I am not someone who enjoys surprises.  Not someone who embraces change.  I like things to remain the same.  Particularly things that I do as a matter of routine; things I do every day.

One such thing is checking my emails.  It is something I do every day; often several times during the day.  The procedure is the same each time.  All perfectly straightforward.  Until today.

Today a notice popped up in my email account notifying me that I had messages in My Other Inbox.  What Other Inbox?  I hadn’t been aware that I had an Other Inbox.  My Regular Inbox has always been perfectly adequate for me.  Where was this mysterious Other Inbox?  The message didn’t say.  I was left discombobulated (an experience not entirely uncommon when I am dealing with anything involving The Machine).  My routine had been thrown out.  I was left with an uneasy sensation that, in my absence, secret hands had been at work somewhere across the Internet.  Fiddle-faddling.

I wanted to shout out loud: “Why can’t you just leave me alone!”

There was a solution, and I provide this now as my public service to a tech-illiterate populace.

1. Go to Settings (the cog-wheel symbol).
2. Choose Options from the drop-down menu.
3. Find Layout on the left-side menu.
4. Click on Focused Inbox.
5. Here it is possible to turn off the Other Inbox.

I no longer have an Other Inbox, but I now discover that my Regular Inbox is actually my Focused Inbox.  Who knew?

© Simon Turner-Tree

Simon Turner-Tree stamps his foot in frustration at The Machine.