Error 403 from Google

I find this rather amusing actually. I have been getting 403 errors (denial
of access) from Google for the past few minutes, claiming that "A computer
virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests". I have
Netcraft and the A9 toolbars installed. They tend to echo my requests, i.e.
visit all pages in my 'history', so I suspect they are the culprits.
GoogleBar and SearchStatus request PageRank values on occasions, but I have
not run any tools that leads to heavy query load (not for months anyway...).

I have tested access to Google from a remote computer to confirm that it is
only my IP address (which means that I can still get around this by
SSH'ing), but nonetheless it's an interesting observation, I think. Have
they become paranoid or vain perhaps? Maybe they dislike multiple requests
from various locations, but if that's the case, they are stepping on their
rivals' toes.

Roy

__/ [Roy Schestowitz] on Friday 13 January 2006 11:47 \__

I find this rather amusing actually. I have been getting 403 errors (denial
of access) from Google for the past few minutes, claiming that "A computer
virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests". I have
Netcraft and the A9 toolbars installed. They tend to echo my requests, i.e.
visit all pages in my 'history', so I suspect they are the culprits.
GoogleBar and SearchStatus request PageRank values on occasions, but I have
not run any tools that leads to heavy query load (not for months
anyway...).

I have tested access to Google from a remote computer to confirm that it is
only my IP address (which means that I can still get around this by
SSH'ing), but nonetheless it's an interesting observation, I think. Have
they become paranoid or vain perhaps? Maybe they dislike multiple requests
from various locations, but if that's the case, they are stepping on their
rivals' toes.

Roy

Update: it appears as if Google intercept only requests which come from
GoogleBar, the Open Source toolbar that predates the official Google
Toolbar.

GoogleBar enables its user to fetch 50 results for each results page. I toyed
with the URL's and settings to discover that Google deny the fetching of >10
results for particular terms, but not for others. Nonetheless, they begin to
limit the load they are willing to tolerate and information that they
deliver as a *Web page* (a SERP). It's just an intersting observation
because this has worked flawlessly for a long, long time.

Roy

On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:47:58 +0100, Roy Schestowitz
<newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> wrote:

I find this rather amusing actually. I have been getting 403 errors
(denial
of access) from Google for the past few minutes, claiming that "A
computer
virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests". I have

I have seen these twice this week - no toolbar or anything like
that installed, no bots (like some of my programs) googling in
the background on none of my computers. But then I am on the
shared IP so perhaps others are to blame.

Interesting thing is that I have seen it before when I treated
Google really heavy - and it ended with locking my access to
Google for few hours. Right now I have seen 403, but I have
seen it once - and next click everything was working OK.

Best,
Borek
--
http://www.chembuddy.com/?left=pH-ca...right=pH-scale
http://www.chembuddy.com/?left=pH-ca...=pH-definition

On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:55:16 +0000, Roy Schestowitz
<newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> wrote:

__/ [Roy Schestowitz] on Friday 13 January 2006 11:47 \__

I find this rather amusing actually. I have been getting 403 errors (denial
of access) from Google for the past few minutes, claiming that "A computer
virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests". I have
Netcraft and the A9 toolbars installed. They tend to echo my requests, i.e.
visit all pages in my 'history', so I suspect they are the culprits.
GoogleBar and SearchStatus request PageRank values on occasions, but I have
not run any tools that leads to heavy query load (not for months
anyway...).

I have tested access to Google from a remote computer to confirm that it is
only my IP address (which means that I can still get around this by
SSH'ing), but nonetheless it's an interesting observation, I think. Have
they become paranoid or vain perhaps? Maybe they dislike multiple requests
from various locations, but if that's the case, they are stepping on their
rivals' toes.

Roy

Update: it appears as if Google intercept only requests which come from
GoogleBar, the Open Source toolbar that predates the official Google
Toolbar.

GoogleBar enables its user to fetch 50 results for each results page. I toyed
with the URL's and settings to discover that Google deny the fetching of >10
results for particular terms, but not for others. Nonetheless, they begin to
limit the load they are willing to tolerate and information that they
deliver as a *Web page* (a SERP). It's just an intersting observation
because this has worked flawlessly for a long, long time.

