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How To Disable Gmail's Annoying New 'Smart Compose' Predictive Typing Feature (vortex.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the plan-B-stop-using-Gmail dept.

"I've seen this 'Smart Compose' feature described publicly with a range of adjectives," writes Lauren Weinstein, "including intrusive, wonderful, invasive, creepy, accurate, loony, mistaken, helpful, misguided -- well, you get the point, opinions are all over the map...." My foundational complaint here isn't that Google deployed Smart Compose, but rather that they enabled it by default without providing users even basic related information, including the all important "How the hell do I turn this damned thing off?" -- the very question filling my inbox of late!

So here's how you turn it off. It's easy, IF you know how.
One anonymous reader has another solution. "I'm just using Gmail in HTML-only mode now. Its actually far more usable than their new crap and I'm quite fond of the older look anyway." You could also just stop using Gmail -- but Weinstein thinks it's easier to disable the "Smart Compose feature.

"With the understanding that Google has great AI and is itching to use it whenever and wherever possible, I don't really need it analyzing my email drafts as I type them. At least in my case, its proposed wordings are nearly always -- what's the technical term? -- oh yes, WRONG.

"And the predictions intrusively and continuously interrupt my flow of typing as each one needs to be individually bypassed."

108 comments

  1. Thunderbird still works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why ask this?

    1. Re:Thunderbird still works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why ask this?

      Exactly. Thunderbird + access Gmail via POP3. Problem solved. The entire concept of "webmail" is stupid and makes no sense.

      Also, 'Smart Compose' -- *ANY* product with 'smart' in the name, isn't. There are no exceptions to this.

    2. Re:Thunderbird still works by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Thunderbird + access Gmail via POP3. Problem solved.

      Was coming here to post this. Although I gave in to the pressure eventually, and so use IMAP nowadays.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    3. Re:Thunderbird still works by nospam007 · · Score: 1

      "Exactly. Thunderbird + access Gmail via POP3. Problem solved. The entire concept of "webmail" is stupid and makes no sense."

      This is for stupid people who use web-mail.
      They also use Excel do do lists and databases and complain if they have formatting or speed problems.
      Just ignore them.

    4. Re:Thunderbird still works by mcswell · · Score: 1

      I use TBird on my home PC. Fast CPU, lots of memory, SSD drive. It was nevertheless sluggish at times--it would just stop responding for a couple minutes, not sure why. (Haven't seen that in a couple weeks, possibly there's a bug fix out.) My laptop has a slower CPU and less memory, but it does have an SSD drive. TBird was terminally slow on that, so I usually use Webmail there.

      Also, searches on TBird are very slow; much faster on Webmail +IMAP. I suppose that speed does depend on the email server... Why TBird can't have fast searches, I don't know. I think grep would be much faster (or 'find . -exec grep -H "some search string" {} \;'). For that matter, there are aftermarket search tools that are lightening fast, like MailStore Home. Problem is, the free version does not auto-run to re-build its database. (I can of course understand, they need to make money by selling a more complete version.)

      BTW, if I ever had to give up TBird, I would desperately miss the Nostalgy plugin. I have *lots* of folders, and without Nostalgy it would be a real pain to manage them.

    5. Re: Thunderbird still works by bobmagicii · · Score: 1

      the first time i wrote a message from the web ui after the third word it asked if i wanted to keep it. so, idk. obvs i said no.

  2. Time saver! by kqs · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm so glad that someone wrote an article telling me how to turn off smart compose. I was afraid that I'd have to type "how do I turn off smart compose" into my browser's bar, but this article has saved me all that effort.

    1. Re:Time saver! by JMJimmy · · Score: 2

      The question is why aren't they writing about how it breaks accessibility? Tab is for navigating the UI without a mouse - not being held hostage by stupid features.

    2. Re:Time saver! by Krishnoid · · Score: 2

      I see you're trying to turn off smart compose. Would you like some help with that?

    3. Re: Time saver! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought Tab was for drinking when I wanted a good-tasting sugar free cola.

    4. Re: Time saver! by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      I thought they quit making that stuff about 30 years ago, but apparently not. Learn something new every day, I guess.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    5. Re:Time saver! by fph+il+quozientatore · · Score: 1

      Dude, not to burst your bubble, but consider this: if no one ever wrote an article telling you how to turn off smart compose, then typing it in the browser bar would return no results.

