - accesses my pop server directly - nice things about it are:
I use my own account even when I'm in an internet cafe.
It works even in Burma.
Downsides.
You need a pop server
No spam filter
Basically as a stop gap measure when I can't get my laptop connected it works really well.
On topic:
So it's now 2006... does gmail still suck? Reply to this
N Posts: 8
I signed up with GMail but havent used it. I know people who like it. Have to put an offer in today must run. Have a great day everyone!!!! Reply to this
B Posts: 548
I never thought it sucked to begin with, and now use it almost exclusivly. I like it. Others won't. Many other providers have followed suit with the space limitations, so I think it's becoming a bit of a null issue. Reply to this
B Posts: 31
So it's now 2006... does gmail still suck?
Yes, and for still the same reasons, including still no complete HTML interface. I use it for a once-a-month newsletter (that I don't even read every month) and for communication with Google - and that's it. (Several mailing lists in Yahoo! mail though, that works fine, even without JavaScript at all.)
[Edited: 11:59 - iamback ]
Reply to thisN Posts: 1
Gmail is crap. It deleted my account once without saying anything. Now it won't accept email. The verification code is absolutely ignored by the Google support people. There is no real support. Noone should use Gmail. I wasted an hour on recreating it and it still doesn't work. Reply to this
B Posts: 4,685
How to recover your google account - doesn't sound fun at all... I hope google are taking this seriously as well - but I can't think that hotmail or yahoo! mail will be any better. Reply to this