This is cool…I’ve set up a custom search via Google co-op for ADHD information. The sites that have priority are sites that I listed as my trusted resources, this blog, and my fellow ADHD bloggers.

If I wanted to, I could just do a search for this site (but the one I’ve got works pretty well right now), or I could expand my custom search to include photography and pugs, too. (And I might!)

It’s pretty cool — give it a try (The results will open in a new tab/window). You can get your own custom search (including code for your site) here.

Technorati Tags: google coop, custom search

Not mine, this time, but there seems to be another rash of reports about blocked accounts, inaccessible accounts, and other problems. Toots left a comment about being concerned that her account had been hacked and having the same exact problem I had with not having the original invitation information.

Now, it’s interesting to note that Google just rolled out some new GMail features, including tabs on the Google homepage if you use that. The same thing happened right at the same time that my account was locked — they were testing GDrive and upgrading GMail features when I was suddenly locked out of the account.

It didn’t help that the lockout coincided with a couple of gnarly hacks on this site.

I left a series of steps in a reply to toots’ comment — If you find this post because you were searching on the term “GMail” and “hacked” then try some of the suggestions there.

My best guess is that their upgrades and tweaks have caused issues with some people’s logins. I’m going to write a post on preventive medicine for GMail lockouts next.

Technorati Tags: GMail, hacked, GMail lockout, Google, Google Account

This morning I sent another group of emails to the addresses I received, figuring I’d give them an hour to send me even one response or let me know human eyes had seen them.

Within 15 minutes, I received the following:

Hello,

We have completed our investigation and we are re-enabling your access to this account. The account settings have been restored to the first name, last name, and secondary email address that you provided.

We sincerely apologize for what you have experienced in this regard and appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

Right behind that, I received a message the person I addressed my email to (with ccs to a bunch of others) was no longer with Google.

I followed the instructions in the email and was able to re-activate my account. My email was intact, including the numerous test messages I’d sent from other accounts over the last couple of days.

Based on the ticket number that was referenced on the email, I’d say it was a response that came out of the emails I sent, because it didn’t match the ticket numbers of the earlier emails where I’d sent responses about what I’d been doing when access was denied.

Here’s what I’ve done as a fail-safe, going forward:

1. All mail sent to GMail is also being forwarded to a separate email address with my ISP known only to me
2. I changed my password to one that included letters, numbers and characters in random order
3. I changed my security question to one that couldn’t be accessed by research or guesswork.
4. I have downloaded all of my mail on the GMail server to my computer using Outlook.

The moral of the story, for me, at least, is to assume the worst in ALL cases. When you are storing your “stuff” on someone else’s real estate, you are at their mercy unless you have a backup plan in place. For me, GMail WAS the backup plan, but it ended up being so convenient, so reliable, and so accessible that I relied on it too heavily instead of remaining skeptical.

The happy ending in the story was only a result of blogging and the kindnesses of fellow bloggers and Flickrers. I hope I can return the favor one day.

Technorati Tags: gmail, gmail lockout

No answers to emails sent; no access; no acknowledgment of a problem.

If I hadn’t left the house and gone on an adventure (details to follow), I’d be really, really out of my body. I chose wisely. Stay tuned, phone calls start tomorrow.

The account is still locked. Strategic emails sent to people on the list I have…no replies yet.

Robert Scoble is moving to GMail. A piece of advice: Back it up, back it up, back it up. And never, ever expect anyone to help you if you can’t access it. Of course, it could be that they actually have a Google contact person, something that everyday people don’t.

Anyway, I’m glad to see that they had such a great first day, and I do envy Maryam her MacBook.

Oh, and Google, take note: Yahoo! Mail had an outage that affected users, too….Perhaps it is YOU?

Technorati Tags: Gmail, lockout, Robert Scoble, Podtech

After spending hours upon hours tracking through the home and office networks, I’ve come to the conclusion that neither network was breached, and that one of two things has happened:

1) One of Google’s authentication servers has had a major hiccup. This is supported by the numerous reports of similar issues, reports from people I know having sporadic difficulties logging in and out, and reports that Google is possibly beta-testing new features (though I hold those reports mostly at bay…) I’ve seen similar things happen on other sites — One day you login fine; the next you can’t get in at all, and when it finally happens to enough people the host sits up and pays attention. It’s certainly a possibility.

