Corey Charette (dot) com

On last week’s episode (#008) of The Average Joe Show podcast we talked about Google and their “Mail Goggle”.

What this feature allows (If enabled) is if a person is sending an email between two specified times it will force the user to answer 5 math questions within a certain time limit.  Essentially, this is a way to prevent people from “drunk emailing.”

Personally, I think that it’s just a gimmick by Google to convince people to switch over to their service.

Saturday night, I tested out this service.  I attempted to send a “drunk email” to one of my lovers – Drew Barrymore.  (”Why won’t you talk to me, Drew?”)  The only setting that this feature has is a math setting.  Unfortunately, I’m very proficient in math so I set it to the hardest setting.

I set up an email and hit the send button.  A window popped up with 5 math questions and a 45 second clock.  I answered the “hard” questions with plenty of time to spare.  My email went on it’s way.

If Google wants this service to work better they need to change a few things:

1. Don’t just have addition and subtraction questions
Even on the hardest setting they have all the questions where addition and subtraction.  They were double digit math questions, but still too easy.  Throw in some multiplication and division in there.  That would help make it more difficult for people.
2. Do more than math
Some people are naturally good enough at math.  (Me – case in point)  Give the users other options.  How about some spelling questions?  Maybe some analogies?  Something SAT related could work.  The easiest way to get around the math questions is by using Google to give you the answers.  Step it up a notch.
3. Time delay the mailing
When people are angry or drunk they do stupid things and then regret LATER!  Google could put an option in to the email settings where if there is an email sent at a certain time you put it in holding box and when the person logs in later on a window pops up asking them if they’re sure they want to send the specific email.  It’s a little more of a “mature” way to approach this.

In the end, this is just one of the features that Google put out there so people can talk about it, but not actually use it.