Stackoverflow - Please add message envelope to your Flair, and make the URL for Flair based on user name

I wanted to create a iGoogle gadget to display my current stackoverflow stats so that I wouldn't keep obsessively checking the main page (I am really just now getting into SO). So I create this stackoverflow status gadget:

And posted it to stackoverflow. All this does is embed an iframe to stackoverflow.com and scroll it so that the status block is available.

Anyway, then someone pointed me to the user flair, which I didn't know about. I should probably change my gadget to use user flair instead, which will be a much lighter load in SO.  BUT...

I really want to see my message envelop status, that is my biggest point.  And flair doesn't show this.

It would also be nice if the flair URL be something that can be constructed using the user's SO user name instead of the user id.

Anyway, since there is no-where on the flair page to add a comment, this is my attempt at communicating this request to Stackoverflow.

G is for (i)Google: New iGoogle Gripes

Google just announced what appears to be involuntary U.S. opt-in for their new iGoogle layout. I was (involuntarily) included in the initially trial roll out several months ago, and only found out that I could opt-out (through a very obscure process I no longer recall) after several weeks of using it. I didn't like it much then, and it appears my main complaints are still there.

Side Tabs
I dislike the new tab scheme.

• It appears you cannot drag a gadget onto a tab to move it into that tab. This is a bug and should be fixed.


• Having tabs on the side wastes a lot of screen real estate.


• The ability to fold out the gadgets list seems semi-redundant with having the gadgets visible when I am viewing that tab already.

New Gmail Gadget
It is slick to be able to delete emails right from my Gmail gadget. But

• I liked the email displayed on a single line. I could show more emails that way.


• I am also not thrilled with more of the email text being shown. Not as private.


• I really would like clicking an email to take me into Gmail proper as it used to, rather than the new behavior of viewing within the gadget.

I will say that one of my original complaints was that you could not reply or forward from within the in-gadget email viewer. They appear to have addressed that. Awesome!

So I guess that's not too many complaints. But really, it would be nice to have options for these things.

Regardless, iGoogle is still an outstanding and useful tool. It is also great that they could introduce new functionality and a new look without breaking all the gadgets I rely on. Thanks Google.