Welcome to Book Blogging 101, a weekly feature on Parajunkee’s View that answers your questions and strives to share great book blogging tips and some helpful hints to help you on your way.
Yes. They Can.
Some bloggers are learning the hard way about Blogger/Google’s TOS
Here is the story. You wake up one morning and log into your email account, gmail of course and for some reason when you try to log in it gives you a message:
Users report this message: “Google Accounts may be disabled because of a perceived violation of either the Google TOS or product-specific TOS.” – ref URL page.
I have actually gotten the above message before and hooking up my cell phone worked in starting the page again. But in the process I couldn’t get into Blogger, Google Docs, Picasa — the list goes on, right?
But, others have been reporting much worse. Their blog completely gone, another message when they try to log in – that just says their accounts are completely disabled and it usually tracks to Google TOS violations. I know you are thinking what could I POSSIBLY DO that would violate Google’s ToS??? That is for porn sites, phishing expeditions and copyright violators. Well, here is the thing – a person doesn’t actually do the searching for violators. Google runs a program. So anything can be misconstrued, especially if your content borders on sketchy like this example on The Consumerist.
But, on top of just plain old Google TOS violations like supposed kiddie porn, inappropriate images, phishing or copyright violations, Google+ has entered into the picture and it would seem are on a mission to eradicate Google+ profiles that violate their TOS.
The two main ones that are being listed are:
You have to Use Your Real Name on Google+
You have to be 13+ on Google+
You might not know that you have to use your real name on Google+, you can not use your blog name, I can’t sign up as Parajunkee on my Google+ account. If Google suspects that you are not using your real name they will shut down your Google accounts and ask you to provide documentation like a scan of your ID or links on the web that prove who you are (what that might be I have no idea!). Reports even say that Google suggests if you want a fake name account to hop back on the Facebook train. LMAO
Then of course there is the age thing. Google of course doesn’t want to violate the COPPA restrictions so 13+ it is. Not 13+ they can take away everything from those internet savvy children. Thus, making 12 year olds cry and provoking posts like this.
I don’t think any of you are under 13 so I don’t believe that one will affect you, but I do know that many of my darling Google+ buddies do use their Blog names as their Google+ profile, then don’t get me started on my lovely author buddies.
And when Google finds you in violation of this Real Name policy, or some other reason – THEY SHUT IT ALL DOWN. You are frozen out of EVERYTHING. Well, some users. Others report they are frozen out of a few, like just Picasa (so all their images on the blog disappear). Some, lose their blog but can still sign into Google Docs. It is like a Google Poltergeist, just reeking havoc. It hardly makes sense and there isn’t a Google Number to call or quick response email. You have to submit a form – appeal the process, fun stuff.
What is worse is that there have been reports in tech boards that you’ll get deleted if you have multiple gmail accounts also – and I think a lot of us are also in violation of this. I mean I’ve created a gmail account just for a giveaway to help vet some of the emails I would be getting.
What To Do??
In light of a certain event in May that was dubbed Blogger Apocalypse, where Google updated some software that made Blogger go Bye-Bye and then another incident where domain names registered with GoDaddy and hosted on Blogger also went Bye-Bye, I decided it was time to start transitioning off of “Free” Google services.
Less reliance is good. You heard the term “All Your Eggs In One Basket” right? Maybe it is time to look outside of Google for some of your programs. Start backing up those Google Docs on your hard drive. Before Google Docs there was something called Word and Excel 
Maybe use Flickr instead of Picasa. I actually pay for Flickr service.
Assess if your Google+ account is really worth it. I know it was cool in the beginning being invited when all your nonblogger buddies were not included. But, is it working for you? Because I’ll tell you, I’m currently trying to push my Facebook Fan page. At least I don’t have to pretend. That is for my blog.
Then, the biggest of all. Your Blog. How do you view your blog? Is it just a hobby? If it went down for 12 hours would it really matter? If it disappeared tomorrow could you start over again with little headache?
When I asked myself those questions my first mental response went something like this:
Holy !@&*$$!!!!!*&!@!(&^!&@^#*!%@$%!!*^@$
There was no way I could go down for 4 hours much less 12. I have advertisers now. Downtime is bad! Not to mention people start to notice. When I went down a few months ago I signed into twitter and I had 10 mentions that there was no more parajunkee.com. That was one of those Holy!@^*&@ moments.
But, that is what happens with Free programs. It’s great because it is Free — but because it is Free, there is no support. By the following day I was running on WordPress and I was self-hosted. There still might be downtime but I can easily call GoDaddy and get results within minutes. This might not be everyone’s option though. $60 is doable for me. Basically my small bit of advertisers pay for hosting the site, my domain registration, my Flickr account and my Writer Program that I bought to go in place of Google Docs (don’t like Word). You have to think on what is right for you.
My Overall Advice for this BB101 Post
- If you want to keep your Google+ account, make sure you use your real name, if you are an author, DJ, artist, maybe while this cools out, use a Facebook Fan page
- Back up your Blog regularly, not the design, YOUR POSTS – you can do this by going to your DASHBOARD > SETTINGS > BASIC and at the top it says EXPORT BLOG (small links at top). It will take you to a page, click DOWNLOAD blog and then keep it on file and save it by date on your hard drive. I would suggest doing this once a month. Just In Case.
- Don’t become too reliant on one brand of software. Use Google Docs, but maybe investigate other document programs, use Google+ but also utilize Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Don’t rely on only your gmail account, set up accounts in other programs and have your contact list backed up on your hard drive. Most OS comes with a contact program, save them in that, instead of just in gmail
- Pay attention to TOS rules, did you know my 18+ blogs — that you could be in violation of Bloggers TOS if you post things that show inappropriate content, sexual images, male genitalia?? You might think you are in the clear for having that Adult content warning, but if someone sees a penis on your blog and is offended they could easily report you…
- Think about what a downtime would do for you, maybe it is time for you to start paying for your service.
