Continue, or "try it now" a popup from Gmail now asks, offering to compose your next message with Gemini.
-
@briankrebs There is a setting to turn off "smart features" which will suppress those Gemini prompts.
@kahomono You still get the nag screens every time they release a new feature and every now and then a nag screen to turn Gemini on. @briankrebs
-
Continue, or "try it now" a popup from Gmail now asks, offering to compose your next message with Gemini. I guess the tiny "x" is the "fuck no" button?
@briankrebs
Because writing an email is such a hard thing that we have always struggled with...
-
@briankrebs i wonder how many users misread
confidentlyasconfidentiallyand proceeded to do. Uh. Security incidentsI did! when seeing this screenshot, my first thought was: huh, I wonder how confidential this really is?? I was confident about my initial read.
Also, does this mean that some (many? most??) emails I receive from gmail accounts will be written by AI? I'm sorry, but I do not spend my time reading AI-generated mail. Boycott in both directions (sending and receiving from gmail).
-
@rootwyrm It worked, but then when I went to compose an email it fired another popup trying to push Gemini.
@briankrebs @rootwyrm the correct process flow is x -> options -> takeout -> download my data -> options -> account -> delete my account.
-
Continue, or "try it now" a popup from Gmail now asks, offering to compose your next message with Gemini. I guess the tiny "x" is the "fuck no" button?
Is it just me, or does "draft emails confidently" seem like too awkward a phrase to inspire much confidence?
-
Continue, or "try it now" a popup from Gmail now asks, offering to compose your next message with Gemini. I guess the tiny "x" is the "fuck no" button?
@briankrebs I just disabled the smart features entirely. No, smart folder organization isn't a thing I want, it is why I disabled it in the first place. I'm sure Google is using my messages to train their models anyway, but I don't want to get bothered by all this fuzz.
-
Continue, or "try it now" a popup from Gmail now asks, offering to compose your next message with Gemini. I guess the tiny "x" is the "fuck no" button?
-
@rootwyrm It worked, but then when I went to compose an email it fired another popup trying to push Gemini.
@briankrebs yep, there is absolutely no way to turn it off now, and no way to keep it from hoovering up your inbox for training. "X" is just "force it on me every time."
Seriously.
People need to get the fuck off Gmail.
It's so damn bad that I am giving serious consideration to starting an email hosting business. And I know better than just about everyone what that involves. -
@briankrebs I just disabled the smart features entirely. No, smart folder organization isn't a thing I want, it is why I disabled it in the first place. I'm sure Google is using my messages to train their models anyway, but I don't want to get bothered by all this fuzz.
@briankrebs And, while we are here talking about email, a coworker suggested that I use Outlook. Which alternative exists which is not backed by Mozilla and supports Windows and HTML mail? If there isn't one, I guess I will have to use Thunderbird.

-
@kahomono You still get the nag screens every time they release a new feature and every now and then a nag screen to turn Gemini on. @briankrebs
yup - I turned all that crap off as soon as I found out I could do so and **then** when I started getting those screen nags I went back and rechecked my settings: all the smart
still set to off. -
yup - I turned all that crap off as soon as I found out I could do so and **then** when I started getting those screen nags I went back and rechecked my settings: all the smart
still set to off. -
and this is why I am going back to the 1990's style email server, spool, and a terminal window client that reads text. Just like the old Unix days as K&R intended.
bring back Eudora!!!
-
@briankrebs You get the same type nag notification, with the elusive and unclear button naming and choices, for other Google products, like Photos and Home, when they add Gemini features. @MsMerope @kahomono
-
Continue, or "try it now" a popup from Gmail now asks, offering to compose your next message with Gemini. I guess the tiny "x" is the "fuck no" button?
@briankrebs I recently got a business email using a term that is a notorious red flag lawsuit bait. I emailed the sender to politely point it out. They were horrified and admitted AI re-wrote it when they asked AI to make it 'more approachable, nicer.' They forgot to add "and 100% compliant with all laws and regulations."
-
and this is why I am going back to the 1990's style email server, spool, and a terminal window client that reads text. Just like the old Unix days as K&R intended.
@dianea @briankrebs Text only is the way. I was actually talking about the benefits of reading text only email with a friend whose company wanted better formatting in their html based emails. Yeah. Fuck that, text lines up perfectly and doesn’t need anything fancy. Simple does not mean deprecated or useless.
-
Continue, or "try it now" a popup from Gmail now asks, offering to compose your next message with Gemini. I guess the tiny "x" is the "fuck no" button?
@briankrebs no the X must be a "ask me again tomorrow "
Continue mean enable it but do not make a demo,
Try it now is enable it and make a demo
-
Continue, or "try it now" a popup from Gmail now asks, offering to compose your next message with Gemini. I guess the tiny "x" is the "fuck no" button?
@briankrebs I like the humaning part, where my brain has to do things. So GFY, Gemini.
-
@briankrebs no the X must be a "ask me again tomorrow "
Continue mean enable it but do not make a demo,
Try it now is enable it and make a demo
@lexinova @briankrebs
All that little X means is "Hide this dialog"!It has no bearing on the contents of that dialog.
-
@lexinova @briankrebs
All that little X means is "Hide this dialog"!It has no bearing on the contents of that dialog.
@HereToChewGum @briankrebs in my case it was a sarcasm, to say their : Maybe / Yes / Yes is a dark pattern
-
Continue, or "try it now" a popup from Gmail now asks, offering to compose your next message with Gemini. I guess the tiny "x" is the "fuck no" button?
at least they're honest that it composes "confidently", not "correctly"...