# Why won't Google take a \[completely obvious\] hint?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 25, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908 "2012-04-25T14:42:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/1 "2012-04-25T14:42:09Z")
My university uses Gmail for webmail services. I opened up my school account today and saw that Gmail permanently and irrevocably switched to their “new” look (at least for my school).
A lot of people hate the new look ([here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=611745) a good example). Google doesn’t seem to be budging, not even offering an option to keep the old look permanently.
Why are they so damn set on the idea of changing the look? What’s in it for them? They _must_ have gotten feedback by now that a lot of people prefer the old look.
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### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/2 "2012-04-25T15:14:05Z")
I’m not sure what part of the look you don’t like, but I followed the recommendation from one thread to use the “Compact” view and it worked for me.
> **[Does anyone else hate Gmail's new look?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=633814)**
>
> I know it’s not a huge difference between the old and new looks, but dammit, I really liked it how I had it. Add in YouTube, and Google’s been making a lot of unnecessary aesthetic changes lately. Also, inb4 the threadshitters who respond, “If you...
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### Author:  [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/3 "2012-04-25T15:20:49Z")
> [@hogarth](#):
>
> I’m not sure what part of the look you don’t like, but I followed the recommendation from one thread to use the “Compact” view and it worked for me.
>
> [Does anyone else hate Gmail's new look? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=633814)
That’s what I’m using. Still prefer the old look by miles.
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### Author:  [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/4 "2012-04-25T15:28:45Z")
> [@hogarth](#):
>
> I’m not sure what part of the look you don’t like, but I followed the recommendation from one thread to use the “Compact” view and it worked for me.
>
> [Does anyone else hate Gmail's new look? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=633814)
Did the same thing when the first thead was started, and it’s quite decent, much better than the standard view.
Joe
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/5 "2012-04-25T15:33:50Z")
Resistance is futile.
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### Author:  [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/6 "2012-04-25T15:38:41Z")
Jokes aside, anyone care to even speculate?
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### Author:  [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/7 "2012-04-25T15:46:29Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#):
>
> Jokes aside, anyone care to even speculate?
Maybe the people complaining are a vocal minority.
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### Author:  [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/8 "2012-04-25T15:58:34Z")
> [@MegaBee](#):
>
> Maybe the people complaining are a vocal minority.
So wouldn’t it be a good business practice to have an option to keep the old look?
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/9 "2012-04-25T16:33:24Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#):
>
> So wouldn’t it be a good business practice to have an option to keep the old look?
Not if the cost of maintaining two UIs is significant, and it usually is.
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### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/10 "2012-04-25T16:44:35Z")
The howling “wind” you hear is the wingbeat of an army of furious GooStooges, on high alert and approaching fast. Take shelter while you still can!
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### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/11 "2012-04-25T17:55:41Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#):
>
> That’s what I’m using. Still prefer the old look by miles.
I don’t even remember what the difference between that Compact view and the old look is now!
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### Author:  [@Brandus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brandus)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/12 "2012-04-25T17:56:43Z")
It’s really not that big of a deal. Just let go.
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### Author:  [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/13 "2012-04-25T18:03:48Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> Not if the cost of maintaining two UIs is significant, and it usually is.
Wouldn’t just be two. In a few years when they want to update/change again there’d be a group that didn’t want to give up the first interface, and another who didn’t want to give up the second…
I think these companies (same with Facebook) have come to the determination that no matter what they change there will be a vocal minority who hates it and complains - but the number who stop using the product is very small and most of the dissatisfied folks will still be there to complain when this version is taken away for the next.
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-google-take-a-completely-obvious-hint/619908/14 "2012-04-25T21:39:54Z")
Remember: Google’s motto is “Don’t Be Evil.” Since they are not an evil company, nothing they do is therefore evil. They aren’t wrong, ever. (Look at their response to being caught avoiding the “do not track” safeguards.)
This is the actual mentality of the company. It’s not a joke.
If some project twerp decides something is cool, customer response is irrelevant. They assume the customer is wrong and will learn to love it.
I barely use Gmail. I don’t want to tag things. I want to put them in folders. And have folders within folders (and crosslink folders). Tags are not “the same but better!” Gmail developers have never listened to users and never will.