Google Docs crashed when fed 'And. And. And. And. And.'
- Reference: 1651868394
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/05/06/google_docs_crash/
- Source link:
Web developer Pat Needham noticed that typing, "And. And. And. And. And." into Google Docs, capitalized thus but without the quotation marks, caused the application to crash. This would occur after entering the text and refreshing the page.
"It's case-sensitive," wrote Needham in [1]a post to Google Support. "So trying with 'and. and. And. and. And.' doesn't cause it to crash."
[2]
Needham said he tried to reproduce the crash in three different Google Accounts and got the same results.
[3]
[4]
"When filtering the Chrome Dev tools network tab with the text 'error,' one can see a POST request being made to url starting with https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/jserror , and the payload says it's 'Caused by: TypeError: Cannot read properties of null (reading "C")'," he wrote.
Needham in a Hacker News [5]post credits the friend of a co-worker, Eliza Callahan, with finding the bug that was "triggered by a poem in the middle of her novel."
[6]
Google staff acknowledged the issue [7]in less than 45 minutes and said a fix was being rolled out.
Shortly thereafter another Docs user posting to the thread [8]reproduced the crash in Firefox 99.01. And a different Docs user caused a crash using [9]"But. But. But. But. But." with the same Mozilla build.
After Needham disclosed the issue to Google Support, reports surfaced on Hacker News that other parts of speech – capitalized adverbs and pronouns – could take down Google Docs.
[10]Google Docs' AI-powered inclusive writing auto-correct now under fire
[11]Google 'Switch to Android' app surfaces in iOS App Store
[12]Meta releases code for massive language model to AI researchers
[13]DoJ accuses Google of training staff to make 'false requests for legal advice'
The words "Also, Therefore, And, Anyway, But, Who, Why, Besides, and However" [14]allegedly had the same effect if typed with an initial capital, in a series.
"Although, Besides, and Moreover," [15]too , [16]as well as , "Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly, and Fourthly." Not "Fifthly" or beyond, however.
[17]
Those weighing in on the issue believe the bug has to do with Google's grammar suggestions, because the crash only occurs, [18]it's claimed , when "Show grammar suggestions" has been checked (Tools -> Spelling & grammar -> Show grammar suggestions).
The Register asked Google whether anyone was willing to explain the cause of what appears to be a JavaScript error, and we've not heard back. One theory proposed among those commenting on the issue is that the bug could be due to a regular expression, or regex, gone awry as a result of [19]catastrophic backtracking .
In any event, Docs has been revived and is evidently no worse for wear. On Friday, Google Support [20]updated its post : "We have fixed an issue in Docs related to repetitive use of the word 'and.' This fix should soon be in place for all customers." ®
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[1] https://support.google.com/docs/thread/162510194/including-and-and-and-and-and-in-a-google-doc-causes-it-to-crash?hl=en
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YnWajSoWVcoBBwbE9mLPagAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YnWajSoWVcoBBwbE9mLPagAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YnWajSoWVcoBBwbE9mLPagAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31278566
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YnWajSoWVcoBBwbE9mLPagAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://support.google.com/docs/thread/162510194/including-and-and-and-and-and-in-a-google-doc-causes-it-to-crash?hl=en
[8] https://support.google.com/docs/thread/162510194?hl=en&msgid=162514396
[9] https://support.google.com/docs/thread/162510194?hl=en&msgid=162514396
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/25/the_latest_automated_ai_writing/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/20/google_android_app/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/04/meta_releases_code_for_175billion/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/22/google_doj_filing/
[14] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31278617
[15] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31279419
[16] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31280304
[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YnWajSoWVcoBBwbE9mLPagAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[18] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31278294
[19] https://javascript.info/regexp-catastrophic-backtracking
[20] https://support.google.com/docs/thread/162510194?hl=en&msgid=162514396
[21] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: I can think of legit sentences with lots of ands together
Deploying your demonstratively constructive destructive sentence constructive methodology one should be able to come up with a suitably destructive construction without resorting to a contortive ... ... err you get the idea.
You could simply go the quine route (self referential) or deploy a sentence about capitalization and then take it to a properly ludicrous conclusion.
Don't blame me when either The Old Ones materialize and the end of the world kicks off (again) or an elderly dog materializes and widdles on your foot.
Re: I can think of legit sentences with lots of ands together
I'll 'and it to you.
Re: I can think of legit sentences with lots of ands together
We've had Partygate, and another Partygate, now it's time for Andgate. Or Not.
JK Flipflop (Mrs)
Re: I can think of legit sentences with lots of ands together
I like the repetition of had - less sleek, but rather mind bending.
In the grammar test James, whilst John had had "had", had had "had had", "had had" had had a better result on the teacher.
Absurd
It's so absurd that this is even a thing at all. When I'm typing words into a computer I want the word processor or editor to accept my words and write them to a file. That's it. I don't want suggestions about anything at all ever, whether derived from faulty AI or faulty JavaScript. All those bazillion Google 'programmers' could be doing something actually useful instead of this kind of change for changes sake crap. Leave it alone. All you ever do is make it worse, and more confusing.
Re: Absurd
Yes.
A word processor has at least a pretext for trying to identify words. A text editor, none at all.
Google Docs is, I guess, functioning as a word processor in the scenario quoted. Trying too hard, I would say. If your word processor can't identify actual words then it's time to give up.
-A.
Re: Absurd
Of course Google Docs is a word processor, what kind of question is that anyway?
And I often ask Notepad++ to identify words, whenever I'm working on code. Don't you use something similar?
Re: Absurd
Then turn off grammar checking, and you'll never have to see it.
You're welcome.
Its making a comeback!
Bush hid the facts
"Smart" = stupid + stupid + stupid + ...
Reminds me of the signwriter in the Victorian town of Yackandandah.
He left too much space between Yack and and and and and and and and and ah.
I can think of legit sentences with lots of ands together
But not with the upper case or punctuation.
Mr Jones of the company Jones and Sons was taking the signwriter to task over the amount of space he had left between Jones and and and and and Sons.
I am sure others here can beat that. Have one of these ---->