Ominous rumblins from google....

[W1GUH]

What happened is I was trying to email someone with my yahoo account and for some reason my tablet kept having a problem when I hit "send." Grrrr.....so I just dropped that and waited til I got home to do the email.

Greeting me here at home was an email from the party I was trying to email saying he got that email via gmail. Somehow, google intercepted what I was doing with yahoo. This is entirely unacceptable to me and I'm hoping I can turn that off. The information from Corey should prove good for that.

This is entirely within my general notion that google is becoming way too aggressive about things for my liking. Hope it doesn't sour me towards Android...but if it keeps up, it just might.

ARGH!!!!!!

[W4GPL]

Don't assume the worst.. they're not doing anything that blatant. I'm sure it was a technical glitch (or user error).

[W1GUH]

Well....

I wasn't anywhere near gmail. I was at the yahoo web site & kept getting "Trouble opening page." gmail intercepted and sent it without my knowledge. Don't recall getting the quesiton, "Would you like to use gmail instead?" Just that web error. No obvious way this could be anything but a too-aggressive action. IMHO, when a piece of software does this without getting the OK from the user, it's 100% unacceptable. I just don't buy "well, turn it off in settings" as an acceptable answer -- shouldn't have been turned on in the first place without my permission. Again, google arrogantly messin' with my computer on the sly.

I could try not having gmail running (it comes up on boot-up) when I yahoo mail, I guess. Usually stop all tasks when I boot up. Didn't this time.

But google has done this before. Like installing Chrome when I install Google Earth even after I told it not to. No kiddin'.

Gonna see if there's FF for Android.

[W1GUH]

Don't assume the worst.. they're not doing anything that blatant. I'm sure it was a technical glitch (or user error).

On what basis do you assert that "they're not doing anything that blatant."?

[W4GPL]

On what basis do you assert that "they're not doing anything that blatant."?Experience, constant exposure to this particular technology.. I'd know if Google was purposefully intercepting e-mails from other accounts.

[W1GUH]

Yes, there's FF for Android -- trying it out now. I'll see it goes.

[W1GUH]

Experience, constant exposure to this particular technology.. I'd know if Google was purposefully intercepting e-mails from other accounts.

Well, you've been supplied with the details of what happened. Could you please explain in detail how it's not an interception? Please don't use the word "settings."

[W4GPL]

Well, without witnessing it myself, it's impossible for me to know exactly what happened. We often (including myself) think we didn't click one thing or another, and we inadvertently did at the last second without noticing -- especially on sensitive touch screens. I certainly believe that you feel this happened and feel it may have been malicious, but I'm more than skeptical. If this was happening, it would be all over every single development and hacker forum I read..

Also Google knows they're under strict observation by the FTC and Justice Dept.. if they blink the wrong way, they're in a deep shit. They mine enough data without having to nefariously intercept stuff not intended for them.

[W1GUH]

Well, without witnessing it myself, it's impossible for me to know exactly what happened. We often (including myself) think we didn't click one thing or another, and we inadvertently did at the last second without noticing -- especially on sensitive touch screens. I certainly believe that you feel this happened and feel it may have been malicious, but I'm more than skeptical. If this was happening, it would be all over every single development and hacker forum I read..

Also Google knows they're under strict observation by the FTC and Justice Dept.. if they blink the wrong way, they're in a deep shit. They mine enough data without having to nefariously intercept stuff not intended for them.

You just gotta know by now that words like just don't cut it with me. I was there. I told you in detail what I did. I got NO NOTIFICATION OR REQUEST. Which word didn't you understand?

[W4GPL]

Ok. Fine. Perhaps I'm jaded from almost 20 years of being told "I didn't click this.. " .. "I didn't install that.." and it being false almost every single time. Maybe you're the exception to the rule, if so -- my apologies. I remain skeptical, but I'll keep an eye out.

[W1GUH]

Guess you missed the implication in my words. Even if I DID click on something or other to cause this, it wasn't obvious AT ALL. (And, BTW, what could it have been that I've been accused of clicking on? Is there a button labeld, "Send via gmail on error?" And to have THIS happen so easily (this is major...transferred the text to the gmail app and sent it) Without my permission? BadBadBadBadBad. So okay..."stupidity" on the part of the development team instead of "malice" pretty much adds up to the same thing. And it's still at least "tricky" unacceptable actions.

Why are you defending Google so vehemently? They paying you?

Suppose I was emailing to somewhere I didn't want to know that I have a gmail account? (Actually, I didn't want anyone to know that) Don't plan on ever using it. Or could it be buried in the eula? Or some obscure setting? Both add up to surreptitious diddling with my computer.

[W4GPL]

I'm not defending Google of anything. I'm simply stating my vast experience with the Android platform mixed with Google Apps.. and that none of this sounds particularly logical.


Suppose I was emailing to somewhere I didn't want to know that I have a gmail account?Which in my opinion is exactly why they wouldn't do that. People aren't going to use technology they distrust or think will fail them on that level. Google's engineers fully understand segregation of e-mail accounts and identities. The negative of what you think happened far out weighs any benefit Google would receive. I don't know what happened, but you're the first person I've heard report a problem like this -- and I do follow this stuff very very closely. I'm involved with a team of engineers that does nothing but Android development day in and day out.. I really feel like I'd know if this sort of behavior was becoming a part of Google's tactics.

Anyway, I'm sorry it happened and I hope you find out why it happened and how to prevent it in the future.

[W1GUH]

Well, OK. You seem to be of the opinion that "they wouldn't do that."

To others...this happened. However it happened, who knows? But it happened with no notification whatsoever. Cuidado!

[KC2UGV]

Yes, there's FF for Android -- trying it out now. I'll see it goes.

It's there. And it sucks. A lot. I would use Opera Mobile before Firefox Mobile, FWIW.


Well, you've been supplied with the details of what happened. Could you please explain in detail how it's not an interception? Please don't use the word "settings."

I'm still not exactly sure what you are saying happened, other than you got an error while sending an email, but the email in fact did go through.

[KC2UGV]

Never mind. I get it now (Head cold right now). I think the issue lies with the email handler activity. GMail (If installed) hooked it, because it's the only email app on the device (That's active).

I think every other browser app you have, or could install, would do the same thing, as long as GMail is installed on the device (Or, until you install and set up a new email app).

Try installing Yahoo! Mail on your device, and give it another whirl. I bet Yahoo! will send it then.

[n2ize]

Also Google knows they're under strict observation by the FTC and Justice Dept.. if they blink the wrong way, they're in a deep shit. They mine enough data without having to nefariously intercept stuff not intended for them.

Yeah but Google has very deep pockets. They can BUY the FTC and the justice dept. matter of fact I'll bet they already have.

[TESLA]

I'm confused, and that is a very difficult thing to accomplish, congratulations! :)

[NQ6U]

I'm confused but that doesn't take much. BFD.

[kb2vxa]

Word from Scotland has it that in the UK Google has taken over e-mail from Virgin ISP and loused up user settings in the process. This left a friend dead in the water, it took Apple's remote help desk to straighten it out. Ripples across the pond? Oh and BTW the Google Earth installer won't install Chrome and make it default IF you happen to notice the little box and un-check it. Yeah, I didn't and went through crap getting my Firefox back. (}-8)