Am I the only one who will miss Gmail basic HTML for it's clean, simple, and easy interface?

[computerdude92]

I just found out Google will permanently remove the basic HTML Gmail version in January 2024...

I always try to load my Gmail in basic HTML for a few reasons, being:

1. Nostalgia; It looks very much like my first ever email address I got back in 2004, with the same interface and colors. (It was also a Gmail account)

2. Simple and easy to use. I prefer to have all my emails arriving in one section only. I never liked the Primary and Social tabs much. I want all my emails visible in front of me. I don't want them sorted.

3. Appearance; I really like this particular blue shade combined with white. (Especially when standard view used to be that ugly red and white combo) I also love basic HTML's simple, clean, eye candy free/animation free, easy-to-read interface.

Why is Google trying on purpose to force us off basic HTML? For years they seemingly intentionally made the mode switch look broken, or made it harder to find. In recent years and up until a couple days ago I had to race my mouse over to the lower right hand corner of my screen to click on the colored words before it loaded in standard view. Now the only way to access my beloved basic HTML is through a web link... Today I'm giving up. I've decided to get myself used to standard view early, before the old interface is taken away...

It looks like the excuse is they think it's too old of an interface and has to go, and they believe people need all the bloatware. (I have no need for extra features!) Also they assume everybody has a fast enough connection for standard view, although I do admit my BFF's slow Smartphone Hot Spot connection can load standard view just fine. I myself have a nice connection, but I just wish Google would care about giving their users a choice in what version of Gmail they want to use.

I'm guessing because Gmail has always been free, you can't expect too much in the way of choice.

What are your thoughts on basic HTML going away? I'm sure some of you will suggest, "Just switch to a different email provider" The problem is - I've built my web life around my current Gmail account I created in 2010. That would be lots and lots of data and contacts to migrate. If any of you can tell me how to move my account stuff to another email provider (That resembles the basic HTML Gmail interface) please let me know.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Dunno--I access my gmail account through POP3 on port 995. SSL/TLS using OAuth2.

 

[krebizfan]

The idea of email being low bandwidth and easy to read on any hardware seems to be fading. The web based clients are all designed based on the super fast internal connections within the mail provider; the latency the rest of us deal with doesn't matter. Even the program based clients using POP or IMAP are having trouble handling the ever more complex mail.

My theory has been that by forcing complicated email structures that allow electronic pamphlets to be the primary document type, video ads can be seamlessly added to the whole experience. May not benefit the user much but Google has to get revenue somehow.

 

[commodorejohn]

No - no, you are not. Guh, I'm going to have to set up that OAuth crap on even my primary account, aren't I...

 

[Chuck(G)]

OAuth 2 was pretty simple for Thunderbird on Linux.

A more troubling trend that I've run into is major institutions that have no problem with outgoing email attachments being sent, but immediately drop any incoming email with attachment into the bit bucket, with no notice to the recipient or the sender. I've taken to avoiding sending attachments altogether and putting them on a cloud server.