      --
      My first program:

      Hell Segmentation fault

    6. Re:Time saver! by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Except when you have the cursor in a textbox, then it's for inserting tabs. Web browsers suck for entering code because they break the tab key.

      Not even the usual overrides like ctrl-tab (change tab), shift-tab (tab backwards) or alt-tab (switch task on Windows) will override this. You end up having to copy/paste tabs from a proper text editor.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    7. Re:Time saver! by JMJimmy · · Score: 2

      Tab is supposed to allow navigation while ctrl+m is for inserting tab characters - https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria...

    8. Re:Time saver! by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      I leaned something. Thanks.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  3. you can complain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    as much as you want. Fact is Google don't give a dlan to what you think (anymore). Gnews stupid interface is a proof

    1. Re:you can complain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's Google Clippy! No one wanted MS Clippy either.

    2. Re:you can complain by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      Google works by the number. If you complain, they don't give a dam. If many complain, or some PR is involved, they might.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    3. Re:you can complain by BlueStrat · · Score: 1

      If many complain, or some PR is involved, they might.

      "PR"?

      So, being co-enablers to the mass censorship & surveillance of roughly three billion people is not sufficiently-bad PR?

      Yikes!

      I think that says more about us than it does about Google.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    4. Re:you can complain by mcswell · · Score: 1

      Five years or so ago, Google tested a new interface to GNews on a small group of users. I hear that it was disliked by that test group. I can't verify that, but I can verify this: after the testing, Google sent the new version out to everyone (in the US--for awhile, one could use the old version if you went to Google's Canadian news page). And there was a huge outcry on their comments page--thousands upon thousands of posts asking them to repent of their sin, and re-instate the old version. I saw only one positive comment from users, and this was clearly sarcasm. This went on for weeks. Finally one of Google's employees posted that they'd heard the feedback, and made changes to improve. But in fact their "improvements" addressed almost none of the complaints. And last time I looked, gnews was even worse than it was back then.

      There was a similar outcry, perhaps a little less vocal, a couple years ago about Google Maps. Afaict, Google paid no attention. I've never used Gmail, so I don't know how people feel about the UI changes there (except for this thread, of course).

      I would like to think that "if many complain...they might [give a damn]." But I don't believe it. Google, like Microsoft, knows what's best for you. Or rather, they think they do. (Going off-topic: Microsoft at least repented of the Windows 8 menu catastrophe, although there are still lots of things I detest about Win10. Some can be repaired by Classic Shell and WinAero Tweaker, some can't. And don't get me started on MsOffice.)

  4. If you USE Google for email by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You get whatever it gives you...up your ass, Trump toadstoo! style! Do not complain that it hurts when you keep your pants pulled down and ass presented with cheeks spread.

  5. Not as annoying as Social/Promotions nonsense... by cre1mer · · Score: 0

    I was responding to an email from YouTube Creator Support when the "Smart Compose" feature popped up and I turned it off without a second thought. I found the Social/Promotions nonsense more annoying. I don't like it that I have to hunt around for emails that should be in my primary email box.

    --
    Goodbye, Slashdot!
  6. HTML yes please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One anonymous reader has another solution. "I'm just using Gmail in HTML-only mode now. Its actually far more usable than their new crap and I'm quite fond of the older look anyway."

    Yep. Older look is best.

  7. Great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now we'll all have to (patiently) deal with (absurdly) annoying emails which contain (pointless) verbiage which is improperly used by (feckless) people who think these (dumbly) suggested words look fancy.

    1. Re:Great by novakyu · · Score: 1

      Oh, come on. Have some full-sized aortic pump!

  8. Pay for your email by DogDude · · Score: 1

    Just pay for your email and quit using free shit.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:Pay for your email by davide+marney · · Score: 3, Informative

      I pay for Goggle Apps and these annoying features are, indeed, enabled by default.

      --
      "We receive as friendly that which agrees with, we resist with dislike that which opposes us" - Faraday
    2. Re:Pay for your email by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      right, ofiice 365 at work is so much superior.

      bahahaha, the paid shit is even worse

    3. Re:Pay for your email by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Repeat after me. You are the product if the price is free.

