Don't Do The New Google Compose!

Just a word of warning to the Gmail users out there: I'd stay away from their new Compose feature. It looks like I'm not alone in my feeling as the vast majority of comments on this Google forum are negative as well.

I had problems with their new system even before I tried it. Went to check Gmail a couple days ago and something was wrong with the window. I couldn't scroll up, down or sideways and could only check the e-mails that were visible in the center of the window. Then I noticed a link that suggested trying out their new, improved Compose.

I'm not one to jump on the first version of anything. I'll wait for them to get the kinks out first but, since my mail window was screwed  up, I assumed they might have altered the main window in some way to accommodate the new Compose. Maybe switching to the newer version will make Gmail work right?

Nope. Still had the same problems, in addition to being stuck with the new Compose to reply to e-mails. I found a number of problems with that right away. Since Gmail had become barely usable, I was thinking of just going back to my Yahoo mail. I tried using the option for basic html Gmail. That solved most of the problems, but created a few others.

Then I did a search and found instructions to go back to standard Gmail. Once I did that, all the problems went away, including not being able to scroll back and forth to check e-mails.

Unfortunately, Google says they're going to make this new Compose the only choice sometime in the future. The vast majority I've heard from says they'll stop using Gmail if that's the case. I'll have to agree.

Funny thing is, I saw a comment in one forum by a gal that seemed to be on the Google development team. She went on to list all the improvements the new Compose had over the old system. I never saw that much of a problem with the old one and some things, like being able to check for new mail while composing an e-mail, seem ridiculous.

I get the impression the Compose development team must be the type that feel they have to talk on a cell phone while driving. They have to do everything all at once thus feel everyone else does, too. That's not what I've been reading from people commenting on it, though.

They need to start developing things from the bottom up, instead of top down. Develop something based on user input and complaints rather than trying to create something new to replace something that wasn't broken to begin with.

I did feel kinda sorry for that one Google gal after she ran off a list of all the "improvements" the new system offered. Everybody just hammered it and her in the comments. Must really suck to spend a bunch of time on something you think is a great improvement only to find everybody else hates it.