GMail has this wonderful chat feature that lets you exchange IM text messages without your GMail contacts right inside the GMail webpage without even having to download the GTalk client.But on the flip side, Google Talk [in the default settings] may do certain things that you not really enjoy. One, your Gmail contacts are pre-loaded into Google Talk.
Second, if you frequently communicate with someone using GMail, Google talk assumes that person to be your friend and automatically adds him to your contacts list. That means he will appear on your Google Talk friends list and will be able to see you exact online status with your picture and the status message.
Why this is bad ? Because if you exchange frequent emails with someone, it doesn't imply that he's your friend. For example, if someone copies your site content and you are trying to get the material removed from his site, he doesn't deserve to be on your GTalk friend's list even if you wrote a 100 emails to him.
Another case is blog commenters or even readers who write you tips. Say someone sends you a link to some story and you reply him saying "Thank you" - does that mean that he's now close enough to be on your friend's list or see your online status ? The answer would be no in most of the cases.
Fortunately, Google has provided a very easy way to override this default setting though most GTalk users rarely take the pain of exploring it. So take a few minutes off from your busy schedules and follow these steps below - this will save you tons of time [and those embarrassing moments] when you suddenly find a strange looking name in your Google Talk friend's list.
1. Open GMail and click the Settings link on the top right corner.
2. Open the Chat tab and change the "Auto-add suggested contacts" setting [see screenshot]
3. Select Only allow people that I've explicitly approved to chat with me and see when I'm online. Click save.
Quick Tip: Google lets you record your GMail chat sessions automatically as searchable emails in the Chat folder of your gmail inbox. Now suppose you are participating in a conversation with your friend but like to share a few links or say things that you would hate getting recorded.
To do this, click the down arrow of the chat client and choose Options -> Go Off the record. When you go off the record while chatting, nothing that's said from that point forward gets saved in either person's Gmail account.
Find this article at: http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/09/google-talk-friends-dont-let-strangers.html
web: http://www.labnol.org/ email: amit@labnol.org
Reader Comments
Good point Sanjukta. And yes, I don't think Google Talk has Stealth settings as Yahoo messenger that lets you disappear from your friend's radar.
They do have a block feature but that would completely remove the contact from your gtalk list and you will have to manually unblock from the Chat settings which is definitely a point and not so elegant a solution as Yahoo.
Written on 12/9/06 6:58 PM
Or say my boss for example...I may have exchanged couple of emails while I was working from home..but she shouldn't see me online when I am sitting in the room next to her at work..busted...
But it still doesn't have the feature of Stealth Settings...that's my fav Yahoo IM feature... I can choose to be online to a selected few and then have all the weird status message and pic to display...
I guess gmail talk is meant for more serious business and not just time pass chat..
Written on 12/9/06 6:54 PM
I completely disagree with your notion that it's bad Gmail automatically loads contacts into your list. If you don't want someone there, you can change your settings so you have to approve who appears in your talk list. But for me, the fact that my co-workers and classmates show up is really helpful. I never would've exchanged AIM screen names with these people, but because I e-mail them constantly, now I can still communicate with them in real time when I need to.
The problem with the internet -- that doesn't exist in the real world -- is that online, you need to exchange information in order to be able to communicate. In real life, if you know each other and you see each other, you can talk, regardless of whether you are friendly enough to exchange information. Gmail is closing that gap and making it easier to communicate with acquaintances, co-workers, and classmates.
Don't complain about a feature they let you turn off. It's lame. Just because you don't find Gmail chat useful doesn't mean other people don't.
Written on 2/3/07 9:33 AM