Apr. 27, 2011 at 3:00pm with 9 notes View comments

Disable Gmail’s Also Include

I was hoping to figure out how to disable Gmail’s new “feature” called Also Include. Why? Because it just doesn’t work and it’s a distraction to me. If Google’s Instant Search was all about saving a few precious seconds, then this feature nullifies that time saving.

Unfortunately, you’re out of luck if you want to get rid of it. I’ve found no way to turn off also include in gmail. Your only recourse is write to Google asking them to make also include optional.

Why the ire for Also Include? First, it’s a distraction. Every time I type someone’s name it pops up out of no where. Humans are hardwired to notice when little things appear out of no where (I believe it’s related to how we perceive movement at a distance). So I’m slowed down every time the also include shows up. It’s always useless. I know who I’m emailing. I didn’t forget anyone.

My second problem? There are major logic flaws. For one, it derives a portion of the logic from the BCC field. Here’s the scenario. I’ll give everyone fake names.

I email Jack and Eric, and BCC Jill.
Jack and Eric have no idea that Jill was on the email.

That’s the whole point of BCC.

When I email Jill, Gmail’s Also Include is telling me to add Jack and Eric.

Um, no. They’ve never knowingly been on a thread.

Here’s another flaw. Let’s say your best friend “Susie” dated “Mike” up until a year ago, when they broke up. Now whenever I email Susie, it wants to email Mike. I haven’t emailed Mike in a year. Even deleting every single email that contained Susie AND Mike together doesn’t stop Mike from showing up as a suggestion on every email to Susie.

Gmail has some great features, including the “undo” and the forgot attachment reminder (which I’ve never seen, but have heard about). Also include, unfortunately, needs some major fine-tuning.