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June 26, 2008

Google Tests the New iGoogle


Announced in April, the new version of iGoogle that brings social applications is tested in a small number of randomly selected Google accounts.

The new iGoogle places the tabs on the left-hand side of the page and you can expand the tabs to see the list of gadgets and status information, like the number of unread Gmail messages. There's a new chat feature borrowed from Gmail that lets you chat with your contacts while visiting iGoogle - that means iGoogle gets a sense of presence because you'll know when your contacts are online. Since the chat feature will be enabled by default, it's obvious that Google will be able to add options for sharing items and discussing posts with the contacts that are online.

iGoogle also adds a list of updates from your contacts similar to Facebook's newsfeed: you can see stories shared by your contacts in Google Reader, recent photos uploaded to Picasa Web Albums, Google Talk status messages, shared iGoogle themes and gadgets.


Another change is that gadgets have an expanded interface, called canvas view. Gadgets authors will take advantage of this to display more information and make their gadgets more interactive, while your feeds can be read in a Google Reader-like interface. In the future, iGoogle will support OpenSocial applications and the transformation to a social site will be complete.

Google announced that the canvas view will be rolled out to a small percentage of users this month and to more users in July, while the OpenSocial applications "will not work in production until later this summer".

Update (Oct. 16): The new iGoogle has been launched.

501 comments:

  1. You can sign up for the developers sandbox at google.com/ig/sandbox, although not all the features work as expected.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Much better to look at. But again, lets see what comes out.

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  3. Sweet looking, but i can't find the "upadate" gadget to see update from my gtalk friend

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  4. Thanks for sharing that link, I got the new interface now, it looks awesome.

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  5. When are they going to sort out Google profile pages or some kind of public iGoogle page. Google can't really become social until it creates a unified identity for all its users.

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  6. I Love Google and I my /ig page... I visit it so often! But I really don't like this.. I want ultimate control over the page, this takes up valuable space. I hope it's removable.

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  7. I think the new iGoogle makes a better use of the space.

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  8. I certainly hope that us Apps users will be able to share the fun... I miss iGoogle... :)

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  9. I just wonder what will happen to those Google Chat "windows" when you change pages.

    Have they finally made it more AJAX-like?
    Or do the chats terminate?
    If it is the former, than fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The chat boxes will continue to be displayed at the bottom of the page when you switch to a new iGoogle tab. Since they are a part of iGoogle, it's impossible to make them persistent without using a plug-in (think about Google Notebook's mini-window).

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  11. Still not as nice and complete as netvibes.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Very interesting!
    There's some problem with Firefox3 and Google Reader add-on, an annoying overlap of "Refresh" and "Mark all as read" link.

    Keep working on :-)

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  13. Should I put English for preferred developer language or do they mean like C++?

    ReplyDelete
  14. I signed up today
    Looks really good... but... for some reason i can't move a gadget between tabs. used to be really simple

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  15. There is a great IGoogle Gadget called the CometNow Video Viewer. Let's you stream video from your Windows Mobile Phone or computer directly into IGoogle. The Android client has already been developed and is only waiting for handsets to arrive. The software is easy to use and lets you stream Live Video in real time with no buffering issues. Apple features coming soon. http://www.cometnow.com/gadget_setting.aspx
    This gadget makes your video truly portable and your friends with IGoogle can see your video Live as well! Great add on for Google Chat...

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  16. I'd like to turn off the new iGoogle navigation bar. What should I do?

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  17. The "new" and "improved" google IG does not work on mobile browsers; completely forget the "stuff" you add on your cell phone, redirects you, when looking for help, to dead help links and does not allow you to open the content on a new page or tab on your desktop, DUE TO ALL THESE INCONVENICES IT COMPLETELY SUCKS.

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  18. This new format and "left navigation" are trible and canvas view makes all the links i had on my page not work. what i don't understand is why i was volenteired or how to fix my page to be like it was, as it is i changed my mind about google and no longer consider them a "good" organization if google wanted bata testers they could just ask like normal companies do

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  19. craigslist works for one reason, it is a clean interface. Google used to be like that...sigh, here comes the "new and improved" bloatware version.

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  20. @jasondoes:
    Nobody forces you to use iGoogle. If you want a personalized homepage, there are many good alternatives (Netvibes, Pageflakes, My Yahoo), but you can always use the classic Google homepage, which is even cleaner than in 1998.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Give me the option NOT to use the NEW features
    I do not care for them nor do I care for the way it changed the GMAIL gadget.

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  22. I think the new igoogle is completely useless, I now can't open attachments on my e-mails or forward e-mails on. Give me the old gmail or I go elsewhere.

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  23. You guys realize that this is not the final solution right? Things dont work yet because its still in progress. Also this seems to be taking "old style" gadgets and displaying them in the new framework.. when gadgets are re-written to fit/work properly in the new style I think it will be great. This format is exactly what I was waiting for. I hate haveing a new browser tab/window open for gmail/calendar/reader etc. This way I just tab through them via javascript.

    BTW.. how do you turn on the chat gadget in the side bar?

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  24. I understand that the new igoogle will have problems but what I can't understand is how they are not allowing users to opt out.

    I'm one of the people who were randomly chosen for this interface and I have to say it's terrible for too many reasons to list.

    I'm now using google classic view because the new interface has rendereded my home page unusable.

    Thanks Google!

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  25. Looking forward to the new iGoogle version.


    I can see this post is already being assaulted my troll-comments.

    ReplyDelete
  26. by*

    :-)

    There seem to be some changes in the commenting system and it became a bit problematic... oh well...

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  27. If you use firefox and you dislike this feature I would strongly encourage you to try this add-on to help turn off the left navigation bar:
    https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/521
    (Search: "remove it permanently", if the link doesn't work)

    My iGoogle is back to normal now.

