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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."
> 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.
>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.
Bikers.....The only people that understand why a dog hangs his head out a car window.
Noooo! Just no...
The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
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.