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Gmail is blocking Firefox
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Felixx
Feb 4, 2014, 6:28:18 PM2/4/14
to
I have plus.google.com blocked in my HOSTS file, so it should not connect
with any browser. Right? At least that's what I thought until.....
Recently Gmail has changed their login. It now requires a
connection to plus.google.com before it will open with Firefox. User is
notified via this timeout/error message: "Firefox can't establish a
connection to the server at plus.google.com."
In contrast if I use the Chrome browser instead, Gmail logs in OK. It burps
a little but it gets there.
I'm very surprised! Apparently Gmail is now either providing an
internal special workaround favoring the Chrome browser, or it's
somehow bypassing the HOSTS file entirely. I'm not sure which. Does anybody
know?
Conclusion: Gmail is now selectively blocking Firefox in favor of
Chrome.
Good Guy
Feb 4, 2014, 6:45:46 PM2/4/14
to
Firefox and I can connect easily on:
http://mail.google.com
They have got a streamlined login for all the google products but apart
from that nothing is blocked as far as I can see.
By the way, I only use Gmail only on Google including my hosted email
servers on Google using their free APPS. I had these from years ago so
it they are still free for 5 of the domains I have with them.
»Q«
Feb 4, 2014, 8:51:39 PM2/4/14
to
In <news:s8ednbIGfJo25mzP...@mozilla.org>,
my hosts file.
Google is welcome to redirect you through whichever of their domains
they want, based on User-Agent, IP, phase of the moon, or nothing
whatsoever. It's not a Firefox issue or a Google issue; it's an issue
with your hosts file.
Good Guy <hello...@example.com> wrote:
> On 04/02/2014 23:28, Felixx wrote:
> > I have plus.google.com blocked in my HOSTS file, so it should not
> > connect with any browser. Right? At least that's what I thought
> > until..... Recently Gmail has changed their login. It now requires
> > a connection to plus.google.com before it will open with Firefox.
> > User is notified via this timeout/error message: "Firefox can't
> > establish a connection to the server at plus.google.com."
I can't reproduce that; Gmail works with or without that domain in
> On 04/02/2014 23:28, Felixx wrote:
> > I have plus.google.com blocked in my HOSTS file, so it should not
> > connect with any browser. Right? At least that's what I thought
> > until..... Recently Gmail has changed their login. It now requires
> > a connection to plus.google.com before it will open with Firefox.
> > User is notified via this timeout/error message: "Firefox can't
> > establish a connection to the server at plus.google.com."
my hosts file.
Google is welcome to redirect you through whichever of their domains
they want, based on User-Agent, IP, phase of the moon, or nothing
whatsoever. It's not a Firefox issue or a Google issue; it's an issue
with your hosts file.
Felixx
Feb 5, 2014, 12:35:08 AM2/5/14
to
"»Q«" <box...@gmx.net> wrote in message
news:20140204195...@sepulchrave.remarqs...
@Good Guy
I would, of course, only use https with Gmail, not http. I login via
https://mail.google.com/
@»Q«
Google is *not* welcome to call questionable domains involving tracking
cookies (or worse) on my computer! I put limits on such shenanigans via my
HOSTS file, Adblock Plus, etc. My HOSTS file is working fine, exactly as
it's supposed to work! I specifically added plus.google.com to my blocked
domains list because I don't want to see it on websites. I did the same
thing to facebook.com and twitter.com which blocks a lot of junk!
In this case I believe the issue was a corrupted/out-of-date cookie. I've
had that happen before in the distant past with Gmail, but forgot.
When they change something in their login process, the old cookies may no
longer work correctly. I'm not sure exactly why or what, but they're
constantly changing their login code and requirements, inventing new
javascripts, etc.
After deleting the old google cookies, which I had retained on my computer
for a year or more, Gmail logs in OK again with Firefox. Two cookies are
involved, google.com and accounts.google.com. I believe the first one was
responsible in this case.
Another possibility is that they were experimenting. You can't assume that
whatever happens is being universally deployed. Gmail is well known to test
new changes on a limited number of users before releasing to everyone, or
they may flag a certain user for special treatment (blocks, extra login
requirements, etc). So what I see/get is not necessarily what you see/get.
news:20140204195...@sepulchrave.remarqs...
I would, of course, only use https with Gmail, not http. I login via
https://mail.google.com/
@»Q«
Google is *not* welcome to call questionable domains involving tracking
cookies (or worse) on my computer! I put limits on such shenanigans via my
HOSTS file, Adblock Plus, etc. My HOSTS file is working fine, exactly as
it's supposed to work! I specifically added plus.google.com to my blocked
domains list because I don't want to see it on websites. I did the same
thing to facebook.com and twitter.com which blocks a lot of junk!
In this case I believe the issue was a corrupted/out-of-date cookie. I've
had that happen before in the distant past with Gmail, but forgot.
When they change something in their login process, the old cookies may no
longer work correctly. I'm not sure exactly why or what, but they're
constantly changing their login code and requirements, inventing new
javascripts, etc.
After deleting the old google cookies, which I had retained on my computer
for a year or more, Gmail logs in OK again with Firefox. Two cookies are
involved, google.com and accounts.google.com. I believe the first one was
responsible in this case.
Another possibility is that they were experimenting. You can't assume that
whatever happens is being universally deployed. Gmail is well known to test
new changes on a limited number of users before releasing to everyone, or
they may flag a certain user for special treatment (blocks, extra login
requirements, etc). So what I see/get is not necessarily what you see/get.
Felixx
Feb 5, 2014, 1:25:49 AM2/5/14
to
"Felixx" <Fel...@der.foxen> wrote in message
news:5YidnW0nDp8IUGzP...@mozilla.org...
Nope, I believe it's some kind of Gmail instability or server problem. They
have outages occasionally. The same thing has happened again. POP3/SMTP
works Ok, but it won't login with Firefox with plus.google.com blocked in
HOSTS file.
news:5YidnW0nDp8IUGzP...@mozilla.org...
have outages occasionally. The same thing has happened again. POP3/SMTP
works Ok, but it won't login with Firefox with plus.google.com blocked in
HOSTS file.
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