Comments on: Gmail Labs + User Scripts Makes Web-based Email Irresistible

By: Joshua Fryer

Joshua Fryer — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:47:52 +0000

Has anyone yet figured out how to fix the “Ooops! “Google Calendar” failed to load. Try again” problem with the Calendar-gadget that me (and many others) are still facing?

By: slevy

slevy — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:11:53 +0000

Very helpful thanks!

By: Charles McPhate

Charles McPhate — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:37:49 +0000

I use both the web interface and IMAP to access Gmail via Apple Mail. My problem with the web interface is that I frequently have to send screenshots to clients. I like to be able to write text, show the screenshot below, write more text, next screenshot, etc. I can’t do that with the web interface, so I keep Mail open so I can compose emails like that when needed. Otherwise, I prefer the web interface. (Gmail’s IMAP implementation leaves a lot to be desired.)

I do love the power of Gmail’s search functions. I don’t even bother with labels now, unless it’s something I really need to keep up with. I just type “from:adam” for instance to see all the emails Adam has sent me. I often use searches like “from:jfm search_term” to find all emails from coworkers that contain the search_term. This is so much more powerful and easier to use (for me) than Mail’s search functions.

And I’ve gotten so used to the keyboard shortcuts that I keep trying – unsuccessfully – to use them in Mail.

By: tanjadebie

tanjadebie — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:21:58 +0000

Quicklinks and Multiple Inbox are my favs with Send & Archive (that one rocks!).

I going to give Folders4Gmail a try now.

By: ShadyPghGuy

ShadyPghGuy — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:56:33 +0000

I was also a die hard desktop email person for years. I used Thunderbird and still do for some of my email accounts, but not Gmail. The things I love the most about it are labels and grouping messages into conversations. I access my account via IMAP on my iPod touch and am always missing the flexibility of the web interface.

I use Better Gmail 2 and my labs features are:
Signature tweaks
Custom date formats
Forgotten Attachment Detector
Text Messaging in Chat

By: ryandscott

ryandscott — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:39:34 +0000

Honestly, the Title Tabs gmail labs features seems sufficient. I guess I never have enough tabs open to make the tab width less than the width of “inbox (5)”. Not only that, but I avoid greasemonkey whenever I can on my netbook since my little atom processor and Firefox can’t handle the javascript… still waiting for that quad core atom

By: digitalman

digitalman — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:27:39 +0000

Nice list!

I use Gmail on the web, but download it to Outlook Express for Archival purposes once a month or so (I would LOVE to use Thunderbird for that, but it messes up some of the dates in much older mails in the archive. I’ve been seeking a fix for that for ages…)

What I use that you don’t in Labs are:
-Superstars (very handy to prioritize certain mails).
-The Mark as Read button. There are some things I know I don’t need to read at the time, but could come in handy when searching for them later.

My favorite functions of Better Gmail 2 are Row Highlights and Attachment Icons.

I’m also committed to the Tasks Lab feature. I was a happy “Remember the Milk” user for quite some time, but it seemed sensible to use Gmail’s own task manager once it became available. I’m very happy with it and haven’t looked back.

By: Mitch Wagner

Mitch Wagner — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:10:15 +0000

I use Gmail as my primary e-mail, and I access it through the Web. I don’t use any Greasemonkey scripts. My favorite Labs features:

Quick Links – I don’t use it often, but I use it as a work around for Gmail’s lack of a “stop processing filters” rule.

Muzzle – Since I access Google’s chat through Adium, I have no need to see my friends’ chat statuses through Gmail.

Default ‘Reply to All’

Vacation Time – let’s you specify a start date and end for vacation scripts.

Mark as read button. For marking messages read with fewer clicks.

Send & Archive.

But my ultimate fave is “multiple inboxes.” It allows me to keep a couple of mailboxes open on my desktop in my peripheral vision (metaphorically speaking) while only the most important mail triggers a new mail alert. Allows me to do that Merlin Mann thing of not being a slave to the incoming-email bell.

I’ve been messing around with the PR blacklist you started, btw; let me know if you’re interested in hearing more.