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  28. Dread Knight, am I a troll?

    Here's the official google thread on google groups regarding the new interface.

    Find me one positive comment in the thread and I'll forgive you.

    http://groups.google.com/group/Google_Web_Search_Help-Personalizing/browse_thread/thread/dad1756deccbae18/691256e1fb67b774

    ReplyDelete
  29. @Brad:
    Discussion boards for Google's products aren't necessarily a relevant sample since most people will visit them to complain and to report bugs. If you like the new interface, you won't go to the iGoogle group to express your appreciation.

    It's also easy to understand that many people hate change and they will complain every time Google redesigns a service, removes a feature or replaces the favicon.

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  30. People were mostly complaining that the new version has bugs and there's no option to opt-out. Google made a mistake by not showing a small link: "Go back to the old version of iGoogle".

    If you want to return to the old iGoogle:
    - go to google.com/ig
    - paste this in the address bar:
    javascript:_dlsetp('v2=0');

    ReplyDelete
  31. Very interesting comment in the iGoogle group:

    "Your methodology is very heavy-handed. I am a retired executive from the old-days of computing (IBM and the BUNCH). We could never have imagined changing the interface of our customer's tools without asking permission. In many cases, we would have to support old versions of software for years after we thought we had newer and better products, just because our customers had gotten used to the way the old versions worked and had modified their habits to accommodate us. It would be considered the highest form of arrogance to force changes on them without their permission. Part of the wrath you are hearing from your users is because of your methodology, and the fact that it's way too hard to give you feedback."

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  32. The new igoogle doesn't work one of my machines - it locks up, it wastes space on the left, it puts the tabs way down on the left so I have to scroll down to get at them, gadget titles spill over obscuring the items. I don't like the canvas mode because you have to scroll up and down to get out of it. And above all, it was forced on me with no way out. What did they do, fire all the good guys at Google and hire Microsoft staff? They must immediately let us switch back. The javascript fix mentioned above doesn't work.

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  33. Oh, one more thing, the guy who gave the go ahead for this disaster should be fired.

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  34. Please put the gmail gadget back the way it was! It takes way too long to get to my inbox!
    ICK!

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  35. I have problems with the new igoogle and my gmail gadget. Reads email incorrectly and makes it so I cannot use some links in mail. I also wold prefer the option to move it, or disable it, for it is an unnecessary function for me.

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  36. "If you want to return to the old iGoogle:
    - go to google.com/ig
    - paste this in the address bar:
    javascript:_dlsetp('v2=0');"

    this worked for me, thanks.

    to bring the new version back just use "javascript:_dlsetp('v2=1')

    Honestly, this should be an option you can right click on or something. Maybe they will add it in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I hate the new features. They don't work very well at all and the left side navigation is useless and takes up space. I liked the old version because you could customize how it looked. I would like to be able to go back to the old system. As it is now I've stopped using iGoogle until/unless they fix it. I'm one of the people who was forced into the "experiment". If I wanted to Beta test something I would have signed up for it.

    will.duty

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  38. I hate this new iGoogle, I like being able to easily click to respond to an e-mail, not having to go to the actual GMail site to do so.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I want the classic igoogle when they changed it now everything is way to cluttered. Help me change it back.

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  40. i love google
    i'm from iran.
    i don't know Why Google think iran is forbidden country?

    ReplyDelete
  41. to return to older version of iGoogle.... type this into the address bar (not the search bar) of you browser while iGoogle is open and then hit go:

    javascript:_dlsetp('v2=0');

    ReplyDelete
  42. I have typed this into the address bar while my igoogle was open and it did not bring back the old version. All it did was refresh the new verson of igoogle. Please help....I really am getting frustrated with this new verson! THANKS!!

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  43. The new igoogle sucks. I tried the javascript and it did not bring the old version back. Were is this stupid survey they said they would ask us to take after we tried it? I want to tell them it SUCKS! Anybody have any other way to get the old version back that actually works? I am very frustrated with this.

    ReplyDelete
  44. I agree that gmail is more cumbersome and there's more vertical scrolling -- still, it's not like we had to buy this. I mean, it's free! If Google wants to keep its users, it'll figure out how to fix these problems. It always has in the past...

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  45. geez, and is it just me or do LINKS IN EMAIL not actually LINK anymore?!?!?! wtf?! screw firing the guy who changed this on me without my fing permission.... waterboarding IS legal right?!?! if they want to keep this google user happy, they'll find a way to waterboard him and quick!

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  46. Being "Igoogle" tattoo'ed, I am SO glad you kept the IGOOGLE brand!!

    Thank You google team! simply the best... EVERYTHING! :)


    Ivanmor

    ReplyDelete
  47. Since the change to the new iGoogle, I can not change my theme!! What's up with that?

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  48. THANKS!! for posting the script to get it back! I appreciate it. I am sure that there is a method to the madness, but I can not take the new vs anymore.

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  49. I really like it, very cool looking!

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  50. I HATE the new look and cannot remove it! GOOGLE why are you doing this. You rnew look is AWFUL and so irritating. I am about to switch to netvibes....You guys suck releasing something without givin your users a choice to opt out!



    I HATE HATE HATE the NEW iGOOGLE look but what I HATE the most I cannot get my old one back!

    ReplyDelete
  51. I have always had an ordinary GOOGLE search homepage. This is what I want. Suddenly Google bombards me with a tricksy, cluttered page full of things I neither want nor need. I am interested in Google as a search engine. How do I get THAT and ONLY THAT, back as my homepage ?

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  52. it takes so much space for nothing.
    I was happy with the old igoogle.