Roy

Sounds like they're suffering from load problems all round then.

BB
http://www.crystal-liaison.com/comfo...les/index.html kruse (AT) crystal-liaison (DOT) com
Gifty! Shiny! BB!

__/ [Big Bill] on Friday 13 January 2006 13:26 \__

On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:55:16 +0000, Roy Schestowitz
newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> wrote:

__/ [Roy Schestowitz] on Friday 13 January 2006 11:47 \__

I find this rather amusing actually. I have been getting 403 errors
(denial of access) from Google for the past few minutes, claiming that "A
computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests".
I have Netcraft and the A9 toolbars installed. They tend to echo my
requests, i.e. visit all pages in my 'history', so I suspect they are the
culprits. GoogleBar and SearchStatus request PageRank values on
occasions, but I have not run any tools that leads to heavy query load
(not for months anyway...).

I have tested access to Google from a remote computer to confirm that it
is only my IP address (which means that I can still get around this by
SSH'ing), but nonetheless it's an interesting observation, I think. Have
they become paranoid or vain perhaps? Maybe they dislike multiple
requests from various locations, but if that's the case, they are
stepping on their rivals' toes.

Roy

Update: it appears as if Google intercept only requests which come from
GoogleBar, the Open Source toolbar that predates the official Google
Toolbar.

GoogleBar enables its user to fetch 50 results for each results page. I
toyed with the URL's and settings to discover that Google deny the fetching
of >10 results for particular terms, but not for others. Nonetheless, they
begin to limit the load they are willing to tolerate and information that
they deliver as a *Web page* (a SERP). It's just an intersting observation
because this has worked flawlessly for a long, long time.

Roy

Sounds like they're suffering from load problems all round then.

I hope that they replace the contents of that 403 page. It's very deceiving.
If I were a Windows user, I would have spent time in vain.

Here is the full content of the page:

Error

We're sorry...

... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or
spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that
your computer or network has been infected.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In
the meantime, you might want to run a virus checker (LINK) or spyware
remover (LINK) to make sure that your computer is free of viruses and other
spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on
Google.

On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 14:54:44 +0000, Roy Schestowitz
<newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> wrote:

__/ [Big Bill] on Friday 13 January 2006 13:26 \__

On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:55:16 +0000, Roy Schestowitz
newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> wrote:

__/ [Roy Schestowitz] on Friday 13 January 2006 11:47 \__

I find this rather amusing actually. I have been getting 403 errors
(denial of access) from Google for the past few minutes, claiming that "A
computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests".
I have Netcraft and the A9 toolbars installed. They tend to echo my
requests, i.e. visit all pages in my 'history', so I suspect they are the
culprits. GoogleBar and SearchStatus request PageRank values on
occasions, but I have not run any tools that leads to heavy query load
(not for months anyway...).

I have tested access to Google from a remote computer to confirm that it
is only my IP address (which means that I can still get around this by
SSH'ing), but nonetheless it's an interesting observation, I think. Have
they become paranoid or vain perhaps? Maybe they dislike multiple
requests from various locations, but if that's the case, they are
stepping on their rivals' toes.

Roy

Update: it appears as if Google intercept only requests which come from
GoogleBar, the Open Source toolbar that predates the official Google
Toolbar.

GoogleBar enables its user to fetch 50 results for each results page. I
toyed with the URL's and settings to discover that Google deny the fetching
of >10 results for particular terms, but not for others. Nonetheless, they
begin to limit the load they are willing to tolerate and information that
they deliver as a *Web page* (a SERP). It's just an intersting observation
because this has worked flawlessly for a long, long time.

Roy

Sounds like they're suffering from load problems all round then.

I hope that they replace the contents of that 403 page. It's very deceiving.
If I were a Windows user, I would have spent time in vain.

Here is the full content of the page:

Error

We're sorry...

... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or
spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that
your computer or network has been infected.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In
the meantime, you might want to run a virus checker (LINK) or spyware
remover (LINK) to make sure that your computer is free of viruses and other
spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on
Google.

Lately they've been putting one of those field thingies on where you
have to fill in the wavy letters. Then it works again.

