Comments on: GMail cuts threads at 61 emails http://www.computerdefense.org/2008/08/gmail-cuts-threads-at-61-emails/ Sharing my thoughts with the world. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:58:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jeremy Clarke http://www.computerdefense.org/2008/08/gmail-cuts-threads-at-61-emails/comment-page-1/#comment-184246 Jeremy Clarke Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:58:04 +0000 http://www.computerdefense.org/?p=521#comment-184246 I am totally seeing this exact behavior. The software that monitors my server emails me when there is a problem and it emails me many times a day but they all go in one thread. I just noticed that every single day it emails me 61 times, which would imply that the problem with my server is something that happens exactly 61 times every day, which meant something that happened exactly every 59.02 minutes. Unfortunately it turns out to be nothing that interesting (or useful), it's just the very specific number Google has chosen to be the maximum number of emails shown at once. In my case I think it's just that I was getting a number of emails per day that was close to 61, so there happened to be exactly one cut-off thread of emails for each day recently. Maybe Google did A/B testing with different values and used math to choose 61 as somehow superior. I can't help thinking it's not as good as 100 in terms of guessability. If I saw a Gmail view where all threads had 100 emails I would think that Gmail was truncating them like they are. We live in a decimal world. When I see 61 it just seems like a natural occurrence, which is the opposite of what you want. I am totally seeing this exact behavior.

The software that monitors my server emails me when there is a problem and it emails me many times a day but they all go in one thread. I just noticed that every single day it emails me 61 times, which would imply that the problem with my server is something that happens exactly 61 times every day, which meant something that happened exactly every 59.02 minutes. Unfortunately it turns out to be nothing that interesting (or useful), it’s just the very specific number Google has chosen to be the maximum number of emails shown at once. In my case I think it’s just that I was getting a number of emails per day that was close to 61, so there happened to be exactly one cut-off thread of emails for each day recently.

Maybe Google did A/B testing with different values and used math to choose 61 as somehow superior.

I can’t help thinking it’s not as good as 100 in terms of guessability. If I saw a Gmail view where all threads had 100 emails I would think that Gmail was truncating them like they are. We live in a decimal world. When I see 61 it just seems like a natural occurrence, which is the opposite of what you want.

]]> By: Chris Irwin http://www.computerdefense.org/2008/08/gmail-cuts-threads-at-61-emails/comment-page-1/#comment-77431 Chris Irwin Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:20:06 +0000 http://www.computerdefense.org/?p=521#comment-77431 I have been eagerly awaiting that same tickbox. I understand gmail gets the beta-quality changes, and apps gets the "stable" stuff, but one would think that is a feature that would be rolled out to the apps side pretty quick -- especially considering their target. I have been eagerly awaiting that same tickbox. I understand gmail gets the beta-quality changes, and apps gets the "stable" stuff, but one would think that is a feature that would be rolled out to the apps side pretty quick — especially considering their target.

]]> By: jcran http://www.computerdefense.org/2008/08/gmail-cuts-threads-at-61-emails/comment-page-1/#comment-77434 jcran Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:20:06 +0000 http://www.computerdefense.org/?p=521#comment-77434 Bill Gates: "640k should be more than enough for anybody..." Matti Makkonen: "160 characters? that should be enough..." Sergey Brin: "61 emails? " technology FAIL. Bill Gates: "640k should be more than enough for anybody…"
Matti Makkonen: "160 characters? that should be enough…"
Sergey Brin: "61 emails? "

technology FAIL.

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