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  53. I don't like it as much as the old one. Gmail doesn't work as well - half the text is off the page and links don't open.
    I don't like the big menu on the left; I know whats on my page, that is the whole idea yeah? - I made it.

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  54. EVERYONE

    The javascript fix just started working for me when it wasn't working previously.

    If you've tried it once and it didn't work try it again.

    The fix is: javascript:_dlsetp('v2=0'); in the address bar of the igoogle homepage.

    Still mad at google though.

    ReplyDelete
  55. The javascript worked on my work computer but not my home computer, and every time I open iGoogle at home, my work computer reverts back to using the new layout! Errg!

    I DON'T like the new layout, but I really hate the fact that Google doesn't give us the option to change back.

    And, yes, we DO pay for this service. We pay by viewing ads.

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  56. i like the new design..
    but im missing the option, to move a feed to another tab.
    it works in the old version, but not in the new.

    please please fix it.

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  57. i've tried allsorts of things to get back to my old Google homepage. Some thigns work for a while but I always end up with the crappy left-hand navigation, or it disappears and my tabs have gone too. It may be free, but I've invested a lot of time into getting it how I want. I use it to share calendars and also to view gmail.If it wasn't for the calendars I'd go to netvibes, which seems a pretty decent home page. Google is really pissing me off now.

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  58. Hello everyone...just when I get used to the way things are and work they go and change things. Sometimes for the better and sometimes not. I have viewed the new igoogle and like many of the new features. One thing I can see that I don't like is the new sidebar that takes up more space. I am hoping that Google will give us a way to hide the side bar. I'm sure someone will come up with something in the future, but, it would be GREAT if Google will integrate it into the new igoogle so that I can use a computer from anywhere and get what I want without adding more gadgets or firefox add-ons.

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  59. I am in complete agreement with most of the comments here. I HATE the new igoogle, and like others was NOT consulted about what I want! In order to actually read my gmail in the old format where I CAN do forwards, etc. I have to click the link at the top of the page. The Gmail gadget on my home page is useless! I ALSO hate the sidebar thing! It takes up too much space and I LIKED viewing the tabs on top! I am going to try the "fix" and hope it works. Google, with the majority of people HATING this new igoogle, I think you'd better do something to fix it fast, or you will be losing a LOT of customers! I can't get chat to work now either!

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  60. Is there anyway to get back to the "classic" iGoogle? I HATE the new iGoogle. The tab section on the left takes up way to much space, given the useless features it provides. Help!

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  61. The new interface sucks up valuable real estate and generally slows things up. I switched from myYahoo when they went all fancy. iGoogle was good (not great). But, the new interface is worse. Off to find another portal.

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  62. I hate the new igoogle. Please someone get rid of it or let us know how to revert to older version

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  63. ...and there we have it - google has finally gone evil. today i was switched to the new interface, against my will. i'm dumbfounded to find out that this has been going on for months. am i expected to be a beta tester for months? running buggy unusable crap? well, tough luck. i just switched back to classic and now i'll have no idea when this mess is solved... guess i'm off igoogle for good, then.

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  64. Same, I hate the new menu down the side. It gives you less space to place your gadgets

    ReplyDelete
  65. And by the way google. Thanks for letting me know I had been switched to a beta version of iGoogle. (NOT!). I spent hours trying to fix this thinking my wife or I did something wrong.

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  66. Google does not care aboout its users. Google directs your to a discussion where you can leave feedback about the new iGoogle. About 95% of the messages are negative. Almost no one likes this new layout, especially the left nav bar without any option of turning this off. Obviously Google could care less what its users think or it would never have instituted this without a way to turn it off. And it obviously is not paying attention to any feedback. Unbelievable.

    ReplyDelete
  67. This is so horrible. I like change, but this is exactly what none of us google users wanted from our old stupid yahoo and hotmail accounts. It's a waste of my viewing space, so clustered.

    ReplyDelete
  68. I don't know how to not be anonymous, so, this is sjburnt.

    I hate the new iGoogle. Not because it is new, and people complain about change. Because experimentaliGoogle was forced on me, because it does not function, because it is a waste of screenspace, because it messes up a personalized page, because there is no outlet for discussion, because it conflicts with most of Google corporate statment, because the "javascript fix" does not work, etc. Should I go on, Ionut Alex Chitu? You must work for Google to spin this so hard.

    Can anyone recommend another browser? I liked the choices before they went fascist!

    ReplyDelete
  69. I don't work for Google and I think they made a mistake by not providing an option to go back to the classic iGoogle, but you should be aware that this new version of iGoogle will be rolled out to all users in the coming months. The interface change is related to a major direction shift, as iGoogle gadgets become more social and need more space.

    Some of the gadgets will display state information in the title (e.g.: the number of unread messages), so all this information can be visible in the new sidebar. There's also a persistent chat feature that needs a consistent position in the UI.

    ReplyDelete
  70. This is sjburnt again, I respect you for answering me, that is more than I could get from Google. Thank you.

    I am disappointed with Google because I liked their product. Now I will need to find an alternate, and I do not think there is anything similar out there. I will have to switch email addresses, calendars, etc.

    Oh well, I guess I should quit complaining and go to work. It was too good to last. Goodbye Google.

    ReplyDelete
  71. I also dislike the new iGoogle and am very disappointed in the way Google made this change. I won't use it, and I know Google doesn't care about that. But they should care about what this is doing to their name and reputation because there are many more like me.

    ReplyDelete
  72. So to sum up, what is it that you don't like about the new iGoogle besides the left-side navigation?

    ReplyDelete
  73. was forced on me, because it does not function, because it is a waste of screenspace, because it messes up a personalized page, because there is no outlet for discussion, because it conflicts with most of Google corporate statment, because the "javascript fix" does not work, etc. Should I go on?

