iGoogle Users Irate About Portal's Changes

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.

Comments

Don't forget Apple

[Lord Byron II]

Firewire, Y! Profiles, and now iGoogle. What is the world coming to?!? ;-)

Re:Don't forget Apple

[AdmiralXyz]

The world is coming to people bitching and moaning whenever any of their precious stability in life is taken away. Between the new Facebook, the new Flickr, and now iGoogle, I've seen so many people complaining for no other reason than that it's different. Call me naive, but I have faith in these companies that they made these changes for a reason, namely that they did tests and concluded it would improve the user experience, and that the bugs will be worked out in time. (And about the FireWire: people were whining when the iMac didn't have a floppy drive too.)

Re:Don't forget Apple

[Tawnos]

I'd agree for a lot of things (facebook, flickr), but for google the change really blows. Moving the previously optional tabs from the top to the left creates a huge empty gap on the iGoogle page, reducing the amount of space to work in. The new applications hijack your homepage - I can no longer middle click to open things I want to see later into the background, because they've been AJAX'd (the new hijacked?). Some of the apps I used to use are broken by the change, and I'm not given any option of removing the parts I really don't need.

It used to be that I could aggregate a large amount of relevant information into a small space using iGoogle. Now it's a larger space (due to the extra column of waste) with an interface that's less conducive to picking out those pieces of information I want to expound upon.

I'm sure that I'll eventually get used to it (or move to a different portal), but the change was abrupt and unwelcome, because it broke a fundamental use flow that I'd found quite productive.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[AngryNick]

I deal with a lot of b1tchy user in my job and they complain when you give them a new tool, then they complain when you enhance it with the features that 80% of the users said they wanted, then they moan when you try to take it down before 6:00pm PST on a Friday, and fain death when you replace it 10 years later when an easier to use tool. No wonder I'm always angry.

To me, the new facebook is better, iGoogle's canvas and tab placement is an improvement, and Flickr is still perfectly suited for posting my photos.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[casper75]

I couldn't agree with you more. I really like the new layout of facebook, the new iGoogle layout, and the new flickr layout. But what am I supposed to do, post in forums for all three sites and talk about why the haters are wrong? Not worth the effort... I'll just keep using these sites and those who can't stand the changes can go elsewhere.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[PopeRatzo]

The world is coming to people bitching and moaning whenever any of their precious stability in life is taken away.

And why shouldn't they? There's precious little "stability" in our lives at the moment, and most of us really don't need to wake up to a portal page that has been capriciously redesigned.

Call me naive, but I have faith in these companies...

You are extremely naive, son. The notion that Google "did tests and concluded it would improve the user experience" is belied by the fact that part of the user experience means being comfortable that the layout of the page you view most often is going to look the same tomorrow than it did last night.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[vlm]

The new applications hijack your homepage - I can no longer middle click to open things I want to see later into the background, because they've been AJAX'd (the new hijacked?).

When I was a pre-beta tester (or whatever) a couple months ago, I agree, that was broken. Today, using FF 3.0.3 (along with about 15 extension addons) that works along with right clicking. For example I opened this /. story by right click open in new tab off the slashdot rss applet. That did not work a couple months ago. Maybe noscript is saving me or something?

For years I removed or disabled flash to avoid stupid graphic designer mistakes and only recently added flash to watch videos, with the protection of adblock and noscript and friends. Will I now have to find a way to disable ajax to work around stupid designs?

Re:Don't forget Apple

[Kugrian]

The world is coming to people bitching and moaning whenever any of their precious stability in life is taken away. Between the new Facebook, the new Flickr, and now iGoogle, I've seen so many people complaining for no other reason than that it's different.

If you don't like a newer version of a downloaded program, you stick with the old one. If you don't like a newer version of a webpage, then you (usually) have to go out of your way to change it back. Or just switch services.

When /. changed to the D2 system, I just switched it back. Easy peasy. There's an option to do it in the settings. Changing iGoogle back means either changing your locale or setting a javascript var or using a Greasemonkey script. Though fairly easy, it's still a hack.

I'm all for change, but where possible, why not provide the version of the app before the change? Stick a 'This older version of $x is unsupported. Use at your own risk' if you want.

The Ars story about the switch put across the point that the new canvas view makes it a much more attractive proposition for advertising. Sure, there are many other values, but with the amount of people complaining (the main issue being the screen-hogging sidebar) if Google doesn't provide a realistic fix for this 'feature', it's just going to look as if they care more about revenue than customers. True or not, it doesn't make Google look as shiny as before.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[Tawnos]

Asynchronous Java and XML - so instead of just having http links that one can click, there are javascript callbacks that retrieve updated page content without reloading the whole page. While this is nice when you only intend to browse within the single page, or when there are small bits of page that can be updated without needing an entirely new page, it breaks functionality in cases where you intend to get completely new pages.

To your sibling (vlm): I mean for things like weather (can no longer middle click as it just brings you back to the ig page), gmail (only one email at a time, no more opening a bunch in tabs), calendar (can't open upcoming appointments with middle click), etc. These used to be standard links, but have been replaced with ajax callbacks that load up the respective iGoogle page.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[arrenlex]

The world is coming to people bitching and moaning whenever any of their precious stability in life is taken away.

