VIDEO Bizarre ragtime music creeping out Chrome Gmail users?

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Gmail promo for Priority Inbox creeps out Chrome users

Bug triggers background music, sparks malware fears

By Gregg Keizer
August 31, 2010 01:28 PM ET


Computerworld - Chrome users yesterday bombarded Google's Gmail support forum with complaints about music suddenly playing in the background when they reached their inboxes.
Some feared that their machines had been infected with malware.
"Those sound effects are quite unnerving when you first hear it," said a user identified as "goz3" on the Gmail support board. "I really thought it was some sort of twisted virus."
"I thought it was a virus, too," echoed "bradleyctclarke" on the same thread.

The cause, said a Google representative on the support forum, was a video promoting the e-mail service's new Priority Inbox feature.
Although the Google support rep said that the company was "working on fixing this" and apologized for the bug, Computerworld confirmed that the background video and its ragtime-style music was still affecting Chrome users on Tuesday.
Other browsers, such as Safari and Firefox, did not automatically fire up the video and its tune.
"I thought my account had been hacked -- especially when I heard the scrunching of paper," added goz3 in an earlier message Monday. "I thought, oh sh*t, my mail is being eaten up."
The unwanted music played only on machines running Chrome, and then only for users who have had the Priority Inbox feature enabled by Google. The new tool, designed to automatically rearrange messages to put the most important at the top of the inbox, is being rolled out in stages by Google, which yesterday said that it would reach everyone within the next week.
The gaffe is reminiscent of one Google made last May when a JavaScript-based version of the 1980 video game Pac-Man freaked out Firefox users, who heard siren sounds and offbeat music in the background when they were at the search engine's home page.
"MAKE IT STOP!" shouted someone tagged as "bleepo" on Monday. "If I get some annoying sound or ad every time I open Gmail on Chrome it will be enough to make me not use it."
To quell the music, Chrome users should click on the Priority Inbox link in the upper right, then stop the video play in the pop-up window.


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Gmail promo for Priority Inbox creeps out Chrome users
In a rather bizarre incident, Chrome users encountered an unsettling experience with Gmail when background music unexpectedly began playing as they accessed their inboxes. This peculiar glitch sparked widespread concern, with many users fearing that their computers had been infected with malware. The issue was first reported on August 31, 2010, when users flooded Google's Gmail support forum expressing their unease.
The cause behind this unusual occurrence was quickly identified as a promotional video for Google's new Priority Inbox feature. This feature, designed to help users organize their inboxes by prioritizing important emails, triggered the background music upon accessing Gmail. A Google representative acknowledged the issue on the support forum, stating that the company was actively working on a fix and apologized for the inconvenience caused. Reports indicated that the problem persisted even days later, with affected users still experiencing unwanted audio while using Chrome.
Interestingly, the issue did not affect users on other browsers, such as Safari or Firefox, who did not encounter the same audio glitch. One forum user, identified as "goz3," described the unsettling sound effects saying, "I really thought it was some sort of twisted virus." Another user expressed similar fears, stating, "I thought my account had been hacked -- especially when I heard the scrunching of paper." This resonated with many users who also voiced their frustrations online.
The glitch was reminiscent of a previous gaffe by Google when a JavaScript-based version of the classic 1980 video game Pac-Man unexpectedly played sounds in the background, alarming Firefox users. Some users expressed their annoyance, with one user exclaiming, "If I get some annoying sound or ad every time I open Gmail on Chrome it will be enough to make me not use it."
To resolve the issue, Chrome users were advised to click on the Priority Inbox link in the upper right corner and stop the video playback in the pop-up window. This incident not only highlights the unintended consequences of digital promotions but also serves as a reminder of users' sensitivity to unexpected sounds in their online experiences.
As we reflect on this quirky piece of tech history, it raises questions about our current relationship with notifications and background sounds in applications. How have we adapted to such events in our digital lives? Share your thoughts or similar experiences below!