    ReplyDelete
  74. Let's see.

    * was forced on me - unrelated to the new UI

    * because it does not function - I've been using it for more than two months and it works well (there are some minor bugs, but the service is usable)

    * because it is a waste of screenspace - this is related to the left-side navigation

    * because it messes up a personalized page - too general

    * because there is no outlet for discussion - there's a Google Group

    * because it conflicts with most of Google corporate statement - which part? "Always deliver more than expected. Google does not accept being the best as an endpoint, but a starting point. Through innovation and iteration, Google takes something that works well and improves upon it in unexpected ways."

    * because the "javascript fix" does not work - that's not Google's problem. I thought it will work, so I posted the code. Some people said it works, others said it doesn't work.

    ReplyDelete
  75. I think this post sums up quite well the bugs from this new version:

    1 - Gadget display is inconsistent.

    2 - Gadget links are inconsistent too.

    3 - Integrated GMail does not display emails quite right.

    4 - Dragging gadgets to other tabs does not work anymore.

    5 - Tab display is inconsistent.

    6 - Missing option in integrated Gmail.

    7 - Stop doing forced beta-test to your users.

    ReplyDelete
  76. The new IGoogle is not accessable by IE7. I continue to receive the message " IE can not open the internet site http://www.google.com/ig? etc etc etc....
    I have found I can still access my Gmail account if I go to "Ask" and "Yahoo" and perform a google search. Great, I've had my tabs set in IGoole and had not a single problem until today. What the hell are you doing at Google? If it wasn't for my Gmail account I'd leave Google and use another search engine. We don't need problems forced on us.

    ReplyDelete
  77. I can no longer access my igoogle home page.
    Big warning pops up that Windows Internet Explorer cannot open the site.
    See comment by Anonymous on Aug 28,2008 above.
    "What the hell are you doing at Google?"
    You must have hired some government employees.
    Something works fine so you change it until it no longer works at all. At this point I cannot even get the standard search page to come up. Any idea how to fix this?

    ReplyDelete
  78. i found that we can not minimize the gadget!!!

    its state remains same as it is in the old igoogle.
    when trying to maximise the gadget maximises to the whole page!!!

    ReplyDelete
  79. You can minimize gadgets: click on the menu button (it looks like an arrow) and select "Minimize this gadget".

    ReplyDelete
  80. I can no longer access my iGoogle homepage!! How do I fix this please?

    ReplyDelete
  81. I am having the same issues as others: I cannot load the iGoogle interface in IE7 as the "Internet Explorer Cannot Load the the internet Site...etc. Operation Aborted!" messages. My hope is someone at Google will communicate that there is an issue and will let me know when this will be resolved....umm...please!

    ReplyDelete
  82. Your problems are related to a buggy gadget: Google Finance Portfolios. Go to google.com/ig/settings and remove the gadget from the appropriate tab.

    (via iGoogle group)

    ReplyDelete
  83. Thank you, Ionut Alex Chitu-- I was having the same problem as the others, your answer worked perfectly. BTW-- I like the igoogle home page.

    ReplyDelete
  84. I haven't made any changes to my IGoogle, I'm still using what I've always used and now I can't access it.
    All I get is a pop up with a red and white cross stating "Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site.
    (gives my igoogle url)
    Operation Aborted

    Getting really fed up with it >:o/

    ReplyDelete
  85. It would be crazy if one widget can cause the whole igoogle page to fail to load.

    ReplyDelete
  86. RE "I haven't made any changes to my IGoogle, I'm still using what I've always used and now I can't access it.
    All I get is a pop up with a red and white cross stating "Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site.
    (gives my igoogle url)
    Operation Aborted

    Getting really fed up with it >:o/ "
    ......................................
    I've fixed it. It was all down to the stockmarket/finance/shareprice widget.

    ReplyDelete
  87. I can't open igoogle with my IE. What gives? Get message that IE can't open google and that operation aborted. Tried all the fixes suggested, nothing works, switched to Yahoo and it works fine. What is the solution, is MS not wanting to support Google???

    ReplyDelete
  88. I am not impressed, I find it anonoying to use. I am looking forward to the the time you listen to those you forced it on & dump the whole Idea. Or at the very least a way to go back to tne way it was. If not very soon you may loose me as a user

    ReplyDelete
  89. It's now the evening of 8/30/08 and the bad info about how to cure the igoogle/IE disaster is still circulating. One cannot remove the financial widget if it isn't present! The real cure is to simply switch to My Yahoo (or similar) for a bit and ride out the storm. Actually I moved from My Yahoo to Igoogle because of the ads overwhelming the content. Yahoo has changed this recently much to the better.

    ReplyDelete
  90. If you want to remove the new IG, go to www.google.fr/ig instead of your usual www.google.com/ig . Apparently they did not make the change in france so they still have the old version. Good luck in fighting to remove this new piece of shit ! Go Classic IG !!

    ReplyDelete
  91. I am having the same issues... "cannot load iGoogle..."

    ReplyDelete
  92. by the way, I've made NO changes what so ever... it simply started getting the error message a few days ago... the page half loads, then I get the error message... "operation aborted" -----

    ReplyDelete
  93. Fix.......Fix.......fix....
    I used system restore to get my google.ig page back. Went back 10 days and everything back to normal. No more "IE-7 cannot load page".
    Is this a virus or glitch by Windows and/or Google?
    Watch your downloads from Windows. Imagine what the cash flow is from a million users changing their home pages!!

    ReplyDelete
  94. i have not been able to access my homepage at all. It coincided with my using/borrowing a laptop, so I figured it was a computer problem. Then I find out that my daughter at home cannot open her homepage. I do a search.. didn't realize there was a change. It obviously doesn't work for me.. what is being worked on?

