An Open Letter to Gmail: Happy Halloween! We love your costume!
Posted Oct 31st 2008 12:56PM by Webmail Team
Happy Halloween Gmail! We knew you would have the best costume at the party, and who can blame you? We think it's great that you're using this holiday to pay homage to the one who started it all, who got 35 million people online at once, gave them all email, great content and messaging capabilities, and even created a forum that encouraged them to speak in emoticons.
That costume is fabulous...clearly, the devil is in the details... and what's that you've got there? An "experimental" instant-messaging feature built right into your mail service so people can use it to send text messages to their contacts' phones? We love it – that was such a hit when we first introduced it so many years ago. We tried to make it easy: telling users to simply open the AIM panel in their email type "+1 and the 10-digit cell phone number" into the To: Screen Name box. It's kind of fun, too – good choice!
And those sidebar options – talk about getting it right... Adding gadgets to email that allow people to manage their calendars, access their favorite content and best Websites? Nice work. The idea of adding a side panel like that was one of our best. Giving people the ability to get to their favorite places on the Web, manage their schedules and IM right from their email home page tripled the convenience of our service. We're sure you'll get lots of compliments.
Finally, is that an "attachment warning" popping up on your back? Nice touch. We know nothing is more embarrassing than having to send an email twice because you forgot the attachment. Our users love this little reminder, and they have been praising it since we first implemented it back in 2007.
They say imitation is the best form of flattery, so Gmail, we thank you and we are indeed very flattered. Putting together a costume that is so dead-on could not have been easy, and you've got it down pat. Trying to convince all the other kids at the party that the only thing to use is Gmail and putting out a press release every time you add a new button to the service is just so 1998. We're telling you – this outfit brings back memories!
Here's a tip though... the Web's getting more personal, and people are really savvy at customizing their own services. When you don this same costume next year, make sure you check out www.tunome.com first and add some third party services (see our new Yahoo! plug-in) – you can't be all Gmail all the time any more – it won't be such a big hit next year!
Happy Halloween!
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Reader Comments (Page 4 of 5)
61. WOW. This is hilarious. Why would you even bother to nag Gmail about something that's out of its hands? The only one causing a problem for you is the general public, who always seem to gravitate toward the service that offers a better product in a friendlier package.
You sound like a whiny ex-boyfriend who keeps reminding the girl that moved on how good he was to her. "He bought you flowers?! I bought you flowers 2 years ago!!! I did it first!!! REMEMBER?!"
Posted at 1:58PM on Nov 3rd 2008 by OWLY
62. dear aol, your blog commenting system sucks. maybe you should try blogger.
Posted at 3:15PM on Nov 3rd 2008 by alex
63. I don't use AOL mail but I decided to check it out and see how many of Gmail's recent advancements ( http://mail.google.com/mail/help/about_whatsnew.html ) were old hat to AOL mail.
I went to AOL Mail's signup page, clicked 'learn more' and made it to this page: http://free.aol.com/discover/memed/webmail/ which, aside from not being updated since 2007, has a nice pretty link to 'take the tour'. So click on the link. Try it and tell me what you think.
Posted at 3:31PM on Nov 3rd 2008 by Kevin
64. @Kevin: Think about what? I see an "AOL Mail Tour" there. But they really need to update that page in between....
Posted at 4:38PM on Nov 3rd 2008 by Klaus
65. This is AOL being bitter for gmail "copying" their services, well aol maybe had you been a little more open/free with your services you could have stayed alive, sure you gave us aim but is it really any better than yahoo, msn, google talk?, meh you were innovative at one point but you just got lazy thats the real problem, now go someplace else to cry about your failure the internet doesn't care.
Posted at 8:10PM on Nov 3rd 2008 by Morgan
66. Somebody should have used google mail goggles before making the decision to publicize this letter :-)
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/new-in-labs-stop-sending-mail-you-later.html
Posted at 9:59PM on Nov 3rd 2008 by Laughingman4929
67. right, cuz the decline in AOL&AIM users since gmail was released means nothing. and your email hasnt done you much good for the aol rep, noone who knows jack-shit about a computer will put the aol browser on there, and your email may have been first to do it like this, but guess what? if you couldnt do it irght, someone had to!
Posted at 10:22PM on Nov 3rd 2008 by rich
68. Hi AOL, i had some respect left for you guys, but now all is gone after reading this blog.
You are acting like a 5 year old kid.
You can say whatever you like, but it is well know fact that Google is kicking you where it hurts the hardest ! :)
Well done Google !
