Gmail Hollywood Shut DownUPDATE, 10:43 AM: After saying that the problem only hit 2% of Gmail users, Google just put up the following on their Apps Status page: “Google Mail service has already been restored for some users, and we expect a resolution for all users in the near future. Please note this time frame is an estimate and may change.”
PREVIOUS, 10 AM: Google’s much-used email application went down today, leaving thousands if not millions of users unable to access their Gmail accounts. “We’re sorry, but your Gmail account is temporarily unavailable,” read an announcement on the sign-in page. “We apologize for the inconvenience and suggest trying again in a few minutes.” (At 9:42 AM PT, Google posted the following on their Apps Status page: “We’re investigating reports of an issue with Google Mail. We will provide more information shortly.”) For the digitially pumped up media and entertainment industry, “inconvenience” was an understatement. Not that it prevented them from shifting to another platform and telling anyone and everyone: Within minutes Twitter was buzzing. and NPR’s Fresh Air tweeted at around 9:35 AM PST, “How do I fix this. (I use gmail for work.)” They were not alone. One production executive told me not only was her Gmail down but it was now telling her her username and password were incorrect — so she couldn’t even sign on to a service that wasn’t working anyway. “I’m trying to find my old Hotmail password,” she said, “but I haven’t used it in years.” Anyone else in the same digital boat?

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