Have you ever written an email to your client but forgot to attach your files? Have you ever applied for a position in a company but forgot to attach your resume & cover letter?
It happened to me a few times (mostly when I was tired or in a hurry) and that simple silly mistake can be devastating to your life!
However, I recently came across a new feature on Google Gmail called “Forgotten attachment detector” by Jonathan K.
I enabled the feature through the settings on your Gmail (the Google Labs settings) and then decided to do a few tests to find out more about the new feature.
Here is an example of the email that I wrote:
As you can see, once I clicked on the “Send” button, there is a pop-up alert notifying me that I might have forgotten to attach files! Smart, eh?
I thought, the new plug-in must have looked for the word “attached” or “attach”. To prove that I’m excel at my analytical skill, I decided to write another email, with the body text of “blah blah attached blah blah”. Well what do you know, the email was sent through without any warnings. I guess it detects much more than just a word, but a combination of words exist on the email itself.
Rather than trying to find out the smart algorithm behind the plug-in, I’ve decided to just leave the plug-in alone and write this post instead. This time, I’m relief to know that I have a second eye to double check my emails before I send them across. Oh wait, I’m using Microsoft Outlook to send my emails, so I guess this plug-in won’t really do me any good 
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
First the drunk feature thing, now the attacthment!
You’ve conivnced me to use Google Labs now! Are you going to write about all of them? Some others I find useful (or just plain cool) are having the labels and chat on the right side, to make space and add a google calendar on the left side, and also, set the start and end date of a vacation message. xD I sometimes wonder why they don’t include some of these options by default – out of bugs I guess?
“out of bugs I guess?”
I guess so. At least if it’s not officially released yet and something happens to your account because of it, they’ll have an excuse
Don’t think I’m going to explain them all. Unfortunately I send my emails from my Windows email client and very rarely do I go to my Gmail account
I might need this one. Cause sometimes I wrote the email first and continued clicking the send button at the bottom. Then only I realized that I forgot to attach the files. Doh..
Wonder why can’t Google have the alert like when we send email without text in the body. So, each time, if there is no file attached, there will be alert popping up. Quite annoying I know.
Hehe..we’ve all been there, I guess
How would have thought of implementing this? It’s something I am sure everyone has done, but leave it to Google to come up with a way to have this feature implemented.
They always come up with new and creative ideas, don’t they? That’s what I love about Google
Google seems to know how to address all the issues of human stupidity, the kind of stupidity that all of us are guilty of sooner or later
Haha yeah. I think their next project might be: “Detecting you are really sending to A when you mean A”. For example, sometimes we use the auto-complete feature on an email client, only to find that you’ve picked the wrong Michael
haha, i agree to what Ann Arbor Web Design said, maybe i should change my main email to Gmail…
I only use my hotmail for MSN/WLM. It’s too full of junks. But I guess people are reluctant to change because that means notifying everyone else about the new email
Hi there
I’ve plans for a blog contest for this Christmas and New Year, also looking for sponsors it would be great if you were interested in it. Thanks Have a good day 
I think I’ve already responded to be a sponsor on your blog even before you made the comment here
I should have that, coz useful!
Mike you have found a very nice feature. Every body should use it as the second line of defense…
Google sure is filling in another gap with a feature such as this. It is items similar to this service that get a program to seem more intelligent. “Did you forget to cook eggs” could be said by a future robot that notices that the person leaving the residence has not eaten the eggs they purchased yet. This is an idea in that direction.
I guess it’s just a matter of time before Google finds out other bits and pieces that we need or tend to forget
Thats a great feature, would be nice if Hotmail or Yahoo mail would follow suit. As usual Google comes up with all the inovative ideas
Which is why I’d really love to work at Google
Not to mention that their services come for free