code.google.com

One of the things that came from AC US was a decision to start working on a new project. It’s one that I’ve had in my mind for a long time and seems to be needed. I’m hopeful it’ll grow and be as useful as I hope, but it’s far too early to talk about details in public 🙂

We decided to try and use code.google.com as a repository so that the project wuldn’t feel “owned”  by any of the participants and to remove the burden of admin from us. This seemed like a cool plan until I tried to get to a point where I could create a new project.

It says quite clearly “Sign in with your Gmail account to create a project” which seems OK, so I follow the link. I don’t have a GMail account but the box that lets me login doesn’t say “GMail Account”, it says “Google Account”. Odd. It also has a link below it that says “Create a Google Account”. I have a google account, so I try and login using that – but can’t create a project. I try creating a new account – same thing.

I ask someone for a GMail invite and go through the creating a GMail account dance – finally I can create a project.

Why doesn’t the login page for creating a new account simply say “GMail Login”? Why does it have a link to create a new account that can’t then be used for the reason I’m on that page? It’s this sort of inconsistency that makes using Google annoying at times.
Of course now I have the project I find that everyone who’s going to have commit for it needs a GMail account. ARGH. I don’t have any intention of using my GMail account, but still I have it and I guess that helps Google when they advertise how many people have accounts – or am I being too cynical?