Yesterday, some of our users reported that their GTDInbox status buttons had disappeared. Some had also lost the sidebar Review Box. Many of the users who initially reported this had just upgraded to Firefox 3.6, so we assumed that the problem must have been in the way that Firefox 3.6 handles scripts. As it turned out, the problem was in changes that GMail had made. Even as we were trying to solve the problem in Firefox, the engineers at Google were solving it for us. GMail hasn’t made an announcement on their official blog, yet, but our own look at the code indicates that this is what happened.
This morning, many of our GTDInbox users reported that their buttons had returned, so it appears that this problem is solved. If anyone continues having problems with the buttons, please post to this blog or (better yet), report the problem as a bug at the GTDInbox UserVoice so we can handle it in our customer support ticketing system.
This issue is a perfect example of the superiority of cloud-based computing systems. GTDInbox depends on GMail just as much as other GTD systems depend on MicroSoft Outlook. However, when a problem develops in GMail, the Google engineers can fix it for everyone with minor inconvenience for companies like us and for end users. On the other hand, anyone using desktop software has to download and install a patch. As we all know from month after month of Patch Tuesdays, while this is necessary, it is inconvenient. Also, when major problems develop in desktop systems, it is often up to the end user to fix them or pay to have them fixed. With cloud systems, we still have occasional service outages and other problems, but end users don’t have to fix them themselves.
Tags: cloud computing, Firefox, GMail, Google
Nice.
Any update on the Chrome version of GTDInbox?
We are planning to release the Chrome port in February.
Oddly, I never saw this behavior until just now, having used the buttons uninterruptedly through earlier this evening. I’m guessing I’m on a different rollout schedule for Google’s updates, and the problem will soon self-correct, but thought I should give you a heads up.
Best,
M.
I’m still missing my buttons on my gmail hosted account, but the buttons are back on my regular gmail account. Also, the “compose personal” link doesn’t work. Guess I just have to wait for google’s changes to make it to the hosted accounts?
OS: linux 2.6
Firefox: 3.5.6
Kevin
Michael & Kevin,
It appears the problem hasn’t quite given up just yet!
I will re-open this issue and have another look at alternative solutions this afternoon. Hopefully get a more robust update later in the week.
Andy
My GTDInbox buttons have been gone for at least 5 days now. I lost them before upgrading to Firefox 3.6. If there is any other info I can give that would help, please let me know.
Hi Lance,
Thank you for volunteering. We are planning to issue an update to fix this, and hope to have it ready, later today. At this point, we have some data from various people about what is actually creating this error, but we may contact you via email if we need more.
Thanks, again!
My GTDInbox buttons are still missing. OS: Windows XP, FireFox 3.5.7
OS: WIndows XP, FIrefox 3.5.7
GTD Inbox buttons (assigning status, projects, contexts, etc.) at top of an open conversation was down, then back up on Sat. or Sun., stayed up through yesterday, but now (Tues. 1/26 noon Pac time) are gone again.
My label buttons are gone again
Brian,
Thanks for letting us know. Evidently, GMail is making changes, tonight. We plan to release a fix, tomorrow.
Please let us know if it doesn’t make your label buttons come back.
I awoke buttonless this morning (Jan 28). All was well last night.
I assume Google rolled-out a newer version in my area (Southern Ontario) last night.
I’m running FF 3.5.7 on both XP and Ubuntu 9.10
Yes, and we are working on an update to GTDInbox that will deal with this.
yep, buttons are gone again. Compose Personal also not working right…
Thanks for the tip, Craig. We’re working on a fix.
My buttons are gone too
hmm, I had not upgraded to FF 3.6 – they’re back
Thanks, Bill. We are scrambling to fix this. Stay tuned for news on the situation and watch your GTDInbox sidebar for notification of new versions of GTDInbox to fix this.
My buttons disappeared yesterday (1/28). I assumed it was because I added a few new Gmail labels. Anyway, still not back. I’m using FF 3.5.7. The sidebar and pop-ups are still working, though. But the buttons were key. I’ll keep an eye out for an update.
Please install the 3.0.11 update and see if they don’t come back.
You might want to advise GTDInbox users that they should update GTD from the Addons menu and update Firefox to 3.6. at the same time to get their buttons back. My buttons disappeared using GTD 3.0.10 and pre-v.3.6 Firefox. I updated Firefox but the buttons didn’t come back until I updated GTD too. Not really very clear from the blog entry. Cheerio, G.