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Gmail Reveals Google's Achilles' Heel: 'Arrogance'

Search giant is starting to look a lot like the companies it toppled in late 90s: Blodget

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 17, 2009 3:49 PM CDT

(Newser) – Henry Blodget of the Business Insider recently switched from Yahoo Mail to Gmail, mainly because Yahoo had become “buggy, inconsistent, and unreliable.” For basic functionality—and spam-blocking—Gmail performs well. But he hates the "conversation model" for email. Why? "Because I can't easily find the exact message I'm looking for. Because I have to scroll down to find the new email. I can't change the headline of a message string if I want to just hit reply and change the topic."

But more than the model itself, Blodget hates that Google imposes it on the user. Why doesn’t Google offer the choice to view email in the conventional format? "Only one answer seems plausible, and it's the answer that gets to Google's Achilles heel: arrogance." Google has decided it knows what’s best for users, and that “leaves an opening for someone, somewhere to do what Google once did to Yahoo: Do it better.”

The Gmail logo.
The Gmail logo.   (Google)
Yahoo headquarters is shown in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Yahoo headquarters is shown in Sunnyvale, Calif.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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Google has apparently decided that the conversation format is 'better' than regular old email. And so the hell with me.
- Henry Blodget

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 21 comments
janbee
Sep 18, 2009 7:04 AM CDT
It's not so much that Gmail is better than Yahoo, or that yes Mr Bloggett it's called free enterprise, and eventually a competitor will battle Google, like Google has been able even take down Microsoft a few notches....... It is the arrogrance of the Blodgett's, the Godin's and anyone else with enough hits to their blog to become newsworthy?? Been using Gmail abt 5 years now -- donlt know of one person that didn't have some adjustment to make and again not commenting abt the technology as much as Mr Blodgett -- go away -- why do we want to hear from you. It took you this long to leave the whom of Yahoo?
Guest
Sep 18, 2009 6:52 AM CDT
There are billions of free email services out there, billions I tell you!! Don't let the door hit you...
Guest
Sep 18, 2009 2:44 AM CDT
Erm...cry more? Yahoo Mail just received a brand new update today and not for over 2 years has there been a notorious spam problem. Plus, they don't keep your data like Google does. Enjoy your internets, slaves.

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