*primal scream*

[Gemini Cricket]

At work, Google thinks I'm some sort of virus. It gives me an error message with each search and says "Your search words resemble an automatically generated heebamawhatsit... please download virus amathingy or spyware amawhojits." Weird.

ARRRGH!

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

At work, Google thinks I'm some sort of virus. It gives me an error message with each search and says "Your search words resemble an automatically generated heebamawhatsit... please download virus amathingy or spyware amawhojits." Weird.

I've heard about this but haven't seen it. What were your search terms?

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Andrew

I've heard about this but haven't seen it. What were your search terms?

First I put in "Time Magazine". I was looking for a cartoon I saw online. I got the error message.
Then I put in "Time". I got the error message.
Then I put in "Dean Scream". I tried to find a link to a story I read about his scream being altered. Error message.

So it seems like anything I put in I get this message. It gives me an error page and then gives me a word that's all wavy and tells me to type it in and then it'll send me to my results page.

Bleh.

So, as I was leaving work, I ran a Norton anti-virus thing and let it run. It was scanning my whole computer and looked like it was going to take hours to do so...

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

First I put in "Time Magazine".

Oh, then you are definitely a virus, a liberal media-controlled virus.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

So it seems like anything I put in I get this message. It gives me an error page and then gives me a word that's all wavy and tells me to type it in and then it'll send me to my results page.

Google does that to prevent what they see as automatically-submitted search queries--presumably in pursuit of search engine optimization or click fraud--but I can't find the reference right now. There should be, somewhere on the page where you're asked to enter the CAPTCHA word, a link to report that you are not a robot.

Edit: Found more info on what is happening. I suspect that if it's not your computer, it's another one on your company network or possibly your company's upstream provider.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Andrew

Google does that to prevent what they see as automatically-submitted search queries--presumably in pursuit of search engine optimization or click fraud--but I can't find the reference right now. There should be, somewhere on the page where you're asked to enter the CAPTCHA word, a link to report that you are not a robot.

The CAPTCHA word comes up but it only permits you to go to the results screen you were supposed to see. It doesn't prevent the error screen from coming up again. It would be nice if you only had to do it once and then they would allow you access again.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Andrew

Google does that to prevent what they see as automatically-submitted search queries--presumably in pursuit of search engine optimization or click fraud--but I can't find the reference right now. There should be, somewhere on the page where you're asked to enter the CAPTCHA word, a link to report that you are not a robot.

Edit: Found more info on what is happening. I suspect that if it's not your computer, it's another one on your company network or possibly your company's upstream provider.

Andrew,
The virus check found something that was installed on my computer and got rid of it. Now Google works fine.