    ReplyDelete
  95. I am getting the IE error message and do not have the finance tab. Any other options?

    ReplyDelete
  96. Hey, maybe the new Chrome browser will have a fix! That really would be stealing on MS, right? You know, the idea that the cure for a bad piece of MS software is some other piece of MS software?

    ReplyDelete
  97. iGoogle aborts on all of my machines. It doesn't matter if I use IE or Safari to try to open it... if I use my laptop or my desktop. I'm about ready to give up on it.

    ReplyDelete
  98. Is anybody listening here????

    Or are we all just shouting into the darkness???

    ReplyDelete
  99. Shocking service from google erratic access to i-google and google docs

    ReplyDelete
  100. I need to remind you that this just an unofficial blog about Google, not Google's support center. There's a thread about this bug in iGoogle's group, but the only suggested workaround is to remove the Google Finance Portfolios gadget from the settings page.

    ReplyDelete
  101. HERE IS THE ANSWER...


    It isn't only the finance gadget that is buggy. Mine now works after I removed the weather map.

    The suggestion to go to google.com/ig/settings and remove the buggy gadget is good, you just have to figure out which one it is. Don't forget to save the setting change... and here's a tip... save the settings url in your favorites or copy it in. If you remove a non-buggy gadget the page still won't load but you will be taken to it anyway and you will see it abort. You can remove the complicated gadgets until it works.

    You can also remove all of them and add them back in one at a time, but hit save after every addition to check page loading, since we apparently can't trust that these things work.

    ReplyDelete
  102. While it may be an unofficial blog (and I do appreciate the effort to keep it up and running), trying to find actual Google support is harder than trying to find... well, let's just say it is hard to find. Plus, when you google the problem, this site comes up near the top and google sites are not evident.

    I wonder how many other gadgets are buggy.

    ReplyDelete
  103. I liked the new iGoogle, had it, got used to it, then one day -- gone. Back to the old one. I would like to revert back to the NEW iGoogle...any ideas how I can do that, or why my new switched back to the old?

    ReplyDelete
  104. Oh -- never mind. I just used that javascript suggested for switching back to the old, and it got me back to the new.

    javascript:_dlsetp('v2=1')

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Loved igoogle before - I do not care for the Home tab on the left side - if it was an option I would choose it not to be there.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  106. If you are using Firefox as your browser, you can remove the Home navigation on the left side of the new iGoogle page. Go to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/521. If you are not using Firefox and are still using IE or something else, you should really check out Firefox. I did a year ago and have never looked back...

    ReplyDelete
  107. Firefox on my Mac at home never changed from the regular google page. Firefox on my PC at work mysteriously changed to iGoogle a week ago, and I found this page in trying to understand why.

    Does Google implement this iGoogle thing at random? Like others above, I really prefer the plain Google page. But I not only want to get rid of it, I want to understand how they chose my PC for it? I don't get it? What happened? And, not complaining, but why didn't it happen to my Mac at the same time?

    ReplyDelete
  108. If you prefer the classic homepage, then click on the link that says "Classic home". It's pretty visible and it sets a cookie preference to always see the classic homepage when you go to google.com.

    What you don't know (and Google doesn't explain you) is that by clicking on "iGoogle" from Google's homepage you change a setting and every time you visit google.com, you are redirected to iGoogle.

    ReplyDelete
  109. Ah, so a week ago I must have accidentally clicked on the iGoogle link then. That explains it. Thanks, IAC!

    ReplyDelete
  110. New igoogle is ok, but I don't like tabs on the left side, i need that space on my laptop and dont need the social/chat feature enabled. gone back to classic igoogle. i'd prefer a more compact layout for this too. perhaps an autohide for the tabs and search box along top. i am at 1024x600 most of the time.

    ReplyDelete
  111. I been trying to remove that side navigation bar, omg I'm getting so frustrated.

    ReplyDelete
  112. The only thing I have about the new iGoogle is the Chat tab... it's perma-on, and that's not good. I don't use Chat in Gmail really at all, so I don't see the need to have it on iGoogle at all. It would be an absolutely great thing to put the same type of things for the Chat tab as you put for the other tabs like "Edit this Tab," "Share this Tab," and "Delete this Tab."

    Please, I had to revert to the old version just to rid myself of the Chat tab.

    ReplyDelete
  113. This morning igoogle loaded into IE6 without error for the first time in a week without my changing anything! Good thing since none of the "cures" listed above worked for me (no financial gadgets). Nice to have it back.

    ReplyDelete
  114. Get rid of the left navigation, it sucks. Return the old Igoogle to us. Or else i'll use another search engine.

    ReplyDelete
  115. Enough of the dam left home tab!! I want out of this rotten beta test. I have had it. Either return me to my old home page or I am out of here. Any Questions??

    ReplyDelete
  116. I have the new iGoogle, and I dislike it, the navbar takes loads of space, and it looks hideous, the only good thing is that you can expand the widgets and access all your email from that page.

    ReplyDelete
  117. I hate the left nav bar and I want it gone. It's wasting space

    ReplyDelete
  118. Here's the complete guide to opting out of Experimental iGoogle:

    http://groups.google.com/group/Google_Web_Search_Help-Personalizing/browse_thread/thread/d102394ce219fe79/

    ReplyDelete
  119. How do you get rid of the damn Home tab? Waste of space and useless!

    ReplyDelete
  120. Thank god for someone posting javascript:_dlsetp('v2=0');

    I have not used my igoogle since the day it arrived. It has stopped me viewing attachments in HTML and hence requesting possible shifts at my second job. Stopped me reading the news because I have to click on tabs and reduced the viewing area for information I am actually interested in. Has anyone at Google ever read any thing on usability (Nielsen, Kurg etc etc) I doubt it given this useless advancement.