    4. Re:Pay for your email by KiloByte · · Score: 1

      If by "pay for your email" you mean "pay for a server to run it on". I'm not aware of paid mail service that's decent, Gmail went to the bottom of the barrel these days. So why won't you just do it yourself? exim works out of the box with no configuration needed beyond setting a valid hostname+reverse. Add dovecot if you prefer a GUI client (you obviously don't sound like a mutt person...), and there you go.

      Worlds easier than that paid shit you promote, where for a simple task you need to ask around even when working for a VIP (VERY VIP) client...

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    5. Re:Pay for your email by SeriousTube · · Score: 1

      Fastmail.com is great paid email.

    6. Re:Pay for your email by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      ...aaand in Google Apps you can't disable that.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    7. Re:Pay for your email by DogDude · · Score: 1

      I pay Rackspace for email. I've got one domain that uses Exchange, and another that uses plain IMAP. No spying. Great support. The IMAPstuff is $2/month.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    8. Re:Pay for your email by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ProtonMail, also ProtonVPN.

    9. Re:Pay for your email by KiloByte · · Score: 1

      No spying.

      You mean, like Google says about Gmail, despite evidence to the contrary?

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  9. barely noticed it by RhettLivingston · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think this feature had been going for a couple of days before I noticed it. I guess I'm used to editors doing similar things. But, the implementation also seems to be remarkably non-obtrusive. Nothing seems to have slowed or changed other than I can occasionally tab through a suggestion if I happen to notice it in time. I'll be leaving it on and gradually start using it.

    What I find most surprising is that any of the suggestions are actually exactly what I intended to type. A lot of them are.

    Of course, we will likely see the required article about some shocking suggestion within days now. I'm surprised it isn't already out there. Someone will sit and spend a few hours working to trigger something so that they can feed someone's agenda with a new viral campaign.

    I did note that when typing an email discussing the reason for purchasing a new pair of running shorts that it guessed that I had gained weight and completed a sentence about that appropriately. Some might find that offensive :-)

    1. Re:barely noticed it by stevent1965 · · Score: 1

      Didn't notice it, at all. I use Outlook configured for my Gmail account. Google seems to think this is unsecure and doesn't like it but I know what I'm doing and chances are that anyone else doing the same is conscious enough of the security issues to make it secure, as I have. Not everyone has Outlook, true, but other email clients exist that will connect with Gmail's servers so that users can avoid the so-called "features" imposed upon the standard Gmail interface. And, oh hey, Alphabet? The day you "force" me to use your interface and no longer support alternatives? That's the day I drop you like a mic at a slam poetry contest.

    2. Re:barely noticed it by djinn6 · · Score: 1

      I also don't get why people are afraid of it.

      In the worst case I just keep typing and the suggestion goes away. Otherwise it can save me a few seconds or in the best case remind me to add a few polite words so I don't come off as aloof or rude.

    3. Re:barely noticed it by Alumoi · · Score: 1

      What I find most surprising is that any of the suggestions are actually exactly what I intended to type. A lot of them are.

      You're not clearing cookies and cache when leaving pages, right? You're always signed in into Google, Facebook & the ilk?
      And it comes as a surprise if Google knows what you think?
      I'm shocked, I tell you.

    4. Re:barely noticed it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      nitpick: not offensive, but distasteful or insulting.

      One is offended by transgression of etiquette. Something is offensive if it transgresses values or is taboo.

  10. Re:Not as annoying as Social/Promotions nonsense.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    yeah, yeah, Chris we already know about this opinion of yours, you posted it one thousand times all over the Internet. You definitely need to get that problem of yours cured or, at least, under control.

    Cheers buddy!

    Reference: creimer twitter account and Slashdot comments linked below for more info:
    https://twitter.com/cdreimer
    https://slashdot.org/comments....
    https://slashdot.org/comments....

    Figure Out G.E.D. Question From Hot Ones Truth or Dab with Kevin Hart

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  11. autocorrect/predictive typing in Android by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what I would like to know is what the FUCK has happened to the autocorrect in android, the correction has suddenly gotten woefully bad to the point I had to turn it off and my mother and my wife have requested I do the same for them. seems they have put this shit under the control of someone that doesn't speak English.

  12. Re:All Hail Judge Brett Kavanaugh! by novakyu · · Score: 0

    Judge Brett Kavanaugh? More like Judge Dredd! https://youtu.be/miVoe7U6Lx4?t...

