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Google needs to mind its own business

Started by mathewi · 8 months ago

Google is nothing if not helpful. It will suggest search terms, it will suggest driving directions for you on Google Maps, and now apparently it will suggest that you not send drunken emails late at night on the weekend. Is this what we really want from our Web services? Maybe Google could par ... Continue reading »

15 comments

  • Nat

    8 months ago

    Its opt in dude.
    reply
  • mathewi

    8 months ago

    Yeah, I know that -- thanks. Dude.
    reply
  • Stuart MacDonald

    8 months ago

    NICE :)
    reply
  • hacksaw

    8 months ago

    I think It's nice to see some PERSONALITY coming from such an otherwise faceless sentinel in our lives. Every now and again, Google comes out with a few one liners like this that make me chuckle and appreciate that they give their employees time to have some fun like this. I'm sure it started as a joke around the Gmail development office that just HAD to be pushed to fruition.
    reply
  • mathewi

    8 months ago

    Thanks, Hacksaw -- I actually agree. The post was mostly meant as a joke.
    reply
  • ehyn

    8 months ago

    I understand your point about it being paternalistic. But remember that tools like this already exist all over the place: Firefox's add-ons include website blockers and tools to limit your time getting "distracted" on the internet when you should be working. Some of us will insist we can take care of ourselves - and that our browsers shouldn't be playing moderator. But I suppose these things are useful when people *do* need protection from themselves. At the least, there must be some demand for this, or I doubt they'd spend the time developing it. :)
    reply
  • Sarah Palin

    8 months ago

    I believe Google has many resources, but my child has down syndrome, so Google should ask for Math problems. Instead they should ask questions about what's in the news, because I definitely know all answers regarding what's in newspapers, for obvious reasons.
    reply
  • Dead Robot

    8 months ago

    I would love it if Google could tell me to stop watching Dancing With the Stars.
    reply
  • mathewi

    8 months ago

    Now that would be a handy service :-)
    reply
  • Alex Beamish

    8 months ago

    This test shows the bias towards Mathies at Google -- there should be a choice between a left-brain and a right-brain test. And being left-brained, I have no idea what a right-brained test would look like -- and I'm going to get myself in trouble for even guessing, so I won't.
    reply
  • markmckay

    8 months ago

    Ah well at least its a little more useful then Old Snakey.
    reply
  • ianbetteridge

    8 months ago

    Remember that AI that Google is supposed to be building? :)
    reply
  • Melanie

    8 months ago

    I see your point, but there have been many a morning I wish I would have had to solve an equation before sending some very unwise drunken text messages, that's for sure. And there's a reason why there's a whole term for "drunk dialing."

    I've never had a big problem with drunk emailing (no immediate gratification), but if they came out with a breathalizer for cell phones, I would probably be all over that. :D
    reply
  • mathewi

    8 months ago

    True -- drunk dialing is a much bigger problem, I think. Just wait until Google gets its mobile VOIP working, and then maybe it will make you do math before giving you access to your ex's number :-)
    reply
  • Gilliebee

    8 months ago

    Hilarious. If this were the first of April, this would make much more sense.

    Still, I can think of at least one 20-something in my old company who could have used this service. But at least his emails were happy "I-love-my-job" notes...
    reply

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