GMail users should not be asked to distinguish spam from phishing

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Both the web interface to GMail and the GMail Android app have separate ways of 
reporting spam and phishing. I don't think users should be burdened with 
distinguishing them.

For example, I get a lot of unwanted email offering loans. To check whether 
it's spam of phishing, I would need to give them my personal data. If I get a 
loan, then it's spam. If I don't, it's phishing (or maybe they don't like my 
credit score). Obviously, I'm not going to perform that test.

I also get unwanted messages in languages I don't understand. Should I give the 
sender the benefit of doubt and assume that they are just advertising something 
rather than trying to steal my data? Or should I err on the side of safety for 
other users and report the message as phishing?

I believe Google is in a much better position to distinguish spam from 
phishing. It employs people who read different languages. It can generate 
aggregate statistics. It can use sophisticated filters.

GMail users should have one button to report spam. Reporting (as opposed to 
automatic classification) should imply permission for Google employees to read 
the message and deal with it. This should be communicated to the user once (not 
every time as the current web interface does).

One button less means a better user interface and less time wasted on spam 
fighting.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by plros...@gmail.com on 25 Mar 2015 at 5:25