25 Things I'd like to See Google Fix

By Michael Gray on December 2009

While I’m well known for being critical of many of the things Google does, I’m also a power user of site and many of their tools. Being a power user gives me a unique insight to see some areas these tools could be improved. This post is written in the spirit of constructive criticism, since I know my posts sometimes “get around” inside of the plex …

Google Apps for Domains

A lot of the cool and interesting things that happen in Gmail and Google Docs don’t get released for Google Apps for domains. They have definitely gotten better about this in the past few months but it’s still happening. For example, want the Google Chrome Gmail Checker extension to work on your domain? Be prepared to do some hacking to make it happen.

GMail

Filters lets expand the number of filters you can have. Right now it maxes out somewhere between 20 to 30 (I’ve hit the limit and had to delete and start from scratch creating multiple ones). Also let me forward a copy to more than one person. For example I want to forward my travel receipts/itinerary to evernote and tripit.
If I’ve selected/highlighted the subject or body copy and click “filter,” don’t start with the from field filled in; instead, start with the field I have selected filled in.
Let me send scheduled emails. Right now I use lettermelater. If I forget to BCC a copy to myself, I forget it got sent.

Google Docs

A lot of people became worried about the announcement of Google Docs becoming publicly indexable because of the possibility of a link from an external website pointing to them. Allow users to see which documents are linked to or, even better, give them a universal “off” switch to block indexing of all of their documents. Allow Google Apps for domains customers the ability to block all documents on the domain.
Let me create and edit spreadsheets offline. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve wanted to work on a spreadsheet flying from NY to Vegas or California and been unable to.
How about the ability to export clean HTML? Right now any exports are as bad as a Microsoft word HTML document with tons of unnecessary tags adding to the “weight” of a document.
Let me specify a default font/size for my account. Maybe I’m just a snob but anything other than arial or verdana irritates me. The fact that you force me to start with new times roman or some other serif font every time is like an annoying roommate who leaves the toilet seat up.

Google Reader

Allow Google reader to work with the Google apps for domains address book not just the Google contacts address book
Allow me to temporarily suspend updating of all the feeds in a folder for a specified time. Maybe I’m working on a big project or going away on vacation. Some feeds I need to keep up with; others not so much.
Allow me to connect more than one twitter account for sharing. I run multiple accounts and want to forward it to different places depending on subject matter.

Google Contacts

Allow Google contacts to work with Google Apps for domains. Right now they are separate which means sometimes you have access to them in Google offerings and sometimes you don’t.
If I have pictures tied to a contact and I’m using Google Sync, pull in the picture and match it to the account.
Allow people to opt into a profile/contact sharing program. If someone changes emails, phone numbers, or whatever and changes it in the centralized shared profile, everyone who is a contact has the information automatically updated

Google Chrome

Multi browser password sync – we need it. I know I’m not the only one who has a laptop and netbook, and I need my passwords to travel with me. Lastpass kinda works and Roboform wants to make it work–let’s help move that forward.
Multi browser extension sync. Allow me to move extensions, settings, and customizations between browsers.
Copy and paste as plain text. So many things like wordpress and google docs will let the font, color, size, and style persist. I’d like to be able paste with no formatting. CTRL+SHIFT+V thanks @mattcutts
Give me the ability to set the cache size to zero. I know you don’t like to speed things up, but my ISP gets a little wonky and I’ve found that clearing the cache solves the problem 99% of the time.

Google Voice

OK I know you want this too, but lets figure out a way to get this thing on the iPhone. This buerocracy quagmire helps no one.

Feedburner

Let me specify an order for posts in the email if I’m using it. Last out First in (lifo) isn’t always optimal. Give me the option for first in first out (fifo) in the email.

YouTube & Universal Search

I understand that you only show videos from sites that have a high reliability in universal search. However, having the YouTube page rank doesn’t do much for conversions. Why not have something like rel=canonical to allow us to point to the page we really want to rank with the YouTube video?

Google Search

Allow me to turn off any and all new things you introduce into search. The &PWS=0 flag works to turn off personalized search but everything else is hit or miss. I know that you think all of these things are your POD, but sometimes I’d like to not have to see them. In fact, like Matt, I’d really just like clean URL’s all the time.

Google Tasks

Let me have recurring tasks. I have some things that need to get done every week or month, and this saves me the trouble of having to reschedule them.

Google Alerts

For any notification that’s not “as it happens,” let me specify the time of day I’d like to to come. Right now if I choose once a day it comes 24 hours from the time I created or last modified/updated the filter.

Picasa Web

You offer the right settings to share and protect pictures as needed, but the language/terminology used to explain it doesn’t make it at all easy to understand. The only reason I figured it out was by trial and error. Pretend you are explaining it to your grandma who isn’t at all computer savvy. You’ll do everyone a favor.

Comments are open. Feel free to drop your suggestions in as well. Meander off topic and I will purge your comments without mercy.

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