After a successful return to WordPress.com from WordPress Multisite, I began rooting around the Settings and Tools and Appearance areas for my WordPress.com account to discover any new joys that were added during my inattention.

I found I could now add my “Google Profile” as a “verified” external service via Gravatar.  I clicked to continue to complete the verification process for my “Public Profile.”

I was then presented with this popup window at Google that asked me to grant Gravatar permission to access my Google Apps account.  Of course, I granted access so Gravatar could confirm I owned the Google Profile I wanted linked to my account.

After I clicked “Continue” things became a little strange and concerning.

Google, not Gravatar, was asking me if I really wanted to give Gravatar access to my Google Contacts?  Huh?  What?  Why?  No, I only wanted Gravatar to confirm I owned the account, not to slurp all 12,000 contacts from my Google Apps account.

In my mind, I was immediately transported back to February of this year and the iOS auto-address book upload debacle that pinned Path and other companies:

Path has moved quickly to try and quell the backlash stemming from the social networking app’s practice of uploading users’ address books to the company’s servers. CEO Dave Morin just posted a lengthy apology on Path’s blog, saying “we are deeply sorry if you were uncomfortable with how our application used your phone contacts.” The company has also just released an update to the iOS app that allows users to opt in or out of sharing their address book with Path’s servers.

I’m so glad Google had my back to protect my privacy.  If Gravatar wanted my Contacts, why didn’t the service directly ask me before taking me to my Google account for verification?  I understand some companies believe it is better to ask for forgiveness later than to ask for permission now — but my Contacts belong to me, and not to any online service, including Google!

I clicked the “Deny Access” button.

I was taken to a Gravatar page that told me my “Verification failed” — when in reality what failed was Gravatar’s grab for my Google Contacts.

I really hope Gravatar will remove the requirement for our Contacts when verifying a Google Profile.  If Gravatar must have our address book in the exchange, then Gravatar should warn of that requirement right there on the page where you can add external services at WordPress.com so no time will be wasted in the failed effort.

4 Comments

    1. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
      David W. Boles says:

      I’m sure it is part of a larger business effort — and I don’t mind Gravatar wanting to try to get access to my Contacts — I just want Gravatar to make that requirement up front instead of requiring Google to ask me for permission on the other side of the verification of permissions process.

  2. ANNE – I live and teach on the upper West Coast of the United States. My interests are Philosophy, English, and Social Communication.
    ANNE says:

    Looks like I have to log in if I want to say something and I don’t know why that is because remembering my passwords is always something I hate.

    1. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
      David W. Boles says:

      It does look like WordPress now requires you to sign in if your email address is in their database. Not sure why that change happened.

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