Leonid Mamchenkov

Once again Google demonstrates the proper way to handle issues.  Due to their software update, some users temporary lost access to emails.  Instead of hiding and silencing, Google published a blog post explaining the issue, as well where and when more information would be available.  Not to mention that loss of service is an extremely rare occasion, and loss of data is even more so.  This time, it seems, all data is recoverable from tape backups.  All it takes is a little time.

Imagine the sinking feeling of logging in to your Gmail account and finding it empty. That’s what happened to 0.02% of Gmail users yesterday, and we’re very sorry. The good news is that email was never lost and we’ve restored access for many of those affected. Though it may take longer than we originally expected, we’re making good progress and things should be back to normal for everyone soon.

In times like that, keeping your users up to date is vital.  All the press releases and marketing newsletters in the world won’t buy you a fraction of the trust that a simple blog post during the downtime will bring you.