# Google/Gmail is a little creepy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 27, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617 "2012-07-27T22:52:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617/1 "2012-07-27T22:52:33Z")
I used the word “attached” in an email, and hit the send button. Gmail pops up and says - You’ve used the word attached, but don’t have an attachment. Are you sure you want to send this email? (or words to that affect) It’s actually a fairly nice feature - but dang, that’s getting a little big brother-ish. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617/2 "2012-07-27T23:13:41Z")
That used to be an optional feature accessible through “Google Labs.” It searches your e-mail for context clues indicating it’s supposed to have an attachment; I assume a pretty big clue is if you have the word “attached” all by itself somewhere. I turned it on the second I found it because it’s always a little embarrassing to have to send the second e-mail. Perhaps they made it a standard feature, or perhaps you turned it on without remembering. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617/3 "2012-07-27T23:21:37Z")
This is the future dude. Get over it. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617/4 "2012-07-27T23:32:42Z")
I love this feature. It has saved me embarrassment several times. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617/5 "2012-07-27T23:36:21Z")
Mozilla Thunderbird does this too. Not only does it pop something up to ask you if you want to attach something, but also, as soon as you type the word, something comes up at the bottom that says "Found a key word “attach” (or attached/attachment etc) and it has a button to add the attachment now or remind you later. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617/6 "2012-07-27T23:42:12Z")
I came in here to say that, **Joey** - I find it useful. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617/7 "2012-07-28T00:08:42Z")
This just happened to me last time while I was attempting to send someone my resume. THAT wouldn’t have been good. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617/8 "2012-07-28T02:45:19Z")
It just a simple word detection, not some high brow AI. If you just put in “I am sending a file” but failed to attach, I believe gmail won’t prompt you. What would be scary is if you are bitching in your email that you are broke, and gmail helpfully ask you “It sounds like you are broke. Would you like to take a loan?” ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617/9 "2012-07-28T03:01:49Z")
> [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](#): > > What would be scary is if you are bitching in your email that you are broke, and gmail helpfully ask you “It sounds like you are broke. Would you like to take a loan?” It would be worse if you were bitching about that outloud and your phone rang with a loan officer on the other end. IIRC a while back, Google was turning on your PC mic and serving up ads based on what it heard people talking about in the room…that was creepy. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-is-a-little-creepy/629617/10 "2012-07-28T03:25:18Z")
That “attached” feature has saved me more than a few times. Not to add fuel to the paranoia fire, but everyone is aware that Gmail scans emails and uses that data for suggested ads right? I should probably find that a bit more creepy than I do. I never notice it because I use AdBlock Plus and probably see 80% fewer ads on the internet in general than someone without it. My question is why do I keep getting spam about penis enlargement when I’m in constant contact with my penis reduction specialist?