    ReplyDelete
  121. Like the new design but VERY annoyed that GMail embedded links do not work. Makes it completely useless!

    ReplyDelete
  122. I had to change the layout of my page to compensate for the wasted space caused by the left side navigation bar.

    ReplyDelete
  123. i do not like the new igoogle and whats the point of it i liked the old google much much much better
    '

    i want google back!!!

    ReplyDelete
  124. love it. Can now check email from work (where gmail is normally blocked in all forms)

    ReplyDelete
  125. Love it. Now, today, it is no longer working! Can I get it back please?

    ReplyDelete
  126. why did it change back to the old igoogle today?

    ReplyDelete
  127. why did it change back to the old igoogle today?

    October 1, 2008 7:23 PM


    OK so it isn't just me.

    ReplyDelete
  128. And me! I liked the new interface and I want it back!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  129. 1 day of use and i hate the total waste of space tabs on the left!,

    probably fine if you have a widescreen monitor but I DO NOT!

    GIVE ME BACK MY SPACE or will just stop using until you do!

    ReplyDelete
  130. in the last few days, the links on the left hand side have stopped working. I'm stuck on whatever page I'm on. Doesn't matter what I click on on the left-had tabs -- the page just reloads with the same content.

    Please fix -- I'm sick of closing browser tabs and re-opening to get to my stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  131. I don't like the new igoogle at all. It seems to me that they have changed it just for the sake of change without any actual improvements, i find it less useful and annoying to use. Is there anyway to revert back to the old one? (which was great)

    ReplyDelete
  132. Don't like the new igoogle? this link shows you how to get the old one back. http://groups.google.com/group/Google_Web_Search_Help-Personalizing/browse_thread/thread/d102394ce219fe79/
    Method two worked for me in Chrome. Thanks Dave!
    I really hope Google don't persist with this new version, since Igoogle is really great and it would be a shame to ruin it like this.

    ReplyDelete
  133. I like the new version. But it keeps appearing disappearing. The trick given by Alex Chitu works well, to force iGoogle to start in new version.

    -----------------------------------------------
    To get the new iGoogle, go to
    google.com/ig and type in the address bar:
    javascript:_dlsetp('v2=1');
    -----------------------------------------------

    I have too many tabs and there is no space left in horizontal mode for more new tabs, vertical tabs are simply great.

    ReplyDelete
  134. The new tab-on-the-left layout works aroung blocking software in large organisations. Please give options to people to use this and make use of gmail in restricted environments.

    Make all people happy by giving an option to choose.

    PS: I like it.

    ReplyDelete
  135. Last night Firefox commandeered my laptop, which was asleep, chucked all my open tabs and dox, installed Firefox 3.0.1 (which I was postponing until I'd researched the implications of the new version) and this morning I find this new iGoogle with the obtrusive left nav. Usually Google is good enough to allow opting out. But this time users are strong-armed and thereby strips away the dignity of individual choice from being an iGoogle user. "You VILL submit to the new iGoogle!" Not cool. Don't wanna. Don't like it. Too crowded. A feature that I don't need, want, ask for, value, appreciate. I agree with the commenter above me, and many others. If we're not afforded a straightforward way to opt out of the new feature I am abandoning ship, and taking others with me. I am a user experience advocate by profession. And both for technical and philosophical reasons I reject this whole iGoogle endeavor. And Google should not be rewarded for creating a situation that makes people feel powerless, and requires a fairly high level of energy, perseverance, determination, and technical ability to take control of their experience. Most people (not anyone on this thread, because we do have the energy, perseverance, determination, and/or technical ability to manipulate the system) will simply sigh and acquiesce. That is doing evil, Google. Stripping away power and choice from users and forcing them down one prescribed way of behaving vs empowering them is Wrong. Yes, capital "W" wrong. If Google didn't make populist self-righteous mantra about "Do no evil" no one would complain about Google's behaving as a traditional ruthless business whose mantra might be "By whatever means necessary." Once Google pronounced itself morally superior to other businesses by doing no evil, they set the playing field to a moral and ethical one. Which is fine. But if we scrutinize Google in terms of how well it's holding up its social and moral/ethical contract -- as we do since those are the terms set by Google -- it is failing. And Google's proported moral superiority and resulting hypocrisy is a big part of the problem. But mostly, personally, I despise the left nav and want it gone. I will not proclaim I'll dump Google for certain. But if not alternate solution -- or an indication from Google that it has consciously changed tacks to behave with the dismissive arrogance of any bully or big dog (corporation or otherwise) or gets some humility and allows the will of the users to exercise itself, rather than bowing to Google's will, I will start seriously looking at ways to navigate away from this whole Google paradigm and suite of solutions. And--having worked for a large global web company myself--I know how badly Google needs its advertising dollars, associated with search. To have a mass movement away from Google search would bankrupt Google. But push people far enough, and we will pull Google's cash cow plug, by simply walking away. In the meantime, I will start stirring the pot virally and person-to-person within my own social and professional networks.

    ReplyDelete
  136. Do not like the new version. The tab/menu on the left is a waste of space. I hate how there it a little preview of all my RSS feeds. I wanted the headlines not the little blurbs, more wasted space.

    ReplyDelete
  137. Totally hate it. The menu in the left is both uncomfortable and is a waste of space. Bring the old IGoogle back!

    ReplyDelete
  138. I hate the new version too, and apparently they changed the gmail gadget as well. If I don't get it back the way it was, I will stop using it.

    ReplyDelete
  139. Anyway to opt out? I hate it! I will quit gmail if I can't get it back the way it was.

    ReplyDelete
  140. I HATE the new layout! I want the old one back!!

