Gmail Labs Lets Users Experiment With 13 New Features

D Ninja writes "Yesterday, Google released Gmail Labs, which allows Gmail developers to decide what to include in the next feature releases of Gmail based on user feedback. As ZDNet has pointed out, essentially users are guinea pigs for these new features. Participants will vote on their favorite new features, and the ones that are voted the highest will stick around and the ones that are least popular will disappear." Reader physman_wiu points out an article at the BBC about the experiments on offer, writing: "Some of the features are really nice — like the option to use additional star icons, mouse gestures, and custom keyboard shortcuts. Others ... well, let's just say Old Snakey made it in."

Whats wrong with Old Snakey?

[Miladinoski]

Its a great way to waste time while you're "working"

Re:Google Apps likes shiney new things too!

[broothal]

> it seems as though Google Apps is treated a
> bit like a secondary service.

  On the contrary - it is a primary service which people are paying for, and as such not a place to release playground software. If you provide people a service they pay for, your prime objective is to deliver a stable service. Goofing around may cause some fun, but imagine the outcry if something in Gmail Labs broke the service that people are paying for.

> Is the ad revenue generated more than me
> paying for the service?

  Probably, but that's not the reason for labs not being available to you.

> Are the services too different that they
> must use completely different infrastructure

No.

> Or, are the Google Apps aimed at people who
> really don't want new features and services?

  No - and eventually, when a feature has proven stable and functional, it will propagate.

Re:HTML signatures

[Slorv]

>All I want for Christmas is rich text (links,
>images) in my gmail signature...

Fine, as long as they also enable me to filter out images and "rich" formatting.

Re:Non-English?

[neokushan]

I don't suppose the "it's a beta" (The labs tools, not gmail itself....although that is a little ironic) line would explain why it has certain restrictions?

Re:HTML signatures

[Yvanhoe]

Noooo! Just no...

Re:HTML signatures

[Anonymous Coward]

All I want for Christmas is rich text (links, images) in my gmail signature.

Most of the people you communicate with will be grateful as long as gmail does not offer that feature.

Re:HTML signatures

[hansamurai]

Are you the guy at work using Outlook's Spring Green background with bright red font color and a 10 line signature? Yeah, just to let you know, I filter your email to plain text.

Upload progress bar

[EnsilZah]

How about a friggin' upload progress bar?
I've seen it done on other sites so I know it shouldn't be too hard for them to implement.
Why can't Google have upload progress bars on it sites, Gmail and Googlepages especially?

Addressing Multiple Contacts

[altek]

I still can't believe their contacts list doesn't let you choose multiple contacts and compose an email to that list. I'm also shocked that you still can't go to Compose Email and then bring up your contact list from the To: field and start selecting contacts.

If anyone knows this is possible and I'm just totally missing the boat here, please clue me in!

Re:HTML signatures

[Nimey]

The lot of you were equally responsible for never saying anything to the dumbass secretary or her boss.

blah

[The End Of Days]

Google isn't playing nice here

Really? How dare they roll out their free additional features for their free product on their schedule. Don't the know everyone in the world is entitled to everything they do immediately?

It's gotta be simple to do, right? After all, you could do it in five minutes with your eyes closed and both hands jammed up your own ass to hold your head there.