  13. ironic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ironic that the "smart" compose seems to default to the vocabulary typical of a 4th grader.

  14. Q: How to turn off Smart Compose by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    A: Go into settings and turn it off.

    Was that really worth a whole article?

    1. Re:Q: How to turn off Smart Compose by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      Turning off not the point, the point was the very existence of this broken down crap by a company that hires and promotes the ideas of juvenile developers.

      Google needs to start letting users vet the random bad ideas of these juveniles before polluting products that are used in the adult world

  15. chrome autocorrect really sucks (somewhat related) by boojumbadger · · Score: 1

    It can't detect trivial finger place,emt typos such as in this sentence where the comma in placement should be an m and the m an n or that ;; in the ,iddle of a word should be ll

  16. I've found that... by c-A-d · · Score: 3, Funny

    not using GMail has solved all my problems with GMail.

    --
    some karma... and kinda lukewarm about it.
    1. Re:I've found that... by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      not using GMail has solved all my problems with GMail.

      Sure. How many other problems did that generate?

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    2. Re: I've found that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly. Why use gmail in the first place? I decided not to, when learning that google reads gmail in order to do ads. Well, email - like any mail - is supposed to be confidential.

      Snooping may be easy, but should never be policy or default. So, no gmail for me.

      And if they employ stupid predictive typing, even more reason to go elsewhere.

      Gmail may need you. Nobody needs gmail.

    3. Re:I've found that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not the OP, but I found it amusing that Google sent me an email at my Google Mail account that I rarely use - I was forced to get it when I bought a DroidX years ago - complaining that I wasn't using The Google E-Mail App. Well, too effing bad, folks - I refuse to pollute my iMac with their spyware, and their web interface seems to display reasonably well on Safari, and that's all I need from them, considering I send about one e-mail a year on Gmail (on average).

  17. Re: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But I want a large company to monitor my email with no government oversight. How else will I become broke and jobless after getting blacklisted from future hiring?

  18. other garbage features there by iggymanz · · Score: 1

    "nudges" for emails google *thinks* you should have responded to?

    "smart reply" to have buttons at the bottom of a reply with stupid things a 14 year old would say?

    seriously, with this plus browsing history on blank tab page the google developers should just off themselves, so google can hire adults.

  19. Use a real MUA by gweihir · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Those do not suddenly get strange ideas. I use mutt.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    1. Re:Use a real MUA by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      'mutt' is alive, still?! wow...

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    2. Re:Use a real MUA by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      yes, some of us do email from command line

    3. Re:Use a real MUA by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      yes, some of us do email from command line

      yes, I do. "mail".

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    4. Re:Use a real MUA by gweihir · · Score: 1

      Alive and going strong. I use it for most of my email, private and professional. Had to add HTML-rendering via Lynx, but that is the only real change.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    5. Re:Use a real MUA by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      pine FTW.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    6. Re:Use a real MUA by skids · · Score: 1

      Yeah, used to. Now use mutt because pine's license did something wonky and wasn't going to arsed to build my own package. Still don't check my private email enough to know more than a few keys and at this point have forgotten every pine key except whatever muscle memory brings back and I have to then figure out what the heck I just told mutt to do. Fuck email. I only use it at work now, or when required for account verifications on the stupider websites. Nobody is worth talking to who isn't on IRC anyway.

      --
      Someone had to do it.
    7. Re:Use a real MUA by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      yes and mutt can do more, it's a supped up "mail"

  20. Works great in my chat app by raymorris · · Score: 2

    I've found the Android / Google keyboard autosuggestions quite useful in a chat app I use. I suppose I tend to frequently use the same phrases there.

    1. Re:Works great in my chat app by grep+-v+'.*'+* · · Score: 1

      I suppose I tend to frequently use the same phrases there.

      Me too:

      No.
      Have you rebooted it?
      Really? The TV, or the box under it?
      CAPSLOCK IS JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE A key.
      Your printer probably IS out of paper/ink/toner.
      No.
      The FBI/CIA is NOT watching you type. You are NOT the 1,000 viewer today. Microsoft will NOT call you. Ever.
      No, I don't know what your passwords are. Try PASSWORD.
      Unless YOU are now installing a NEW software package, you do NOT need to install anything else. NOTHING. No Thing. Click Cancel.
      Do NOT disable the virus scanner.
      Yes, Windows Updates sucks.
      Have you checked your backups lately?
      No Bit- or ANYTHING-Coin. If it's not denominated in Dollars, ignore it.
      If you do that, I won't help you anymore. I will know if you do. Don't do that.
      No.

