Oct. 7, 2008
"Mail Goggles" To Combat Stupid E-mails
Imbibed Too Much? New Gmail Feature Asks You Math Questions Before Allowing You To Send E-Mails You Might Later Regret
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(google.com)
When enabled, Mail Goggles kicks in at the time you specify (default is between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday), and throws five math problems up on the screen when you press "send." You have a limited period of time to solve them. If you can answer the questions, presumably you're of mind sound enough to tell off your boss, or pour your heart out to your ex-lover.
If you can solve simple math problems even when under the table, there's an option to ramp up the difficulty of the questions, but sadly they remain in the arithmetic realm and don't drift into interesting algebra or calculus.
To activate Mail Goggles, go into Gmail's settings, and turn on Mail Goggles in the "Labs" tab. Then adjust how and when it works in the "General" tab.
Seriously? I'm hoping this feature shows up on blogging products.
By Rafe Needleman
Copyright © 2008 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved.
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Posted by random_radar at 09:49 PM : Oct 07, 2008
Don''t say that - I like reading your posts! LOL
Posted by bonquishta35 at 08:48 PM : Oct 07, 2008
Well, I like the idea at the end proposed for a filter on bloggers. If you had to solve simple math problems to be able to post on this site, the number of posts would drop by about 90%.
Posted by spiritwalk at 05:34 PM : Oct 07, 2008
Except that moronic and vicious readers will use your real name for nefarious purposes, so if you do not have the money for high-end lawyers and a security system to augment whatever other protective measures you have taken...
Posted by ibsteve2u
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Which just goes to show the total failure of the internet to be the great benefit to mankind it was touted to be 20 years ago.
People are always wringing their hands about how mankind has not evolved enough to deal with nuclear power. What a joke! The internet has become a haven for malajusted perverts and sociopaths, idiots are driving like maniacs through traffic texting on their phones, morons are in the unemployment line with bluetooths in their ears as if the actually have anything important that needs instant communicating, when kids play after school its in front of a video screen raping and killing SIM prostitutes with their thumbs.
No need to worry about mankind destroying itself with one blast of the bomb. All our handy gadget technology will take care of that.
Posted by easeup at 02:30 PM : Oct 07, 2008
A Tandy 1000, actually.
Posted by ibsteve2u at 07:48 PM : Oct 07, 2008
I may disagree with your opinions, but you are definitely old school.
Cheers to you, Steve!
Posted by easeup at 02:30 PM : Oct 07, 2008
A Tandy 1000, actually.
Posted by spiritwalk at 05:34 PM : Oct 07, 2008
Except that moronic and vicious readers will use your real name for nefarious purposes, so if you do not have the money for high-end lawyers and a security system to augment whatever other protective measures you have taken...
Posted by ibsteve2u at 02:06 PM : Oct 07, 2008
....................................................
You don''t need one. A simple way to stop moronic and vicious bloging is to have everyone use their real name. When it requires courage to speak up most blogers will shut up.
How can it be socialism when you choose to connect to the internet, choose to use Gmail and then choose to enable the "drunk" feature.
Sounds like your ISP should have a "stupid and paranoid" feature where they ask you questions about the Soviets, Cuba, McCarthyism and the Cold War and if you are too paranoid your computer melts. Idiot!
I think they should put breathalizers in phones so when you go to drunk dial your ex, a little voice goes,"Are you sure about this? Yur pretty drunk and this didn''t work out so well the last time..."
I also don''t see any socialist aspects to it. I think you''re so busy looking for the evil nasty bogeyman of repressive government or political ideology that you''re seeing Fascist in your Froot Loops and Socialists on email websites.
I think its a clever idea, and it might stop some from drunk-mailing. But I''m mentally coherent enough that even at a .20 I can do complex algebra and answer trivia questions. So it wouldn''t be much of a hinderance.
Besides, what''s to stop someone who does get stymied by it from just disabling the feature and going ahead and sending that regrettable message anyway?
I may have learned better now, but Google has the right idea.
And I way concur with the above author''''s "Seriously? I''''m hoping this feature shows up on blogging products."
Posted by ibsteve2u at 02:06 PM : Oct 07, 2008
Was that on your Commodore 64?
A giant step forward to more socialism!
I ranted just on BBS sites, then - but still, one or two "Gad! I wrote that?!?!?" shocks in the morning were enough for me to add a longgggggg and complex sentence that a) I had to remember and b) I had to be able to type in within a certain time frame before I could activate my - 300 baud - modem.
I may have learned better now, but Google has the right idea.
And I way concur with the above author''s "Seriously? I''m hoping this feature shows up on blogging products."
- by 5errr October 3, 2008 6:02 PM EDT
- the winners must be very proud
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