I woke up this morning and had 80 emails. My first thought was that my email had been hacked, because why else would I have 80+ emails over the course of 8 hours??? Then I started reading them, and realized someone at Google “helpfully” opened the floodgates on a Chrome OS beta tester Google Group.
The craziest part is that not everyone receiving the emails has a CR-48 netbook. So in addition to 40 emails saying “how do I unsubscribe/why am I getting spammed” and another 20 explaining how to change subscription options in Google Groups, there were a handful of “So am I getting a CR-48?” type emails as well. Maybe 10 of the emails were genuine comments about Chrome OS.
Most frustrating was that there was no introductory email, or warning that the floodgates were being opened. I’ve had a CR-48 for a few months, and had no idea there WAS a Google Group for it. I’m thrilled, since there have been a few times when I’ve wondered if other people have encountered the same minor bugs and frustrations I have, but a heads-up would have been nice!
Then again, this is Google’s style. The CR-48 arrived without any warning or documentation, so why should they warn us before an email bomb hits our GMail? I’m just happy I sleep with my phone in the other room, or Sarah would have smashed my Droid into a million pieces after the first 20 messages hit!
UPDATE: Google sent out a very nice email apologizing, explaining the group was activated in error and giving everyone a new group with an opt-in instead of an opt-out. Nicely done Chrome OS team!
Did you get hit with the Google email bomb? Share your experience below!