Posted at 6:18AM on Nov 5th 2008 by Subbu
69. Gmail has a subject line! They must be imitating you!
Posted at 8:42AM on Nov 4th 2008 by Popein
70. http://www.jeffreyclarke.net/blog/2008/11/some-cheese-with-your-whine/
Posted at 5:59PM on Nov 4th 2008 by Jeff
71. I lol at the presence of this letter. AOL you just got owned by Gmail...do something about it...
Posted at 3:20PM on Nov 6th 2008 by Nic Moon
72. um,
i have no idea wat dis is but
hay doods!
comment me back!
Posted at 7:09PM on Nov 6th 2008 by Jessica
73. How do I copy my E-Mail addresses from my current browser to my new AIM E-Mail ????
Posted at 10:43AM on Nov 9th 2008 by silrob31
74. Even my 77 year old Grandmother finally gave up AOL in favor of her local broadband service - and as much as it hurt her to have to relearn everything from browsers to email (it was GREAT how AOL dominated their users' PCs and made it so that they didn't really have a choice BUT to use their clunky browser), I couldn't have been happier to see her evolve into a REAL Internet user.
This post just reaffirms what everyone already knows... AOL is old, bitter, and pretty much useless.
Good job.
Posted at 6:33PM on Nov 10th 2008 by Adrienne
75. The tone and content here makes AOL look a whole lot more ridiculous than it's attempting to make Gmail/Google look. Petty, silly, and counterproductive. How about some real, meaningful content?
Posted at 1:40PM on Nov 10th 2008 by Tee
76. Sad part here is all of the comments before mine beg to differ.
And I agree.
The overall is AOL has done everything in a winner takes all fashion as Google has done everything in a winner gives to all fashion. They're more open and alot nicer than AOL.
To make this argument short, Google does everything cleaner than AOL, they spend more time on their job and focus a bit less on money and more on widening the bottle neck of cash flow, so instead of just offering a service they offer a more integrated service.
If anything I'd say take a note from Apple, people just prefer a cleaner less cluttered design than what you have to offer.
Posted at 5:21AM on Nov 12th 2008 by Hugh Isaacs II
77. Sorry to report only contact or use I have seen of gmail is their spam work at home schemes, which I almost fell for. The one for rebate processing "certification course" --so sweetly being peddled by "Angel" who gives you all and I mean all the details so you can make an informed decision to purchase their certification course and you will on completion then earn a little money at home if you are stuck there.
Well I felt it an opportunity I would invest the required $197.00 in and they indicated they would let me pay by american express---but when i got to the pay part they had narrowed the credit card choices to visa and master card
hmmmm they and I know I can retrieve my money--as soon as i see what has happened to my course purchase- with its money back guarantee --angel and process rebates at home(or whichever scam you fall for) and the offshore underlying company in Cyprus, no less, was revealed when american express was not accepted.
other facets of gmail i have never seen or used...but I know and now you know and can check it out yourself theie primary business is sucking money out of the poorest of the poor hoping to help themselves earn something for their work..
yes I get rebates all the while and someone has to send them out but you and I will never buy a "course" that will lead a major firm giving rebates out, to hire us, I imagine those jobs are handed down and very jealously guarded by those who work at them for say, Kraft foods or any other large firm in the US.
If I save one poor housewife and mother of a bunch, who hopes to earn while home, from losing another $197.00 or more or less depending on the scheme they fall for----
I am grateful to the good Lord to be here still to do same,,
Remember when an offer seems to good to be true-- It Is!!!
Buyer beware!
and the simplest and best one I recall" you have a head on you for the same reason a pin has--to keep you from going too far....
if nothing else you should get a smile out of that old saying, Happy safe holidays to all
everything sold here or abroad is with this warning--buyer beware---have a wonderful holiday season all I'm going--as soon as I report this scam to local BBB lois simmons
Posted at 6:26AM on Nov 24th 2008 by lois
78. Whoever let this blog post go live needs to have his/her pay docked. This is unprofessional to say the least.
AOL, as much as I loved how your services have grown to stay at parity with Google and Yahoo, let's not forget AOL's home page being a total copy cat of Yahoo's home page. Let us not forget how AOL start giving away its e-mail free to keep pace with Gmail. The list goes on.
You really ought to remove the blog entry altogether and apologize to Google.
Posted at 11:37PM on Nov 23rd 2008 by Stephen
79. Aol shame on you.you need to start looking at how u can better yourself.thank you for the lol of my nite.Iam peeling myself off the celling lol so hard.
Ps.Aol what type of Cheese do u want /w/ that whine!!!!!
Posted at 8:36PM on Nov 24th 2008 by Autumnwine2314
80. This blog is the funniest thing I've read in a long time. There is and has been only one word to describe America Online: PATHETIC! You can't hold a candle to Google. Why don't you just pack it up now and fade into the sunset. This is one company that no one will want to see get "bailed out."
Posted at 9:32PM on Nov 24th 2008 by Ann Groves