Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2014 February 12

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February 12

Google chrome censors email

A couple of years ago, the Firefox browser ceased to be able to display my email on gmail.com, so I started using Google Chrome. This afternoon my computer went through a series of bizarre episodes in which various things didn't function. I was unable to see anything on the web via Google Chrome, so I tried the Firefox browser and found that I still had internet connections. I found that I was getting notifications from Quora and some other sites, about which I had wondered why they ceased a few months ago to send me notificatins. Those emails are not visible on Google Chrome, either in my inbox or in my spam filter. Google Chrome is failing to show me all my emails received on gmail. I would never have suspected this if Google Chrome had not entirely ceased to function for several hours.

Does anybody understand this? What can be done about it? Is it dishonesty on the part of Google? Michael Hardy (talk) 05:02, 6 February 2014 (UTC)

That sounds like extremely odd behaviour. I don't understand why that would be. Are you certain that the two browsers are logged into the same Gmail account? Check by clicking the small profile picture in the top right hand corner and looking at the email address that is displayed. If the two browsers really are showing different mail for the same account, I can't imagine why that would be. It certainly doesn't sound like something Google would do intentionally—for one thing, what would be the point? —Noiratsi (talk) 09:17, 6 February 2014 (UTC)

I suggest you carefully compare the urls in the address bar of each browser. The only explanation I can think of is that one is pointing to your inbox, and the other is pointing to "all mail" or one of your other labels.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 14:12, 6 February 2014 (UTC)

Thank you, Shantavira.

The URLs I get when I read gmail in Internet Explorer and Google Chrome are different. In Internet Explorer I see emails that I don't see in Google Chrome --- mostly mailing list items --- for example when someone comments on one of my reviews on amazon.com I get an email notice visible in Internet Explorer but not in Google Chrome. With Internet Explorer I get a notice at the top that says "Some important features may not work in this version of your browser, so you have been redirected to the Basic HTML version. Upgrade to a modern browser, such as Google Chrome." When I paste the URL from that version into Google Chrome, then the censored emails become visible and that same notice appears.

Conclusion: The "Basic HTML version" shows emails that are hidden by the "modern" version. Why is censorship of my incoming email an "important feature"? And how can I normally view the "Basic HTML" version from the Google Chrome browswer? Unsigned comment by Michael Hardy (talk) 03:35, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Just something to check - in Chrome (with the censored e-mails), click on the cog button at the top right, choose Settings, and then along the top go to the Inbox settings. The last setting on that screen is "Filtered mail" - try disabling that (Override filters) and see if it changes anything. (I haven't actually noticed that setting before today, but I'd be really interested if it helps.) Organics^LRO 09:50, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Gmail also offers sort of a tabbed view whereby it filters emails from social platforms into one tab, sales offers into another, etc. This feature was just rolled out a few months ago. So I'm wondering if that isn't the case for your missing emails. Dismas|^(talk) 11:09, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

My first reaction to this was to wonder what a "tab" is. Then I saw some buttons labeled "Primary", "Social", and "Promotions". (PS added later: I don't think those "tabs" were there until I followed the steps in "OrganicsLRO"'s posting above. Michael Hardy (talk) 20:13, 12 February 2014 (UTC)) The "Social" one contains updates from Quora and a couple of other sites. I'd wondered why they'd stopped sending me those. It also contains updates from facebook. I was under the impression that facebook had generally stopped emailing notifications to those who haven't requested them, and I was glad they had done so. Michael Hardy (talk) 16:08, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Yes, Social, Promotions, and so on was what I was referring to. Glad you found the emails! Dismas|^(talk) 20:21, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Wikipedia bot for IP address updates

Dear Wikipedians:

Is there an approved Wikipedia bot that takes my computer's current IP address every hour and puts it into my personal user page on Wikipedia?

Thanks,

184.144.50.175 (talk) 17:09, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Unless I'm completely wrong, you don't have a personal user page as long as you're not signed in. So, I'm confused as to what you're asking. Dismas|^(talk) 20:19, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Sorry, forgot to log into my personal user page. Here it is: L33th4x0r (talk) 22:58, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

It looks like your user page hasn't been edited, by a bot or anyone else, for nearly four years. When you are signed in, only Wikipedia:CheckUsers can see your IP address and this right is only granted to exceedingly few Wikipedia administrators.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:54, 13 February 2014 (UTC)

Flickr video length

I have a Pro account with Flickr, that I have had for years. Before I remember I could upload videos of 90 second length. What length videos could I upload now? Formats? --Doug Coldwell (talk) 20:06, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Per this, videos can be up to 1GB, but playback is limited to 3 minutes. Acceptable file formats are listed here. --Kateshortforbob _talk 09:48, 14 February 2014 (UTC)

Opinion is solicited for two antiviral programs

Hi there. I have read a number of posts related to antiviral programs. Nobody has ever mentioned the ones I use. Actually I use two: (1)SpyBot Search and Destroy (free version) and (2) Microsoft Security Suite. SpyBot is a Swedish program I believe. This mere fact inspires confidence. Somehow McAfee infected one of my computers as well and I mean really infected since I never tried to download the sucker. Occasionally it actually becomes active, runs a brief, and I mean really brief "security check" and declares my computer in a hunky dory state. I haven't yet decided what to do with it. Shall I uninstall it?

Microsoft Security Suite has two modes: full check and brief one. The brief one apparently goes thru the registry and the long one take hours and hours to complete. I think it goes thru all directories and checks the actual code.

Any comments? Thanks, --AboutFace 22 (talk) 21:53, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

I think you mean Microsoft Security Essentials, which is built into Windows 8 and now called Windows Defender. I use it at home; at work I use it for the few residential clients we support. It gets pretty good ratings and for free, it is a good value. The free version of Spybot – Search & Destroy does not do real-time antivirus. I mainly use it for its inoculation feature. --  Gadget850 ^talk 01:04, 13 February 2014 (UTC)

I work in the IT field and I use and recommend security essentials / windows defender to my friends and family. It is integrated into windows better than pretty much any other third party program and its updates and status are easier to maintain, requires pretty much no maintenance on your behalf. I find with a lot of programs, if something goes wrong you can fall behind on updates, or it asks you to periodically resubscribe or does some other pesky and annoying thing at some stage. I'm not a "huge" fan of Microsoft or anything, I don't use internet explorer because I don't like it, I hate windows media player, I don't particularly like windows 8, but I think they nailed it with security essentials. Vespine (talk) 03:38, 13 February 2014 (UTC)

Thank you very much. It sounds I am on the right track. In Windows 7 you have to download and install MSE. I am glad it got such rave reviews. --AboutFace 22 (talk) 23:44, 13 February 2014 (UTC)