7 Google Labs Features That Help Us Avoid Email Mistakes

Great article over at Makeuseof.com:

“A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history – with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila.”
~ Mitch Radcliffe (technology journalist)

That’s spot on. The Delete key is dangerous but we have Recycle Bin/Undo/Trash to help us bounce back. What sometimes seems even more deadly is the Send button under our quicksilver cursor. Making errors in email is not solely about grammatical errors or sending it to a non-existent address (though the former should also be unpardonable). Far more serious gaffes exist and we can all take to the stand on that.

How many times have we sent an email to the wrong guy? At least – once. How many times have we forgotten to include someone in the mail? Many times over! The end result may or may not be as bad as with handguns or as embarrassing as a tequila high, but email mistakes are unprofessional (and can be potentially a huge blow).

The good thing about Gmail is that the boffins in Google Labs have their empathy hat on. They know that foot-in-the-mouth disease is becoming quite common in the online world too, thanks to rapid tools like email and Twitter. That’s why Gmail has quite a few Google Labs email features inbuilt to prevent such errors.

We have brought up some of the features previously mentioned in a couple of Google Labs feature posts. Maybe, this one will help to put all of them on a common thread. Let’s start with two of the latest ones on the experimental block.


To access the Google Labs email features, click on the little green beaker icon at the top right.

1.Don’t Forget Bob

Who’s Bob? It could be your friend or your boss. But actually in Gmail it’s the new name for the old ‘Add More Recipients’. It’s Google’s way of suggesting adding guys you might have missed while filling your address fields. Click on Enable and it might help you avoid a bit of heartburn from ignored friends while emailing important announcements.

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