People say the dumbest things in late-night emails after coming home from bars. Some have even gotten fired after sending off nasty emails to the boss. One guy even angered an IRS agent, and tax trouble followed. But the New York Times reports that Google has a solution, which will be part of its Gmail system.
It's called Mail Goggles and it prevents you from emailing on weekends from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. unless you can answer five simple math questions in 60 seconds. The Times says it's the equivalent to a trigger lock on a gun. Apparently emailing while boozed up is that dangerous.
I'm not sure why people jump on the computer after stumbling home from bars, but apparently the Mail Goggles, which is in the experimental stage, would be just the ticket. If you can do math while drunk, it won't help. But for the rest of us: Step away from the computer.
Bill McEwen and I did a commentary for KYNO radio on Mail Goggles after I read about the new system in the Times. You can listen to our commentary by clicking here.
Duuuuuude. I totally need this. I've sent way too many drunk emails and posted way too many drunk comments on various blogs (not my own, of course. Okay, once or twice. Fine, all the time).
As soon as I finish this pre-happy hour screwdriver, I'm totally going to check this out.
I've been wondering about some of the libs on this forum ....
Hopefully this feature will also include the ability to keep one from calling old girl/boyfriends when in the bag...
The world is going to heck in a hand basket...economic crisis is global...the Bee itself has printed a very well written article on its front page today (1-27-09) "Layoffs spread: 75,000 jobs cut-2,550,000 U.S. jobs lost in past year" by Catherine Rampell of the New York Times. And, the Fresno Bee wastes its time collecting responses on this silly no-brainer, "Its dangerous to email when you are drunk!"
Mr. Jim Boren has the tendency to either create stories out of non issues, or not investigate stories that need further investigation to become real news stories. This is the second time the Bee has sent out one of his space filler articles during the past week.
There is only one news story on the front page written by a Bee writer and that certainly merited more attention than the "emailing under influence" article! I refer to Chris Collins' report on "Fresno Unified leans toward 'by-area' voting". I request Pam Rowse to select real news stories and not the trivia we are being dished out for comments.
Some people shouldn't email even while sober and wide awake. They have SBYT speak before you think.
Yeah, T.C. but at least we have drunkeness to explain it. What's the conservatives' excuse?
I'll drink to that Dave Meyer.."hick-up".. I might add that us "libs" are doing the "cons" a favor. Drunkeness slows down our lightening fast brains and forces us to speak in smaller words so the "cons" can catch up and understand what is going on. "erppp" Oops did I say that out loud? "hick, hick, brrpt" I knew I shouldn't blog while intoxerated..er..intoxepat... intokarp... you know....
Yes, Dave, I too would like to hear a reason to be conservative, other then attempting to bash others for political gain.
Cheers!
Adam(a biblical name)...I agree with your analysis.This mindless do-do seems more representative of what "Nurse Lisa" comes up with...Meanwhile people and families that suffer because of alcohlol issues are mocked by bloggers...Disappointing.
It may seem funny now but you may be headed down a road you don't want to be on and when your looks are gone,your body wasted and your life is a living hell...I don't think you will be laughing.Take it from someone who has seen this play out too many times.
There are plenty of substantive topics on this blog, just in case anyone prefers to post comments on those.
I really, really, really hate to agree with Mike. But he has a point. Does that make me an evil lib? I hope not!
How did we get started on this subject anyways?
Brian, it sounds like you need a drink. Lighten up.
Heather is right guys and Jim thank you for letting us forget our woes for just a minute and have some fun. The economic woes and the ramifications each and every one of us face daily needs to be broken up by bits of laughter. Sort of a form of gallows humor. Now I believe a closer look would show Heather and I were both mocking ourselves... exactly how does that mean we are mocking suffering families?
I don't always agree with jackie krage's opinion. but I sure love her "no prisoners taken" style. "Some people shouldn't email even while sober and wide awake. " Priceless!!!!!!
"Adam" I think I know how you feel. But I, personally, do not begrudge that frivolous "no-brainer" (as you call it.) But let's face it, we have a few no-brainees posting in the beehive on serious subjects.
Jim Boren put on the table "Fresno County's jobless rate soars to 13.2%" There were but three comments posted. One cited the scare of a Hitler takeover in the US after the end of World War II.
Heather...Need is the operative word here.I may have a drink but don't need one and I need no counseling from a self professed lush,a thoughtless "State Employee" or both. Alcohol abuse is not something I find humorous so this blog topic and your request for me to "Lighten Up" seems childish to me and am I to suppose you take a taxi home before you hit "The Blogs" or do you get "Hammered" at home?
If it is offensive to you Brian you can stay out of this particular blog. Not chastise those of us who want to play the game. Is it always your way or the highway?
i really need a drink. i can't wait to get home so i can get hammered. then i'll look at myself in the mirror and puke all over it.
Kim...I speak up for what I believe in and you are free to "Do as You Please" so go ahead and by all means "Play your Game" but maybe nobody ever spoke seriously to Heather about alcohol abuse and the fact that Google is considering this means there are a lot of folks out there dealing with an alcohol problem."mdub420"...will this occur before or after 4:20?
You're right Brian. When you sober up you should talk to her.
Wow...just shows to go ya, people will find a way to argue about anything.
Jim, when I saw this topic I was immediately reminded that I lost a 90k a year editing job for a TV show because of an email gone wrong. The boss emailed his partner ranting and complaining about the client, calling her the worst name anyone could possibly call a female. Somehow he copied her by mistake. Of course once she read that...$3 million contract over, show over and Scot's job over. I don't know if he was drunk but a lot of people, producers, researchers, PAs, writers, camera crew, etc. lost their jobs over that mistake.
That "...people find a way to argue about anything..." may depend upon the perception of "anything." I have noticed that some of the topics brought to the table are about issues of grave importance, but they are practically ignored. For instance: "Fresno County's jobless rate soars to 13.2%." 1.23.2009. Being a follower of the school that full employment is the ultimate goal of a nation's healthy economy, my immediate thought was...out of each one hundred people, I meet in Fresno County, at least 13 of them have no way to make a living. There were 3 responses. Two of those tree posts were my own. The third made a lot of sense initially, but lost credibility with the following: And I quote
"...Perhaps we need a scare like the folks after the second world war when we could have been taken over by Hitler."
Apparently (other than myself) nobody read it, because the above idea is a chronological/physical impossibility. But I have figured out why some topics are neglected.....simply because they are not easy fodder for insults and name-calling.
P.S. I am so sorry that you lost a good job because your boss could not keep his rancor in check. "Scot" I trust that a person
of your caliber has found another good job. Should it take longer than hoped for...I shall keep my fingers crossed.
Isabell Lawson