Google apps change riles students, makes using multiple accounts difficult

Students can no longer simultaneously use their Oswego State email and another Google account, unless they change their settings. Campus Technology Service completed an update last week that fully integrated school e-mail with other Google applications, which cannot be used while more than one account is open.

“Google has changed its overall technical infrastructure to combine the Apps for Education and Google commercial environments into a single Apps environment,” says Chief Technology Officer, Joseph Moreau. This means that our e-mail, Google Apps, and Gmail have been combined and work the same way.”

However, it is possible to turn on two accounts at the same time. Users must log into a special page and enable multiple account activity (see sidebar). Another way around the problem: using two different web browsers at the same time, such as using the Oswego e-mail on Microsoft and using Youtube on Firefox.

The two primary reasons for Google’s integration, according to Moreau, were to fix conflicting accounts and to give Google Apps for Education users access to Apps, such as Reader, Picasa, Books and others. About 2,600 students and faculty members had conflicting Google accounts.

“This most likely resulted from people establishing commercial accounts with their oswego.edu e-mail name prior to the college moving to Google Apps for Education,” said Joseph Moreau.

Since the changes there have been complaints.

“Mostly people are confused by the notice we sent out about their conflicting account,” says Joseph Moreau. “The majority of inquiries we have had since the transition indicate that users don’t recall setting up a commercial account and are not sure what to do to resolve the issue.”

For these users, they do not have to do anything. They no longer use the commercial account, so the users can just leave it.

Although the majority of the problems are regarding pervious accounts, students have had other complaints.

“I use my Youtube music playlists while I do homework. Unfortunately, I can no longer be logged in to my YouTube account while checking my mail or using the Google chat,” says Ted Levine. The fact that Youtube accounts have been affected causes problems for many other students, as well.

“[Google’s change] signs me off my Youtube account, since they are both connected to Gmail, says sophomore Chelsey Thompson. “I always keep my Youtube account signed in, since I never remember the password, so it just messes it up.”

Chris Ellison

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