      Forget four letter words, I'm trying to get them to understand TWO-letter words. One in particular.

      --
      If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
  21. Left gmail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > You could also just stop using Gmail

    Yeah, I did that and moved to another company. $80 every 3 years is worth it to not deal with Google's stupid shit.

    And even when I did use Google as my primary mail, I used Thunderbird and not the retarded web app, or the even more retarded Android app with the stupid "conversation" crap.

  22. Settings > General > Write Suggestions Off by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 5, Informative

    tl;dr do: Settings > General > Write Suggestions Off > Save
    You would think that page criticizing Google would make it easy to find in this lengthy text how to switch that feature off...

    --
    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  23. Basic HTML mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mine got turned off the other day and I was shocked to see what the 'real' gmail looked like after all these years. Thank God I managed to switch back to basic HTML before I suffered too greatly.

  24. Complete Instructions to Disable: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Click on disable when it asks you if you want to disable it.
    Jesus christ who are these idiots?
    The first fucking time you use it it pops up a giant fucking pop up that asks you if you want to enable or disable it.
    One day I started typing and it was suggesting all kinds of bullshit and then this pop up appeared, I clicked disable, and that was that.
    Don't blame Google because you are retarded.

  25. Re:Settings General Write Suggestions Off by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

    You would think that page criticizing Google would make it easy to find in this lengthy text how to switch that feature off...

    As a general rule, people are more interested in winning arguments than in solving problems.

    Showing how easy it is to disable solves the problem, but weakens the argument.

  26. Don't use an ad brands services by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    With an ad company your content is the product.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  27. I love this feature by Salo2112 · · Score: 2

    It saves me a lot of trouble when I am driving.

    1. Re:I love this feature by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      Google should add a button "Whatever" ; that would save even more trouble.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    2. Re:I love this feature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whatever

      Relevant Key and Peele Text Message Confusion

  28. Alphabetical Order by techdolphin · · Score: 1

    I have another complaint about Google's user interface.

    After finding "Smart Compose" in "Settings," I decided to check "Smart Reply." I used my browsers search function to find it. Why does Google (and other companies) put topics in a random order, instead of ordering topics alphabetically. The order may be logical to Google, but I have no idea what they are thinking, and it is a pain to find anything.

    1. Re:Alphabetical Order by yes-but-no · · Score: 1

      The random order likely arose from the underlying data-structure (a hash or dictionary likely) holding the items. Just that the engineer didn't think a sort is necessary before presentation.
      for item in foo_db: [instead of] for item in sorted(foo_db): [python snippet]

  29. Re:Settings General Write Suggestions Off by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

    What's even more interesting is that I don't have that option. I'm not sure why or how.

    --
    Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
  30. Why are people sending mail through the web page? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seriously, why are you using the gmail page itself to do anything other than check spam, manually flag things as spam, or try to exempt things from being considered spam? The page is useless and should be avoided as much as possible.

  31. Re:Not as annoying as Social/Promotions nonsense.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sure Chris, gmail must be handy for your 150 sock puppet accounts and you must receive a lot of "Social/Promotions" stuff on those accounts given the use you make of them.

  32. Re:Settings General Write Suggestions Off by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

    Are you using a Google Apps for Education/Business account? The “smart” compose feature probably hasn’t been deployed to you.

    I noticed my work email, which is on Google Apps for Edu, does not have this - but my personal Gmail (which I generally avoid using) does.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  33. Re:Settings General Write Suggestions Off by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 2

    people are more interested in winning arguments than in solving problems

    Or people just want to be listened to.

    --
    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  34. Walk Away from hate filled CoCs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Free Software developers of the world, open your eyes! Our communities are being raped, our work pillaged.

    Detestable villains - thieving, mean spirited, belligerent, racist, unprincipled - are using underhanded tricks to force hypocritical "Codes of Conduct" on the projects we built.