    ReplyDelete
  141. I just got blindsided with this new left navigation about 30 minutes ago and have been frantically looking for a way to remove it! I don't use many of the features it's supposed to be good for and i'm frustrated that my screen is lop-sided with all my important information squished to the left. Any words of wisdom?

    ReplyDelete
  142. What can you do if you don't like the new layout?
    Speficily I don't like the gmail displaying my previews to the world. I also don't like having tabs on the side. I now have to scroll in two directions to get all my content

    ReplyDelete
  143. This is hideous. How do I get the old one back?

    ReplyDelete
  144. I hate tabs on the left side. I hate them, hate them, hate them, hate them.

    Did I mention that I hate them?

    ReplyDelete
  145. I think it is pretty unanimous GET RID OF THE F'IN SIDE TABS YOU FREAKS!

    ReplyDelete
  146. HATE THIS! I want my old igoogle back. I hate how gmail is previewed. I liked the old version of just titles, everything fit on one page that I could easily skim and expand if I wanted to. This new one, with no opt out, sprung on us, sucks.

    ReplyDelete
  147. this new "look", new navigation on the left - removing the tabs from the top - WORST EVER!!! did google fire all their user experience employees??

    ReplyDelete
  148. I hate the new igoogle home page. Bring back the "old" home page, or at least let us remove the menu/tab field on the left of the page. It intrudes on the items I chose to have displayed.

    ReplyDelete
  149. If Google sees fit to force me to use their new and unimproved tab layout then I will be forced to go find a new home page. The new tabs layout sucks badly and I want my old set up back. NOW! Google is supposed to not be evil but these unilateral "upgrades" are very, very Microsoft-esque.

    ReplyDelete
  150. I want to go back to my old page, i can't stand the new look!

    ReplyDelete
  151. What happened to my Google homepage??? Before lunch it was clean and user friendly and now it looks like a giant beta version of poor planning and wasted space!!! Please let users select the version that works best for us.

    ReplyDelete
  152. Guys, come on. This new iGoogle is as bad as that clock thingy they changed. Old version asap, plz k thx.

    ReplyDelete
  153. This Adblock Plus rule will remove the new left tab:

    google.com#TD(class=leftborder)

    ReplyDelete
  154. Tab on the left is useless. Sad that this was done without my consent. Now i have a long gray strip of nothingness where my beautiful page used to be. :( You said i could personalize the page, so i did. Now you changed it. What gives? Are you trying to make everyone hate updated firefox so they will switch to chrome for a fix?

    ReplyDelete
  155. I hate it. I work on a portrait orientation screen and now a column of space is wasted. The tabs were a nice compact area.

    I can't drag iGoogle objects to a tab to move them to another area.

    I can't read entire articles on iGoogle now... I have to go to each website separately.

    Maybe I'll go back to NetVibes. I've been waiting for a reason to switch away from Google anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  156. My homepage just refreshed and changed to the new version! I HATE it. The tabs on the left are a huge waste of space since I'm working on a regular screen--no widescreen here yet. I loathe the fact that I cannot minimize the previews of my feeds to just show the headlines! Google took a tool I loved and turned it to crap! It's annoying to use now. Google, please give us the option to change it back to the old version!!!

    --iGoogle Homepage Junkie

    ReplyDelete
  157. I can't believe I have just been forced to accept a tab that takes up almost 33% of the page. There is NOTHING under that tab! It is a waste of space! They cannot force me to add garbage to that tab just to fill the blank space. And now the headlines and other items, that I conscientiously picked out for myself, are squished and cut off. Google is losing touch with one of the things that made it so attractive - its simplicity and its NOT forcing content onto the page. Google is becoming The Man. We'll call it GMan.

    ReplyDelete
  158. Oh and I am a gmail user and installed Chrome on both my machines. Please put the iGoogle home page back the way it was, and hang the New York Times. I don't read that propaganda anyway!

    ReplyDelete
  159. I love Google, but this new layout SUCKS! I just want a choice.

    ReplyDelete
  160. Because of Google making these changes and giving no way to at least minimize the left sidebar, I just reset my homepage to msn.

    Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
  161. I used to really love iGoogle!! Now, it is useless to me. I am out looking for a new home/front page now. This is just plain horrible!!!

    ReplyDelete
  162. As the rest of you have mentioned, this change is complete crap. After spending tons of time getting excactly what I need to see all on one page, now I have to scroll again. Plus it has broken a couple of key gadgets that I use. I guess it is time to search for a new home page, although I am not sure what that will be.

    ReplyDelete
  163. Agreed the new igoogle is awful. It makes it difficult to quickly read headlines as the page is now full of useless summaries

    ReplyDelete
  164. The summaries can be disabled from the settings page: http://www.google.com/ig/settings (there's an option at the bottom "Show a short description for each feed article") and the old interface is still available at Google UK: http://www.google.co.uk/ig/.

    ReplyDelete
  165. worst thing ever.

    1)left tabs suck. i already know what's on my tabs. i put it there.

    2)gmail. i don;t want people to see my emails when igoogle is on the screen. i liked when only the numbers of emails would show up.

    3)i don;t want 2 line summary/beginning of each article. i liked the plus/minus button to reveal the story. now i have to go to the site to read it.

    really? this has been tested since June/July.

    epic fail.

    ReplyDelete
  166. AAAAAHHHH!!!!!! I just got this stupid new igoogle layout, and like many before me I HATE IT! WTF were they thinking?!? The side tabs waste a hole inch of screen space on the side crushing everything else. Many of my gadgets don't work as well. I hate the layout of the gmail gadget. All the gadgets take up more vertical space. The little + buttons to see expanded views of rss type feeds are gone.

    I can see the left side expandable tabs being useful if a typical person had 20 tabs, but I have 1, which means I have a stupid blue stripe up the left side.

