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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

#41

Post by estel »

scott_s wrote: post #31
iamdave wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

And now it's recursing. Google strikes again.

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

#42

Post by easyfrag »

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.

Maybe I'm too cynical but it doesn't feel like this was a cutesy addition by a lone engineer, it rather feels like a marketing ploy to get more people to think about using the calling features.

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

#43

Post by blauwbilgorgel »

[deleted] wrote: post #39
blauwbilgorgel wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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]

The way I see it is that both Gmail wants her as a customer to click on ads, and she wants to use the Gmail service, because she likes most features. In that view pushing her to stop using the service is a loss for both, I can not see that being the best solution.

In my opinion saying "Happy fathers day" or having a Google Doodle is one thing. Putting it like a reminder in a personal setting, when you for example don't want to speak with your abusive father, is another.

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

#44

Post by protomyth »

nostrademons wrote: post #18
protomyth wrote: post #14

I think it is a good lesson to small companies in that you shouldn't add things to what people consider "mine" or expect the normal family situation applies to everyone. The doodle is ok, but adding reminders crosses the line. Some of the forum postings are just sad and to think some managers decision added one more bit of pain is not something you want.

FYI, "cutesy" features like this are very rarely "some manager's decision". They usually come from the engineers, who say "Wouldn't it be cool if...", get a bunch of friends to help them, code up a demo, and then go show a manager and say "Can you help us make this happen?" At some point, some VP has to sign off on it, but usually they just give it a cursory look and say "Approved."

I generally prescribe blame to the person who had the ultimate sign-off authority. Their job is to think of the implications.

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

#45

Post by protomyth »

jasonlotito wrote: post #20
protomyth wrote: post #14

I think it is a good lesson to small companies in that you shouldn't add things to what people consider "mine" or expect the normal family situation applies to everyone. The doodle is ok, but adding reminders crosses the line. Some of the forum postings are just sad and to think some managers decision added one more bit of pain is not something you want.

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.

I don't really see the comparison. Google added a reminder that could not be removed to something people thought they had control of.

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

#46

Post by Klinky »

[deleted] wrote: post #39
blauwbilgorgel wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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]

So anytime a service or piece of software does something frustrating your solution is to drop it & never communicate with the developer what the problem might be?

I would say that filtering out the Google Doodle or generic Happy Fathers Day greetings is easier than something that looks like a personal reminder to call dad on your personal contact list. One that is difficult to remove.

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

#47

Post by Klinky »

joshuafcole wrote: post #24
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…

I couldn't agree more on this. I don't always agree with everything Google does, but they provide some damned fine services for free. It's kind of hard to complain in light of that. Furthermore, every single comment that had been made disregarded both all of the users that hadn't lost their fathers, and more importantly all of the users such as yourself that had but are well-adjusted human beings that can deal with l…

Why exactly do people who have a great relationship with their father even need a reminder to call their father on Father's Day? Should we make a shallow & judgmental accusation that those who can't remember to call their father on Father's Day don't really love their father & are maladjusted "lusers"?

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

#48

Post by chrismealy »

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.

Fuck you pal. I'll decide when I get over what.

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

#49

Post by fleitz »

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…

I just tend to think that the best use of her time might be to evaluate her feelings towards her father rather than get gmail to help her put her head in the sand. It's obvious the she still has unresolved issues with her dad and should either resolve them with her dad, or resolve them with out her dad. Either way when "Reminder: Call Dad" requires a ticket to Gmail you know you have some issues to take care of and none of them are getting the feature removed.

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

#50

Post by fleitz »

easyfrag wrote: post #42
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.

Maybe I'm too cynical but it doesn't feel like this was a cutesy addition by a lone engineer, it rather feels like a marketing ploy to get more people to think about using the calling features.

It's actually more of a PR ploy. The reason people love Google so much is because they are constantly contextualizing their service. Google voice just moved from being able to make calls to connecting you to your father which creates a much better bond between the users of the service and the service by invoking emotion. The fact that they are getting complaints only highlights how effective it is.

Google contextualizes their services to their audience, Android isn't about making phone calls, it's about 'open source'. Why? Because they need a bunch of developers to have an emotional reason to turn down the app store to write Android apps. Now that they have a competitive platform they can drop that rhetoric and focus on contexualizing Android to everyone who isn't a developer.

In human beings emotionality will trump rationality about 99% of the time, the remainder will be labeled heartless and ignored.

For an in depth discussion about PR/Sales/Marketing. http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2010/10/20/coloring-the-whole-egg-...

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