Review - Dmail's self-destructing e-mails

LOS ANGELES - We’ve all done it.

Fired off an e-mail, and then regretted it moments later. Perhaps it was an act of rage, or maybe we spelled something wrong and knew we could do better.

There should be an app for taking back e-mails, right?

Well, there is, and I’ve been playing with it this week. It’s called Dmail, and while I like the concept, I really don’t like the app.

Or put another way, my recipients hate it. They’re upset with me for using Dmail on them.

To use Dmail, you download an extension for Gmail and the Google Chrome browser. It then puts Dmail into your e-mails, and gives you the option of yanking back an e-mail after you’ve sent it. You can also potentially stop folks from forwarding something you’ve sent.

Great--for you. But not for the folks in your address book.

Because in order to work correctly, without offending folks, they too have to have the Dmail extension in their browser and Gmail.

Otherwise, when you write folks, they get a link in an e-mail that they have to open to read your prose.

And let’s face it--how many people do you know who are willing to do that for you?

I wouldn’t.

Once they start screaming at you about making them click a link to read your e-mail, you notice there's an on/off switch in your Gmail window. You can turn off the Dmail feature, and decide to use it sparingly--if at all.

Maybe for sensitive e-mails, like work related stuff. But wouldn't you be using corporate e-mail for that anyway?

Gmail, the world’s most popular e-mail program does have a feature that lets you “undo the send” of an e-mail, but you have to act fast--within 30 seconds.

Dmail lets you do it any time.

I won’t be taking advantage of this feature because. I’ve already deleted it. My correspondents made me do it.