I'd agree for a lot of things (facebook, flickr), but for google the change really blows.

It's funny how that works -- while changes don't affect you personally or you don't mind them, the people who are upset are "bitching" and "moaning" about it. Yet, suddenly, when you are ticked off about a change, it's suddenly "abrupt and unwelcome" and you "don't agree" complaining about it is bitching.

I'm not a conservative, but I respect that part of the conservative ideology. Is this thing being changed for a good reason, or is it being changed for the sake of putting up something new? Even if this change doesn't affect me, if people start changing things for the sake of change, maybe the next one will affect me, or the next.

Almost no one is really bitching and moaning about these changes -- they all have legitimate complaints, and so will you when something you like changes. Don't call them names; put yourself in their shoes.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[Anonymous Coward]

I might as well point out that I've been on the new iGoogle since very early 2008.

And Google announced, over a year ago, that these changes will be happening. Just because something wasn't reported, doesn't make it fact.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[ezzzD55J]

A nit: It turns out you don't know what AJAX is.

He does in the sense that actually matters, as opposed to what the J in AJAX stands for.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[david@ecsd.com]

Asynchronous Javascript and XML.

Ba-zing. You sure showed him!

Re:Don't forget Apple

[Thrip]

Call me naive, but I have faith in these companies that they made these changes for a reason, namely that they did tests and concluded it would improve the user experience

Two words: New Coke

Re:Don't forget Apple

[Flentil]

I think you might be missing the point, that being the point of this article. You are forcing changes on people who were happy doing things as they were. Maybe if you would stop doing that, they'd stop complaining so much.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[Flentil]

As for iGoogle, I don't know what the fuss is all about. Really. So the tabs have moved to the left. Big fucking deal.

Yes, it is a big deal, forcing a change from a 3 column layout to four, with the new column being useless and taking up space that was previously used for other things. It's clearly a downgrade if you like your homepage to work as an at-a-glance page of quick links and info. So now you know.

Re:Don't forget Apple

[NVW55V]

This Adblock Plus rule will remove the new left tab: google.com#TD(class=leftborder)

Re:Don't forget Apple

[FooGoo]

Never rely on other people, companies or things for your stability. Your stability is your responsibility and no one else's. Everything changes if you can't deal with that it's no one else's problem or responsibility but your own. If your happiness is defined by the UI of a website you have serious problems. It's meaningless...does the sun going down make you feel insecure? How about running water....does that make you unstable? When the wind blows do you get panicky?

Acknowledge, adapt, and move.

I quite like it.

[AndGodSed]

I don't really use iGoogle because I found the previous interface clunky - so unless I am not seeing what others are I think I will hence use iGoogle more often...

People hate change...

[Dutch Gun]

...news at 11.

Welcome to the future of cloud computing. This is what it means to give up control of your software for the convenience of a net-based service.

google.com/ig

[ThePhilips]

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.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

the change was announced

[speedtux]

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.

Daily Mash

[David Gerard]

I commend the wisdom of the Daily Mash on this topic: Carnage As Facebook Moves Everything Slightly To The Left.

I like the new iGoogle

[anoneironaut]

I like the new iGoogle. People always complain about these kind of changes instead of just letting it sit for a while!

Don't forget Mechanics.

[Ostracus]

"I'll just keep using these sites and those who can't stand the changes can go elsewhere."

Or start using Greasemonkey.

Why Gmail Gadget With No Hide Preview?

[Comatose51]

Anyone know why they took "hide preview" away from the Gmail gadget? On the Gmail gadget's blog, almost all the comments are complains about this change. I've stopped using it because of this. It might now seem so important at first glance but I think a lot of us use iGoogle as our homepage and leave our browser on it. I don't want someone passing by to glance at my email. When I click and go to Gmail, there's only a brief period when someone can pass by and see it. Knowing this, I would only check my email when I have some measure of privacy. However little that privacy is, it's better than none. I'm not trying to guard against intruders or determined snoopers. I just don't want innocent glances reading my email.

Terrible

[rm999]

They have rendered my homepage almost entirely useless in one fell swoop, to the point that I am actively looking for something new (meanwhile I have to use the UK site: www.google.co.uk)

The worst part? They are doing this with developers in mind more than users. Some Google article I was reading discussed advertising and developer freedom instead of user experience, with a couple of vague mentions of "happier users." I don't want to sound like Marx or anything, but this switch was to make the powerful minority happy instead of the masses. I would be pissed if they snuck ads onto my widgets - I already click on plenty of search and text ads!

The ironic thing is this is one of their only truly "beta" products, and it's one of the few not labeled so.

To get your old iGoogle layout back

[RichPowers]

Log-in to iGoogle through www.google.co.uk and enjoy...at least until Google forces the new layout on UK users.

The new sidebar, weather gadget, and Gmail preview take up too much space, even on my 24'' monitor.

Re:stop whining, it's free

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

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

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