BB (Technical Writing Undertaken)
http://www.crystal-liaison.com/comfo...les/index.html kruse (AT) crystal-liaison (DOT) com
Gifty! Shiny! BB!

In article <dq8f1m$2jnu$1 (AT) godfrey (DOT) mcc.ac.uk>, Roy Schestowitz
<newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> writes

__/ [Big Bill] on Friday 13 January 2006 13:26 \__

On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:55:16 +0000, Roy Schestowitz
newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> wrote:

__/ [Roy Schestowitz] on Friday 13 January 2006 11:47 \__

I find this rather amusing actually. I have been getting 403 errors
(denial of access) from Google for the past few minutes, claiming that "A
computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests".
I have Netcraft and the A9 toolbars installed. They tend to echo my
requests, i.e. visit all pages in my 'history', so I suspect they are the
culprits. GoogleBar and SearchStatus request PageRank values on
occasions, but I have not run any tools that leads to heavy query load
(not for months anyway...).

I have tested access to Google from a remote computer to confirm that it
is only my IP address (which means that I can still get around this by
SSH'ing), but nonetheless it's an interesting observation, I think. Have
they become paranoid or vain perhaps? Maybe they dislike multiple
requests from various locations, but if that's the case, they are
stepping on their rivals' toes.

Roy

Update: it appears as if Google intercept only requests which come from
GoogleBar, the Open Source toolbar that predates the official Google
Toolbar.

GoogleBar enables its user to fetch 50 results for each results page. I
toyed with the URL's and settings to discover that Google deny the fetching
of >10 results for particular terms, but not for others. Nonetheless, they
begin to limit the load they are willing to tolerate and information that
they deliver as a *Web page* (a SERP). It's just an intersting observation
because this has worked flawlessly for a long, long time.

Roy

Sounds like they're suffering from load problems all round then.

I hope that they replace the contents of that 403 page. It's very deceiving.
If I were a Windows user, I would have spent time in vain.

Here is the full content of the page:

Error

We're sorry...

... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or
spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that
your computer or network has been infected.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon.

This conflicts with what a 403 is meant to convey. From RFC2616:

10.4.4 403 Forbidden

The server understood the request, but is refusing to fulfill it.
Authorization will not help and the request SHOULD NOT be repeated.
...

In
the meantime, you might want to run a virus checker (LINK) or spyware
remover (LINK) to make sure that your computer is free of viruses and other
spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on
Google.

--
Philip Baker

On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 02:23:10 +0100, Philip Baker <news (AT) thalasson (DOT) com>
wrote:

We're sorry...

... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or
spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears
that your computer or network has been infected.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon.

This conflicts with what a 403 is meant to convey. From RFC2616:

10.4.4 403 Forbidden

The server understood the request, but is refusing to fulfill it.
Authorization will not help and the request SHOULD NOT be repeated.

I would say the first phrase is 100% OK - Google server understands
what you are asking for, but is not willing to answer.

No idea what other code could be returned, but then I don't know
them all.

Best,
Borek
--
http://www.chembuddy.com/?left=pH-ca...right=pH-scale
http://www.chembuddy.com/?left=pH-ca...=pH-definition

In article <op.s3imj2l326l578@borek>, Borek <m.borkowski (AT) delete (DOT) chembudd
y.these.com.parts> writes

On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 02:23:10 +0100, Philip Baker <news (AT) thalasson (DOT) com
wrote:

We're sorry...

... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or
spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears
that your computer or network has been infected.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon.

This conflicts with what a 403 is meant to convey. From RFC2616:

10.4.4 403 Forbidden

The server understood the request, but is refusing to fulfill it.
Authorization will not help and the request SHOULD NOT be repeated.

I would say the first phrase is 100% OK - Google server understands
what you are asking for, but is not willing to answer.

No idea what other code could be returned, but then I don't know
them all.

In similar circumstances I use a 503: Service (temporarily) Unavailable
But this suggests a problem with the server which in my case, at least,
isn't strictly true. Another possibility is 409 Conflict - "The request
could not be completed due to a conflict with the current state of the
resource." But there is a problem - none of the defined status codes
seem to fit that well.
--
Philip Baker