    And of course this is google, there is no way to contact them to tell them to pull their collective head out of their collective ass.

    ReplyDelete
  167. GoogleUK totally works in the old version. Guess I'll be using this from now on. Although how long till they screw this up too?

    ReplyDelete
  168. If Google does not allow us to go back to the old layout...goodbye Google!

    ReplyDelete
  169. my $.02, the new versions sucks big time. It was just fine, now it is ruined and ugly

    ReplyDelete
  170. Put my tabs back on top. They are wasting valuable real estate.

    ReplyDelete
  171. Absolute rubbish. It used to be so customisable, now you're stuck with that useless waste-of-an-inch along the left margin. Is Google trying to be more like Microsoft or something? Like Anonymous above, I'm going to use the country-specific iGoogle that has not been messed with. Why not at least give people the option to keep their layout the same as it was before?

    ReplyDelete
  172. I prefer the old format - expanding/collapsing headlines and top-mounted tabs are a better use of screen real estate.

    The new format requires extra scrolling to browse headlines and truncates summaries.

    The sidebar is making iGoogle less of a dashboard and more of a reader. Google Reader already does this. Why move away from the dashboard model?

    ReplyDelete
  173. Tabs back on top please! The left tabs make me feel unbalanced, and when I'm unbalanced I become hostile.

    ReplyDelete
  174. Yea, this is bs. I can't move my gadgets between tabs anymore and that sidebar takes up too much space for my liking. Fix it.

    ReplyDelete
  175. Amen, to all of the above. Do not like being hi-jacked and iGoogle is now gone from my existence.

    ReplyDelete
  176. I also want the old igoogle page back. I do not like the way the left side has wasted space and the new gmail gadget won't let me shut off preview.

    ReplyDelete
  177. I hate this. It takes up way too much space and I am having trouble with my gmail now. I also don't like or need the side tabs. If this is the future of igoogle, I'm going back to the classic view. If I had wanted Google Reader, I'd be using Google Reader.

    ReplyDelete
  178. I want my old iGoogle back - I hate the new layout, it screws with my flow - GET RID OF THE NEW IGOOGLE SHIT!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  179. Please give us the option to use the old format. I really dislike the new fomat.

    ReplyDelete
  180. This is awful. I hate the left navigation bar and it is terrible that Google forced this on me and have given me no way to change it.

    To top it off, my links are not working anymore either.

    ReplyDelete
  181. I want my old iGoogle back. After several attempts it finally looked like I want it and now...

    Guess it's time to start looking for a new homepage. MyWay doesn't look as bad as it did...yesterday.

    ReplyDelete
  182. I just got the old one back. That's good. I hope they do some serious bugfixes before they roll it out again, if they ever do. If I could minimize the sidebar (perhaps have the tabs displayed as small vertical bars) and if they put the minimize icon back on the individual gadgets, I would be much happier.

    ReplyDelete
  183. just got a brand new asus eee. luv it. now igoogle has used up a fourth of my screen with that sidebar. why didn't they at least make it an option that you can get rid of if you don't want to use it? and gmail....don't get me started. the changes suck. what were they thinking.?!?

    ReplyDelete
  184. FCUK Google. http://www.google.com/search?q=igoogle+alternatives

    ReplyDelete
  185. I had it for a few hours while at work. Then when i went home it was gone. How do I get the new igoogle page back! Its great!

    ReplyDelete
  186. Funny, after turning on my computer and being completed offended by the new iGoogle I searched and found out that most everyone else hates it too. Looks like Google took note b/c the old is back.

    ReplyDelete
  187. My igoogle home page was just changed and I HATE it!!
    Having tabs at the side makes the three columns too harrow.
    To open the gadget and see the entries now takes two clicks instead of one.
    I don't want to look at the gadgets full screen - my gadgets are rss feeds with a list of links to primarily news stories. This changed has doubled my access times.

    ReplyDelete
  188. I love you Google, but the new interface is worse than the new facebook.

    ReplyDelete
  189. I hate the new page! It is worse than the new facebook GUI, and I would rather not use iGoogle at all if this is my only choice...

    ReplyDelete
  190. I just learned about this today when I was unpleasantly surprised to find the changes. I don't like the loss of space with the tabs, I don't want the changes in the display -- now I must scroll to see what I want to see. Is it possible to opt out of the new look?

    I'd be very happy if I could just LEAVE IT LIKE IT WAS!!

    ReplyDelete
  191. As another user pointed out, http://www.google.co.uk/ig is using the old format.

    Google, please revert back to the way iGoogle was, or at least allow opt-in/opt-out for some/all of the features.

    ReplyDelete
  192. Give me my old Google Back!

    ReplyDelete
  193. I noted that the google.co.uk is still the previous setup so thats now my igoogle homepage until they have a way to remove it

    ReplyDelete
  194. I reloaded my iGoogle page to get welcomed by this waste of space! What the heck is this. The old layout was perfect, why would you want to waste 1/3 of your screen on a bar telling you what you have on the page! This is a mess, it doesn't even look better than the old layout. The old layout was perfect, I loved my iGoogle page, and then I refreshed it and I get greeted with this mess they call "new". Give us an option, I absolutely hate this layout.

    ReplyDelete
  195. I think it blows. If I wanted to see the first line or two of the article. I would click on it.

    The new layout has ruined igoogle for the users who liked the classic look.

    At least an option to revert would be nice.

    Looksl like plain old www.google.com will be my homepage again.

    ReplyDelete
  196. I can't express enough how much I hate the new format. Please return my page to the way it was.

    ReplyDelete
  197. PLEASE give us our OLD iGoogle page layout, with the tabs on top. I also prefer the previous gmail gadget.

    ReplyDelete

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