Andrew J. Lederer

I'm not generally a financially attentive person but, since October, I've been keeping a complete record of everything I spend, creating daily averages and other instructive elements which have helped me tremendously as I've rebounded from the $400 that magically disappeared from my bank account around that time

Also in October, I got this new laptop to replace the one stolen in Camden Town and having been left without a backup -- my own fault -- I determined that, in the future, I would use my Gmail account as a web-based home for my important documents.

So, last night, during a commercial break in the Oscars, I was in Gmail, updating my record of expenditures, when it suddenly disappeared.

I clicked back, I clicked forward -- nothing. The records had vanished.

Best I can figure is that my cursor had gone astray and I'd accidentally clicked "discard draft".

And (subsequent research has shown) there is an "undo discard" button".

But only available immediately after the event.

So, by the time I realized what had probably happened, there was nothing that could be done about it.

There had been no "are you sure you want to delete this?" dialogue. The discarded draft had not been sent to the trash folder. It was simply, irretrievably gone and by design.

This was the way they had set it up, an intensely stupid (and unnecessary) decision by a company -- Google -- that wants us to trust them with our important docs.

And it's not just the loss of work -- and resulting disinclination to continue monitoring my financial health -- that upsets me. I was also using the accounting as a stealth diary, including things that would remind me of the way I'd spent my days.

Yes, I've only lost February, but it was an important month -- the return to New York, adventures in Notting Hill/Shepherd's Bush with Elise, Valentine's Day, a trip to Bristol . . .

Moments were lost along with the numbers.

But, hey -- doesn't Google keep this stuff on their servers for, like, months, in case the government needs them or something?

Well, yeah.

Unfortunately, it seems they won't go to the trouble of getting me my own important file.

There's not even a "contact us" link anywhere in Gmail.

So, my inclination is to stop using all Google products.

I was a big rooter -- I use Google Desktop, Picassa image software, Google Pack, Google Updater and other Google implements in addition to Gmail. It will be hard to avoid the search engine completely, but the rest of those things can be discarded.

And my eyeballs will, to the extent I can manage it, no longer be available to view the ads they sell.

But most eyeballs will remain where they are.

And I will not feel better about the loss.