Why I hate Google and automatic social networking assumptions

[adrian232]

So, kids, I'm here to tell you the story of how big bad Google started a chain of events almost a decade ago that affected my life this week. Back in 2004 when Google launched their invite-only Beta of GMail I was invited to "try it out for free" and become an early adapter. As a web app developer, it is my job to sample popular web apps like GMail

Comments

[ext_1183245]

i have to have gmail or my phone wont work

Re: Muppet theology

[uu_mom]

I missed this when you wrote it. Thanks for your review. Does this mean you can use Google Calendar with your main email and not gmail?

I hate the way they're doing things now, too. How do I delete my gmail and still keep the calendar, use Adwords, Adsense, and YouTube? Actually, maybe it is possible, because I have multiple Adwords and YouTube accounts, but don't have multiple gmail addresses so far as I know. But if someone puts you on a GoogleGroup, I wonder if that sets it up.

I have a terrible time unlinking from Google+ with my church's account, because I wanted to have a web page for the church there. They won't let me edit it because Google+ sees the church as a non-person, but the link is there and I mistakenly click on it sometimes. It's frustrating!

Re: Muppet theology

[adrian232]

There is a way to do it, I'm sure, but you'll probably have to be in chat with a technician for a long time to figure it out. As it is, I now log in with my primary (non-gmail) address everywhere Google is involved.

Re: Muppet theology

[adrian232]

Oh and as long as all your accounts are merged together (a single login for everything), you can delete those gmail accounts and it should keep your calendar. I would of course check the calendar and make sure all your events are stored under the calendar located at your primary email address. (Sometimes gcal gives you a different calendar for each email address you have). And that your friends are linked to that calendar, before deleting your gmail. GTalk still works for me, because I was able to change it to a username instead of an email address. There was a long drawn out process involved in deleting those gmail accounts, but I don't remember exactly all the details involved in that process.