Hey! Gmail Ate My Emails!

Google's popular service Gmail let down some users recently (and worried many others) when users reported missing emails.

After investigating the situation, Google has reported that about 60 users have been affected by the problem. This represents an extremely small proportion of Gmail users -- a group in the tens of millions. (Source: thestreet.com)

Google spokesperson Courtney Hohne issued an emailed statement apologizing for the problem. "Once we found out about this issue, we worked day and night to confirm that only a few accounts were affected and to do whatever we could to restore as much of the users' accounts as we could." She also said that Google has contacted all of the affected users. (Source: cbc.ca)

Although Google has touted the issue as an "isolated problem," the company has revealed little details about the matter. This ambiguity has left many users weary that the situation will recur in the future. The fact that many of the emails were unrecoverable certainly doesn't put concerns to rest. (Source: arstechnica.com)

Then again, others assure that Google is not at fault, instead blaming Firefox version 2.0.0.0. (Source: zdnet.com)

Still, the incident tarnishes Google's reputation. One of Google's strengths is its reliability and security. If these characteristics are clouded in doubt, Google's foothold in the industry may begin to loosen. (Source: thestreet.com)

Further, Google has not been clear of glitches in the recent past. Google Checkout, which was heavily promoted during the holiday season, has reported errors. Google also recently closed its Answer service, an action which many said was a significant triumph for Yahoo, whose answer service has continued to flourish. (Source: thestreet.com)