New iGoogle Home Page and Gmail Sign In - What a Mess!

I opted to use the very basic Google page as my home page - for a reason. When I'm looking for information, I do not like clutter and distractions. I go (or went) to Google and put in my search term. At times, I'd use some of the tabs on the top. For example, I might check images or blogs.

Now Google has decided that I need a cluttered iGoogle home page rather than a clean and basic page for searches. In the words of Jimmy Buffett, "I do not need a 10-pound Nestles Crunch bar. Give me my Junior Mints." Or, give me a basic search page that does not bombard me with news, weather and all kinds of other junk that I check other places - not when searching for content.

To add to the annoyance, this new iGoogle hijacks my gmail sign in. I can't simply type in gmail.com and then check my emails. I get routed back to the ADHD iGoogle home page that I don't like and don't want. Then, I get to do an extra click to gmail after I scan the page to find the email button jammed on the page with all the Google junk I don't need/want.

This change came just as I was trying to get my Mom set up on gmail. That has been quite a challenge. Now she has the messy iGoogle page and a second step to get to her email. I won't be expecting any emails from her any time soon.

I'm sure some people will say or think, "Get with the program. Sites update." Yes. That's true, and that's fine. But, online companies do not have to force those changes on Internet users. Let people opt in if they want a junky home page with loads of information. Leave people alone who want the basic page and who like to go directly to gmail and not through iGoogle (which should be called theirGoogle).

If you do get on your new and not improved Google home page, you can search and find that many users who do like fancier home pages are not thrilled with the iGoogle set up either. A number of issues are noted like the placement of link buttons.

They say they test these changes before foisting them off on the public. I'd like to know where they get the Google test group. I can't imagine that everyone testing was thrilled with this content explosion. After all, those who wanted that could set it up. Those who didn't now must wade through the eye pollution to find the buttons to do simple tasks like check gmail.