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As I’ve mentioned, I recently started using the T-Mobile / Google G1, which meant populating my GMail contacts.  (I have had a GMail account for years, because it was required to use iGoogle, but don’t use it for my email.) Upon clicking “Import,” one sees the following message: #

We support importing contacts in the CSV file format (Comma Separated Values). For best results, please use a CSV file produced by Outlook, Outlook Express, Yahoo!, or Hotmail. For Apple Address Book, there is a useful utility called “A to G”. #

I use Outlook 2003, so this should be easy, right? (Yeah, I’m a sucker.) #

I willingly admit that Outlook’s data format is, well, interesting. “Carphone?” “Telex?” A “home address” field that gets auto-populated without the postal code? But Google says, in effect, “We can handle it.” And, all in all, the first import a few weeks ago wasn’t totally awful, even though it took 3-4 efforts to import 400 or so contacts. #

But over the last few weeks, we’ve gone through our annual holiday-related contacts comb-through to make sure that party invitations and Christmas cards get to the right address. By the time we were done, my contacts file was at 560 or so, with a lot of changes. #

So I decided to delete all my Google contacts and re-import. #

In the intervening time, Google’s done something with their import routine – something very, very bad. #

Complete, unadulterated, total FAIL. Several times. #

So, in desperation, I exported Google’s contacts to see just what was happening. Every bit of data except for Outlook’s “E-Mail Display Name” – addresses, phone numbers, emails – was being shunted into the “Notes” field. #

Fine. I’ll reformat my contacts to fit Google’s structure and upload THAT. That should work, right? #

WRONG. Granted, it was only partial FAIL, but every physical address was ignored, lots of emails and phone numbers missing, etc. #

So, mine dear friends at the GMail team, a few recommendations: #

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• If you say you’re going to import and Outlook CSV, do it. The format may be antiquated, but it’s pretty easy to understand.
• Give me an option of how I want the contacts listed and sorted. When everyone is “Mr. Abe Lincoln” or “Ms. Mary Todd,” alphabatizing is useless. (And what’s wrong with separate first name and last name fields?)
• Yes, I KNOW physical addresses aren’t all that important to you, but I want them on my phone. Windows Mobile and PalmOS can do it, why can’t Google Contacts? And use the individual columns, not the “home address” field (which even Outlook ignores).
• When I use YOUR data column headings, and you don’t import my data, you have an even bigger problem.

The G1 is a good phone, and GMail is a good service. But GMail contacts is awful, and if you want the G1 to be a success it’s time to overhaul it and make it work right. Don’t reinvent the wheel – adopt Outlook’s column format, and make Google Contacts as useful as Outlook is. #

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