The other day a friend was telling me how he tried to log into GMail and Google told him his password was too weak. He then told me his password which was 8 letters long and alphanumeric with capitals. I thought it was a bit strange.

Today... I've been really struggling to log into GMail myself... it accepts the login and sets my username but keeps asking for my password again and again without letting me into my inbox. Eventually trying through the Google Documents login page (where, again, it just asked for my password but username was already set) it allowed me in but not before stating that my password appeared too weak.

My password is 13 characters alphanumeric with capitals too!!!

What do you guys make of this? Do you think there has been a spate of compromised accounts and Google are identifying possible targets and making them change their passwords? Surely if this is the case they would say that it is necessary to change my password rather than simply pretending it is weak... when it is clearly not!?

Update:

I still can't get into GMail or Docs but I can get into Calendar!?

I changed my password, which it allegedly accepted, but when trying to log back in it doesn't recognise my new password, only my old one. Weird!?

Something fishy is going on... and I don't like it!

http://www.google.com/support/accounts/bin/answer.py?answer=98525&topic=14136

Thanks Ionut.

I had already done that but to no avail. I can get in using another gmail account I have it's just my primary that is locking me out :(

Did you try using a different browser, a different computer, a different Gmail interface?

https://mail.google.com/
http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=html

Different browser?
3 (firefox, chrome IE7)

Different computer?
Desktop and my laptop

Gmail Interface?
normal, ui=html, labs=0

I'm going to try request a new password.

New password didn't make a difference!?

IMAP still works on my iPhone.

I'm very confused (and a bit frustrated)... will look around Google Help for more assitance. Thanks for your help.

I don't get it. It is my email. I should be able to control the security level. If I want a password with six characters – that I can remember without writing down – then I should be allowed to operate that way. What right does google have to tell me how secure my mailbox should be?