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A new Gmail inbox

gmailblog.blogspot.com

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Re: A new Gmail inbox

#61

Post by RobAtticus »

rayiner wrote: post #20

Wait, are these categories fixed? If so, more proof that gmail is now made for kids: "We get a lot of different types of email: messages from friends, social notifications, deals and offers, confirmations and receipts, and more." That doesn't remotely begin to describe my inbox, but then again I haven't been in high school for a long time now. Where is the tab for "bills"?

Adults don't get messages from friends? Adults don't get deals and offers from Groupon, LivingSocial, or places they've shopped before? Adults don't get confirmations and receipts for things they purchase from Amazon or for flights they're taking?

These all seem like things people have in their email regardless of age. Your point seems pretty flimsy.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#63

Post by aiiane »

moskie wrote: post #52
aiiane wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you misunderstand what that tab is for. It's not a place for Google advertising; it's a place where promotional emails from any site are automatically sorted into - to keep them separate from other useful email. E.g. a clothing website that sends emails about weekly sales - that'll end up under Promotional.

Ok, I see what you're saying. I guess that pic just comes off as being in poor taste in this post then. Because, in reality, those are not the tabs normal people would set up. So I began to question what the point of the feature was. Is it really to help me organize my inbox? Or is it for Google to show me things they want me to spend money on?

You don't think people would set up a tab to keep all of the noisy "this is what's on sale this week" emails separate if they could?

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#64

Post by aiiane »

ziko wrote: post #60

People who want their email under control already have something similar - for instance, I have filters and labels and folders for Newsletters and offers, one for Family and friends, University and so on. People who haven't taken control of their inbox yet won't be bothered to do that now. Loved the music in the video though.

Which is why the tabs have automatic algorithmic categorization - so that all of the people who don't take the time to set up custom filters and labels still get some automatic organization.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#65

Post by dskhatri »

bretthopper wrote: post #36

These comments are pretty sad. I know we feel the need to comment on everything right away these days, but honestly there isn't much to say about this feature until we've actually used it. HN almost universally believes in execution over the idea, yet here we are trashing an idea before seeing the execution. It's great that Gmail is trying to innovate and improve the email experience. Maybe this feature won't work ou…

Knee-jerk reactions are a big problem on this site. Perhaps there should be a delay between a story posting and comments being allowed.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#66

Post by dannyr »

hnriot wrote: post #54
adventured wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who said I want them to 'add' anything? They can make it possible for me to easily search a trillion pages online from one input box, with a great hit ratio for what I'm actually looking for. But they need to add comical layers of complexity - none of which is new or unique - just to sort my email? It's depressing if that's the best their Gmail team can do. These 'features' have been done before by other companies an…

the same old whining. If you don't like the new features, the blog clearly says you can choose not to use them, they provide backward compatibility. You say this has been done before, what hasn't. You should live with the features for a while before jumping to immediately trashing them without even having used them. Nothing is "new or unique" - and nobody wants that either. They want steady improvements without losin…

Dude, he's clearly whining without bothering to even read the post.

If he actually read it, no reason to complain because you can turn it off.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#68

Post by aiiane »

russgray wrote: post #56
typpo wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would think this simplifies email organization for the average user. Normal people don't use labels extensively and don't customize their inbox. With sane presets for these tabs, Google can give most users an inbox that is organized by default.

I thought the point of gmail was that you didn't need to organize. Just search.

For email you've already read, sure. But it's often nice to have some organization for what you haven't yet read, so you can focus on the email you care most about first.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#69

Post by Kayaki »

dannyr wrote: post #55

"If the new inbox isn't quite your style, you can simply switch off all optional tabs to go back to classic view, or switch to any of your other favorite inbox types." If this new Gmail feature doesn't suit you, you can TURN IT OFF.

I just hope they don't retire the "classic" view over time, like they are doing it to the classic compose interface.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#70

Post by moskie »

aiiane wrote: post #63
moskie wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, I see what you're saying. I guess that pic just comes off as being in poor taste in this post then. Because, in reality, those are not the tabs normal people would set up. So I began to question what the point of the feature was. Is it really to help me organize my inbox? Or is it for Google to show me things they want me to spend money on?

You don't think people would set up a tab to keep all of the noisy "this is what's on sale this week" emails separate if they could?

Yes, I would like to keep them separate, but I would not like to have a big prominent link to them at the top of my inbox. See the labels listed in the mobile app screenshot ("Family," "Fun," "School")? I (and most other people, I would think) would much sooner like to have big buttons to those things at the top of my inbox. Not "Promotions."
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