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iGoogle Users Irate About Portal's Changes

Posted by kdawson on from the without-the-option dept.

bhhenry sends in an InformationWeek report on a recent unannounced change in the iGoogle portal. Quoting: "Google insists that its revised iGoogle personalized home page generates better 'happiness metrics' than the old design, but a vocal group of users isn't happy about the changes." The recent change introduces what Google refers to as "canvas view," which the Official Google Blog claims "... makes iGoogle a more useful homepage and a better platform for developers." Unlike the last major change made to Gmail, there is no option to revert to the old version of iGoogle. iGoogle users are reporting that widgets and themes are broken, Gmail attachments don't work, and valuable screen space is wasted. The Personalizing Google section of Google Groups is full of thousands of complaints about this sudden and unannounced change. Many posters have have stated that they are using the Canadian or UK version of iGoogle or even moving to NetVibes.com to get their preferred layout back. It seems that Google and Yahoo are moving in lockstep in springing forced changes that users hate.

3 of 321 comments (clear)

  1. google.com/ig by ThePhilips · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I would be one of those unhappy about the change - tabs migrated from top to the left side (*). It added nothing new to the page while added something (occupying precious screen space) what I do not like.

    Overall the change is bad. It is bad mostly because it is not optional. I spent half of an hour to try to put my tabs where they were before, but found no such option.

    And since most of the Web sites are still not wide screen compatible, resizing my window wider is really annoying: on other sides I start to see more of the empty side bars. And it's not that on google.com/ig the space is occupied by something I need...

    It's not the end of the world, but the change is bad.

    (*) Also I think left-handed people would have preferred the tabs on right side of page. But you can't move them, you can't remove them.

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    All hope abandon ye who enter here.
  2. the change was announced by speedtux · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Google was even asking for beta testers.

    I think the new iGoogle has some problems, but it's generally better than the old one. I don't think Google should have switched over yet.

  3. Re:stop whining, it's free by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's a free service. You get what you pay for.

    It's ad-supported, you are paying for it.

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    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)