Resistance is futile

Lately I’ve noticed that Google is going all nanny about things, because I’ve been getting notices of potentially “suspect” activity, like they’re trying to be helpful and respectful of my privacy and security.

What’s interesting to me is that the “suspicious” activities involve only devices and properties that aren’t owned by Google. First it was this notification that someone had logged into my Gmail account from…Firefox; on Windows:

I particularly like the part where they tell me they “were unable to determine whether you have used this browser or device with your account before.” Because I’ve been using precisely that browser and that device for more than three years.

Then, on the advice of a techie friend, I downloaded the Outlook app onto my iPad (and don’t even get me started on the number of hoops that iTunes made me jump through to download a free app), and fired up my Gmail account:

Again—that same unknown browser/device wheeze. Yes, the application was new (not the native iOS mail interface I’ve been using for the last seven months), but they’ve certainly seen that device before.

I think that what got up their nose was the fact that I wasn’t using Chrome in the first instance (they’re forever urging me to get “faster access to Google” by downloading Chrome; even though I already have it installed; and you can’t turn off that importuning), or an Android device in the second. It’s kind of sore loser-ish, which doesn’t really suit a company that already has more money and customers than God.

But I guess that’s how they got that way: by playing hardball and annoying the spit out of you until you acquiesce.

Kind of like a four-year-old.