    These petty-authoritarian CoCs are always imposed anti-democratically. There is never free debate, and usually no public discussion at all. They are imposed by force without a vote. If the CoCs were put up for a fair democratic vote by project contributors, they would always lose by a landslide.

    The purpose of these CoCs is to allow so-called "Progressives", who have contributed nothing to the project, to conduct witch hunts against anyone who opposes their hate-driven agenda. Thereby they plan to steal our work for their shadowy corporate paymasters.

    You can readily tell these CoCs are not about "just being nice" - because they are ALWAYS supported by the very LEAST NICE, most aggressively mean and shamelessly bigoted people you can imagine. Look know the CoC-mongers treat anyone who disagrees with them as subhuman.

    If a project to which you contribute has been raped by CoC-mongers there is a simple solution: WALK AWAY. Never contribute again. If you have a patch almost ready, count the time you spent on it as a loss and throw it away. If you see a security issue, remain silent and do nothing. IT'S NO LONGER YOUR PROJECT. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME THERE.

    If you are evaluating new software, don't even consider any projects burdened under the tyranny of a CoC. Their technical attributes do not matter - just don't consider them. Never be openly political, always make up a technical reason for rejecting CoCed projects.

    Don't argue in public about the CoC. Doing so only exposes you to needless risk. You might be dis-employed, blackballed, and even set up for a #MeToo purge. Just stay far away. If you resign from a project that gets CoCed, try to do so on the same day the CoC is imposed. But give "spend more time with friends & family" or "pursue other intests & projects" as your reason for resignation. Protect yourself!

    Comrades: Individually we are powerless, and easily crushed beneath the iron boot of Corporate Social Just-Us. But together in solidarity we are millions and we are strong. The Internet itself depends on our collective labor. If we stop working, the internet stops working.

    Free Software developers, save yourselves and save your communities! Just WALK AWAY from any project with a CoC. Without our labor they are nothing.

    1. Re:Walk Away from hate filled CoCs by mcswell · · Score: 1

      Tavarish, you forgot to say "You have nothing to lose but your chains!"

  35. Re:Settings General Write Suggestions Off by taustin · · Score: 1

    We've had it show up on the GSuite stuff at work, but still (so far) with the option to go back to the old view.

    On the other hand, when it showed up on my personal email, the first time, there was a little pop-up that asked if I wanted to turn it off. But I guess that's too complicated for some people.

  36. Re:Not as annoying as Social/Promotions nonsense.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't forget those hundreds of job offers per day from recruiters. Especially after his video where he says he never finished his certifications. The only job offers he's getting is from pharmaceuticals looking for human guinea pigs.

  37. Re:All Hail Judge Brett Kavanaugh! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thanks for making it clear to us that Kavanaugh supporters are racist assholes.

  38. Re:Settings General Write Suggestions Off by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Be thankful it wasn't a youtube video.

  39. Where's a clue-bat when you need one? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The entire software industry needs a giant whack upside the head with the world's largest clue-bat regarding user interfaces. KISS, you morons!
    Personal computing had such promise 40 years ago, now it's just a series of infuriating annoyances. First you have to wait for an app to update almost every time you launch one, then the update adds intrusive and annoying crap like this.

  40. Re:Settings General Write Suggestions Off by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

    Or even easier, just don't turn it on.

    A few weeks ago a message appeared asking if I wanted to turn it on. I declined. That's all.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  41. Re:Settings General Write Suggestions Off by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

    A few weeks ago a message appeared asking if I wanted to turn it on. I declined. That's all.

    You seem to be a lucky person.

    --
    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  42. Lauren Weinstein, this is not your blog by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lauren Weinstein, this is not your blog. Stop submitting your damn blog.

  43. Re:Not as annoying as Social/Promotions nonsense.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You and APK need to get in the ring and fight it out, Lowtax/Uwe Boll-style. That would be classic.

    Hell you might even win.

  44. Re:All Hail Judge Brett Kavanaugh! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Judge Dredd is awesome, so . . . great!

  45. Re:Not as annoying as Social/Promotions nonsense.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I was responding to an email from YouTube Creator Support

    Who cares if you were responding to the Pope in the context of your amazing story, you dumb fattard? Would it change anything?

    But creimer needs to try to look all important with his "YouTube Creator" bullshit while as usual, he was responding to a bot!

    Go fuck yourself creimer!

