Google is sorry. This message says so.

For the third time today, I've gotten an error message from Google telling me that my query is suspicious--perhaps eminating from spyware or a virus. It is forcing me to validate that the search is authentic through a simple random character display and dialog box.

What's peculiar is that all three of my searches were fairly innocuous: one was for a Compaq server model number, another for movie listings, and a third for a piece of software.

If this is to be the trend, the positive attributes that made Google #1 (simplicity, speed, etc.) will quickly reverse.