Request for important Gmail feature


One of the nice things about Gmail is their “labs” feature, where Google engineers can add cool experimental features to which users can opt-in. One of the most useful is a feature that alerts you whenever you send an e-mail that mentions an attachment but for which you forgot to actually attach anything.

Along those lines, I propose to Gmail engineers another, even more important feature: “The Inappropriate Love Sign-off Warner.”This feature would warn you if you sign an e-mail with “Love,” (or any of a list of other ways you wouldn’t want to sign an e-mail to your boss).

I can’t count the number of times I’ve sent an e-mail to my wife, and then almost signed the next e-mail (to somebody other than my wife) “Love, J.” And lord knows how many times I actually did it without noticing. Perhaps another potential labs feature would go through your Sent Mail and count how many times.


8 responses to “Request for important Gmail feature”

  1. That’s why things were just easier when we did things with a pen and paper. It is so fast and easy to send electronic communications, that we often allow things like this to happen. While I’ve never signed off to associates with “Love, Josh” I have accidentially said things to the wrong person when I had multiple chat windows going.

    You’ve got to be careful — and I know it!

    • See folks, now this gentleman understands how to do classy comment spam. He bothered to read the actual post and write something relevent that makes it clear he’s not a robot. In appreciation for the effort, I’m going to allow the comment, and even the link, to stand. Well done, Josh. Well done.

      • If you’re looking to chase people away from participating on your blog, then you’ve found the right formula, Jonathan. If you don’t want people to engage you, you may want to turn off your comments. Good luck to you going forward.

        • I apologize. I really wasn’t trying to offend you. I was trying to be funny, but I wasn’t insincere or sarcastic. I have no problem with people putting commercial links in their comment if you actually make a good comment about the article, and I was serious that the way you did it is the right way. I delete about ten comments a day from people who don’t actually participate but just see blogs as places to post spam. I kept your comment and link intact, didn’t I? If you are sincere about participating, I hope you’ll accept my apology and stay.

          • I can completely understand your MO, as I deal with spam all day, every day, but just because my link is commercial doesn’t indicate that I’m here to spam. That said, I certainly will accept your apology. Thank you for your honesty. It is appreciated.

            Best,
            Josh

  2. I have a plugin for gmail that triggers when I mention the word attachment in the email but fail to actually attach something. Along the lines of what you are saying, a plugin for firefox or gmail that simply let you add any words or phrases that you chronically misplace would be great.

    This would especially be nice for those that drunk email. Having been guilty of that once or twice, I’d like to be able to enter people’s email addresses that my computer won’t let me email after midnight.

    Nice blog btw…

    Matt

Leave a Reply to Matt Gerchow Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.