  46. I'd be happy if it stopped being so laggy by Beeftopia · · Score: 1

    The predictive typing feature is IMO kind of amusing. I used the term "reach out" which I loathe, for the first time, because it suggested it.

    In reality, the new upgrades have degraded my experience. It takes a LOT longer to load. Sometimes freezes while typing in my password. Sometimes accepts my password then kicks me back to the login screen (I get these issues on the latest Firefox or Chrome).

    Ironically, the new Gmail works best on an older version of IE (11) which I guess doesn't support the feature bloat.

  47. The Thunderbird email client ... by Rambo+Tribble · · Score: 1

    ... works well with Gmail accounts. Set up is simple, and then you have control, not just of the composition process, but of your address books. Google will nag you to drop T-bird, claiming security reasons, but their logic is specious and self-serving.

  48. How about a chronologically ordered inbox? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Since the changeover my inbox has been out of chronological order. As far as I can tell it's because someone I sent an e-mail asking how they are doing has not responded, so it has put towards the top of my inbox with the fucking "nudge" "feature." But I've turned that shit off and it is still putting my e-mails out of order.

    Fucking infuriating. The overall design of the new gmail is horrible enough as it is (I can't keep my task list -- which organizes my entire life -- open anymore because it wastes too much screen space and the left side also wastes too much space) but they can't even put a fucking inbox in chronological order? What retards are running the show over there? Are they going to sell more ads by fucking up my e-mail?

  49. Re:Not as annoying as Social/Promotions nonsense.. by cre1mer · · Score: 0

    You and APK need to get in the ring and fight it out, Lowtax/Uwe Boll-style. That would be classic.

    Hell you might even win.

    Where were you in late 2016? APK and I fought to a draw. We stayed out of each other's way since then. That epic fight probably attracted my merry band of trolls and why APK shows no mercy when they mess with him.

    --
    Goodbye, Slashdot!
  50. Re:Settings General Write Suggestions Off by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

    Uhhh that isn't the point, its the point they made it default without asking. Or do you support MSFT constantly making Edge the default browser after updates? After all it too is easy enough to turn off, doesn't stop it from being annoying as hell.

    Hell Gmail is getting so damned irritating with its constant UI changes and niggling irritants I've started using my Outlook address again, at least there the UI seems to stay the same for more than a week at a time and the changes seem to be under the hood stuff like faster load times and making it work better with Android and Apple, not annoying Clippy wannabe crap like this "Smart" compose that I swear is so bad I have to wonder if someone at Google is just trolling.

    --
    ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  51. I find it useful ... by kbahey · · Score: 1

    I find the predictive typing feature useful. You can just ignore it by not hitting Tab.

    Regarding HTML only Gmail, I used it for a while, and it is fast. The one thing that made me go back to the Javascript user interface is that it did not fill in contacts properly. It was very tedious, and that was a deal breaker for me ... so I am back to the Javascript UI.

    --
    2bits.com, Inc: Drupal, WordPress, and LAMP performance tuning.
  52. Re:Not as annoying as Social/Promotions nonsense.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LOL creimer you admitted defeat and said we won... You're such a liar even Donald Trump blushes.

  53. Some people may like it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Each to his own, really.

  54. I *was* with you by raymorris · · Score: 1

    "Have you rebooted it? â

    You're THAT guy. I see.

    Raymorris: Your router at 67.3.4.1 has a routing loop with the one at 67.18.9.4. Both are sending the traffic to each other, in a circle.

    Support: Let's reboot your computer.

    Raymorris: May I please speak to someone who is allowed to touch your equipment.

    My ISP's regional network manager gave me his cell.phone number after a couple of those calls.

  55. Now, how about Skype! by Tony+Isaac · · Score: 1

    Skype has the same auto suggestions that are just stupid. Unfortunately, I don't think there's a way to turn them off.

    Are people really so unable to type 3 word answers without a special suggestion?

  56. Re:Not as annoying as Social/Promotions nonsense.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Loser creimer couldn't even best that retard APK. Almost anyone can beat him like an ugly red headed step child but apparently you couldn't.

  57. This will do it by DarkRookie2 · · Score: 1

    https://support.google.com/acc...

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    http://progressquest.com/spoltog.php?name=Son+Of+Son+Of+DarkRookie
  58. Re:Why are people sending mail through the web pag by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You must be over 35.