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Google reminds users to "Call Dad", makes users angry

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Re: Google reminds users to "Call Dad", makes users angry

#31

Post by scott_s »

iamdave wrote: post #29
jasonlotito wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The flip side is the number of people that called their father because of the reminder, and what positive impact this had. Sorry, I can't help feel any sympathy for people pitching a fit over this. It reminds me of that woman who chastised the free lemonade kids.

It reminds me of that woman who chastised the free lemonade kids. Sorry, I don't know the story behind this one, but would like to. Link?

It looks like the original article was taken down, but this is the reddit thread on it: http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/cmizs/sweet_little...

By the way, Google still impresses me sometimes. I found this by searching for "women chastises free lemonade kids" and the first hit was this thread, and the second was the reddit thread.

Re: Google reminds users to "Call Dad", makes users angry

#32

Post by corin_ »

iamdave wrote: post #29
jasonlotito wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The flip side is the number of people that called their father because of the reminder, and what positive impact this had. Sorry, I can't help feel any sympathy for people pitching a fit over this. It reminds me of that woman who chastised the free lemonade kids.

It reminds me of that woman who chastised the free lemonade kids. Sorry, I don't know the story behind this one, but would like to. Link?

Original article (archived) http://web.archive.org/web/20101030011901/http://www.suntime...

Coverage from HuffPo http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/07/terry-savage-sun-ti...

Re: Google reminds users to "Call Dad", makes users angry

#33

Post by RexRollman »

monochromatic wrote: post #15

Google surely must have anticipated that some people would react this way. Good on them for going ahead with this reminder anyway.

I disagree but not because it caused offense. I just see no reason why Google should be adding reminders when only the end user should be doing that.

Re: Google reminds users to "Call Dad", makes users angry

#34

Post by stan_rogers »

iamdave wrote: post #28
vonwaldeck wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that is a great way of looking at it. people need to stop being so sensitive. same goes to fleitz and schrototo

Seems like the context of their posts went over your head by a mile, because I don't think they're being sensitive. But I could be wrong. It was the "get the fuck over it" part that tipped me off. Again, could be wrong.

The "same goes to" appears to refer to "what a great way of looking at it", not "stop being so sensitive".

Re: Google reminds users to "Call Dad", makes users angry

#36

Post by blauwbilgorgel »

fleitz wrote: post #16
schrototo wrote: post #11

My father recently died and while things like these may trigger some slight pain, that's just life. You have to get the fuck over it. It's never worth accommodating the easily offended, especially on the Internet.

Couldn't agree with you more, my dad passed about 7 years ago, the OP on the ticket seems to have daddy issues. If I was her father I'd be glad she didn't call. There's a great way for the complainers to get rid of the message, stop using a service provided to you for FREE. Pay for your own server, own web interface, own backups, etc then there will be no "Call Dad" button. Until then deal with the fact that most fat…

> The OP on the ticket seems to have daddy issues

I don't think you should diagnose people like that over the internet. Anyway, it is not a crime to have daddy issues and it certainly shouldn't be used as an argument not to post tickets.

> If I was her father I'd be glad she didn't call

This made me angry reading it. This is a really hurtful statement and telling of your personality. I won't use this statement to diagnose you, but please reread what you said there, and ask yourself if it was necessary.

> stop using a service provided to you for FREE

Gmail isn't "free", it gathers information for targeted advertisements. Facebook isn't "free" and even it was completely free that doesn't dictate we can't complain about insensitive actions or privacy violations.

> deal with the fact that most fathers, sons, and daughters like each other

Because OP on the ticket didn't like her father? It is a weird fact to force me to deal with, just for using a "free" service.

> the really great part...

That isn't a part of the story at all, more like a weird gloating I don't understand how it fits in.

To me this _is_ a mistake. It is a feature that made Gmail less usable today for some. Who did this feature benefit? Those that didn't care about their father enough to forget to call and need the call-to-action? I bet your wonderful kids wouldn't need a reminder so what did you get out of this feature to give kudos?

Re: Google reminds users to "Call Dad", makes users angry

#37

Post by djcapelis »

schrototo wrote: post #11

My father recently died and while things like these may trigger some slight pain, that's just life. You have to get the fuck over it. It's never worth accommodating the easily offended, especially on the Internet.

It's the difference between seeing something that annoys you and moving on and having something that someone else stuck into your reminder list that you can't delete. No one is complaining about Google's fathers day doodle, people are complaining that Google put in reminders they don't want into a space they view as theirs and there's no way to get rid of them.

I'm glad you presumably had a good relationship with your father when he was alive. It might be worth remembering that this type of thing can be really rather painful and/or awkward for people who had fathers that weren't very nice people, were never around and they can't contact or came from a family with two mothers.

No one's saying people shouldn't talk about Father's day, but hijacking your user's reminder lists and sticking in stuff they can't get rid of because you think it's cool is just not a very nice thing to do.

Re: Google reminds users to "Call Dad", makes users angry

#39

Post by [deleted] »

blauwbilgorgel wrote: post #36
fleitz wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Couldn't agree with you more, my dad passed about 7 years ago, the OP on the ticket seems to have daddy issues. If I was her father I'd be glad she didn't call. There's a great way for the complainers to get rid of the message, stop using a service provided to you for FREE. Pay for your own server, own web interface, own backups, etc then there will be no "Call Dad" button. Until then deal with the fact that most fat…

> The OP on the ticket seems to have daddy issues I don't think you should diagnose people like that over the internet. Anyway, it is not a crime to have daddy issues and it certainly shouldn't be used as an argument not to post tickets. > If I was her father I'd be glad she didn't call This made me angry reading it. This is a really hurtful statement and telling of your personality. I won't use this statement to dia…

[deleted]

Re: Google reminds users to "Call Dad", makes users angry

#40

Post by michaelpinto »

Google just doesn't get social media — this is the type of stuff that Facebook was doing wrong over two years ago and quickly fixed. Instead of trying to imitate Facebook they should re-focus on fixing services they already have like Blogger. It's mind blowing to think that Blogger is now in the slow lane behind the likes of Tumblr and WordPress. Google is starting to remind me of Yahoo! in a bad way — a place where good products go to die. My advice for them would be to buy Twitter, but they'd only mess that up over time...
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