However, the problem with this is that there is no way for the people having the problem to get to a person in an effort to fix it.

2) The account was hacked on their end or records somehow munged, resulting in a loss of my secondary email address and leaving me without any recourse but to wait 5 days for the password reset opportunity. Why 5 days? Because Google doesn’t have a way to access my password and just send it to me. I have to wait 5 days with no account activity and then try to log in, at which point I will have the opportunity to access the security question and answer it to get a new password at my current secondary address.

Today I tried the gmail-lockdown@google.com address. I received an automated response saying that if I’d been locked out for excessive activity or violations of TOS, I would be readmitted after some unspecified period of time. It also asked for specifics of my situation, which I sent to them along with attached screenshots. So far, no reply to THAT email, but I did receive an automated response to my complaint sent to mail-support@google.com, giving me a URL to visit with a form to complete reporting abuse. I’ve already done that with no response, but did it again in the hopes that perhaps this one would yield a reply.

A friend also sent me some contact info for people inside Google, which I will also use if I can’t go through the usual remedies. I am waiting because I want to try and exhaust the normal remedies first and blog it, if for no other reason than to have a series of steps on the blog for anyone else who might have this happen to them. I’m keeping screenshots and copies of my email so that I can create a complete record of what happened and when.

In the meantime, I just deactivated my forwards from my “real” email addresses and fired up Outlook, so I’m not completely screwed. I am missing any email that was sent to me between Sunday at about 11pm through Monday at 10AM when I discovered the problem. It’s been a huge time-waster when I don’t have time for it…

Dealing with the question of whether the network has been compromised has been the biggest pain. This is a situation where I could say with 95% certainty that the problem wasn’t on my end, but there’s always that 5% margin of doubt..that niggling question…”Did I really lock it down as well as I thought I did?” So you go through all the tracing steps, do all the extra virus scans, pull all the logs and check ‘em. It all takes time. As an added measure of caution, I decided it was time to upgrade some of the wireless security measures and lock down the kids’ laptops just a bit tighter. All time, but I’m hoping time well spent.

It annoys me to no end that it’s time well-spent because of what someone with malicious intent and too much time on their hands feels free to do. After all, I’m not Microsoft or some big mega-company…I’m a sole proprietor with a second job who relies on the Internet, email and technology to get the job done. Problem is, hackers don’t care. They just like doing it because they can…and until we figure out how to make it so they can’t, they’ll continue to try to have big fun at our expense. Literally.

Technorati Tags: google, gmail, hack

I think not. Evidently they are in a testing phase with GDrive. Given their non-support for GMail, there’s no way I’d trust them with my hard drive.

Hey Google, it’s not just about the product…it’s about having at least some minimum level of service, too!

Technorati Tags: google, gdrive, gmail

Related: GMail hacked?, Hey Google, Spider THIS

The GoogleBots seem to read the site more than their help desk….

I have now gone through the password reset process twice, to no avail. Here’s why it’s ineffective:

If someone has access to my account, they came through YOUR servers — MY network logs indicate no unauthorized or malicious activity. Sending me stupid form emails over and over and over again telling me to request that my username be sent to my secondary email address is absurd, since someone HAS CHANGED MY INFORMATION.

So what the HELL do I do with THAT?

Here’s what has me completely pissed off — THERE IS LITERALLY NO WAY TO GET TO A PERSON. Just endless loops of email screens that yield even more useless form emails.

THIS IS SOMETHING A PERSON needs to have a look at.

So either I get something from a PERSON soon in my email or a phone call from a PERSON, or I will begin my own discovery process to see exactly how many people have this problem and how you have managed to f&*k up their data and days. I will start posting threads reporting the problem across the net and I will do everything I can think of to discourage anyone from using GMail, AdSense, or Google in any way, shape or form.

I’m just one blogger, but the power of blogs has always been the single individual joining with others until the voices get very, very loud. Don’t be resting on your stock price, Google…because if enough people have this kind of experience you will be the latest Web 1.0/2.0 flash in the pan — here today, broke tomorrow.

Technorati Tags: gmail, google, hack