Conversation view, or Gmail's ability to organize emails according to the topic, sender and recipient, was a feature that Google hoped everyone would love, according to a Google spokeswoman. But some users simply disliked the option and so Google is offering a toggle.
"The way Gmail organizes mail into conversations is like cilantro. You either love it and, like me, enjoy the nice citrusy, herbal finish it gives to everything from salsa to curry or you hate it," wrote Wiltse Carpenter, a Google technical lead.
"And just as an outspoken minority has banded together in unison to declare their distaste of one of nature's most delicious herbs, some of you have been very vocal about your dislike of conversation threading."
Google has periodically added features to Gmail, such as BlackBerry integration and IMAP support. Most recently, Google added Priority Inbox, which scans email messages and places the most important messages at the top of the inbox based on its own algorithms as well as user input.
Some features previously accessible in the threaded conversation view will only be easily accessible using advanced search terms in the Google Gmail search box, Google said.
This includes searching via a "from" operator to find e-mail originating from a particular sender or "has attachment" to search for e-mail with an attachment.
This feature will be rolling out over the next few days, Google said. To activate, go to the main settings page, look for the "conversation view" section, select the option to turn it off and save changes.