I can’t get to all the questions, but please ask your BB101 Questions here…bring it on.
This is a great post and why I’m using WordPress (self-hosted). The only issue I have is the whole google friend connect for non-blogger blogs being disabled. But I’ll survive. There are other ways to follow a blog.
There are plenty of other ways to follow a blog…and WP has some great plugins to help promote that!
Yipes! I had no idea this was happening! I’m going to delete my Google+ account right now!
Or change it to your real name.
Just changed my G+ from Jennifer TheBookNympho to Jennifer York. I left my G+ PAGE as The Book Nympho. Thanks for the tips!
About Google+. I have my normal one under my real name but then I made a “Google+ Page” under the name Xpresso Reads which is like Facebook pages. It’s attached to my normal account just like FB. You could always do that and call it Parajunkee.
Thanks – this will help. I haven’t managed to do it yet, just because there are so many things out there and I haven’t focused on Google+ LOL — but I will.
Here’s a link to create a page: http://www.google.com/+/business/
This is a great and informative post and it couldn’t come at a better time. Twitter seems to be all atwitter (pun intended) with whether a Google blog is better than WP and/or self-hosted. I’m of the mind that what you pay for is what you get, but regardless, back up back up back up!
I’m not sure if anyone heard about this back when it happened, but here is an interesting article on just how powerful – and unfriendly – Google can be to the customers that use its service: The Consumerist: Google Deletes Last 7 Years Of User’s Digital Life, Shrugs
That article came out right after I had switched, and I breathed a giant sigh of relief.
Jennifer @ The Bawdy Book Blog
LMAO, I’m such a donkey, I just realized your link halfway down is the same one I posted. Oops! At least we’re on the same page, right?
0_0
Thanks so much for this post! I had no idea all this was happening! I was wondering, will WordPress allow a custom design exported from Blogger if you don’t pay for the extra tidbits?
Short answer: no. Custom CSS and java codes are only for self-hosted WordPress sites. What would happen is your comments and posts would be imported, but not the theme.
Thanks Stephanie – it won’t. I recommend staying on Blogger, just backing up regularly.
So if I wanted someone (cough cough) to help with moving my blog from Blogger to WP I would loose my new awesome design?
That’s one thing I wanted to know. It seems so much work too. I mean I’m glad the posts will all be there but I want my design imported too and it’s a bummer that won’t happen. I find WordPress so much more confusing than Blogger. 8(
OK…I am scared now….my gmail and google plus acct is under my blog name…and I have a second one for personal use! Right there is at least two violations!
Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention!!
Anyone know how to delete a google plus acct but keep the gmail/blogger acct?
And any suggestions for self hosting that is reasonably priced?
♥ Melissa @ Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf
I use TigerTech for my site, its about $8 a month. They also do automatic backups AND come with free WHOIS protection. They also are very quick responders to questions, I love them!
My referral link, but you can go straight to the website too: Tiger Technologies
Forgot to mention, when you set up your account, which is just minutes, they have a WP dashboard you install and BAM, done. Everything else is done through your WP dashboard and it’s easy-peasy. Bex over at Kindle Fever referred me initially.
I use GoDaddy — they can run as low as $5 a month and have a super helpful tech support team that isn’t based in a foreign country.
Dreamhost is great. Based in California, and I always get quick emails back if I ever have to. Free domain, unlimited bandwidth and storage, unlimited subdomains…About $8.95/month unless you get in on a sale. But a note on paid hosting, just about all of them, you get the lowest price by paying a year or two in advance.
And they do 1 click WordPress installs, and other things
Dude. WordPress is looking better and better… I host my domain through GoDaddy already… I wonder if I can just switch it? Hmmm. Time to research!
Yes, you can switch it very easily. Just call into to godaddy and talk with one of their techs. They will walk you through it.
Such great info! Thank you!
I use GoDaddy (w/ a link to my Blogger blog) and even though they’ve been getting a lot of bad press lately, they’re the only ones I found w/ good rates and live phone service by people in the US. If you have a problem, you just call them and a really helpful CSR walks you through how to fix it right there. No filling out support tickets or posting in a forum and waiting, and then not really understanding what they tell you to do.
I’ve been playing around with switching my website to a WP site and have been wondering about moving my Blogger blog too. Your “eggs in one basket” comment is the primary reason.
A friend just posted this article from The Atlantic when someone’s gmail acct got hacked, and it really got me thinking about how I’ve put too much reliance on my Google products. http://bit.ly/uvq5ew
If you rely too much on something that’s free, you’re truly at their mercy and have to be prepared for the worst.
Thanks again for the warning and the tips! *runs off to back up my Blogger blog*
Well darn! I was just on WP self hosted, but I switched to blogger because the designs weren’t half as good as yours. I even bought two of your new Hilll designs.:(
I guess I’m just out sixty bucks or risk it. I’ll probably risk it, but keep my wordpress database, just in case. I will also start saving my blogger files.
Hope you start designing for wordpress soon!
Melanie – Don’t go WP if you don’t want. Just back up your Blogger Blog regularly!! LOL I’m not pushing WP it is only for some people.
I go for blogger because it looks nice, for what I do. WordPress is just too stiff. However I do know what you mean about paid services. Over the last five years I’ve been using paid for website providers. Although expensive, they have always taken care of me.:)
I did just delete my google+ account though. Didn’t know what to do with it much anyway.
My account got disabled 3 weeks ago. I freaked out. No idea what happened. But 12 hours later is was back up.
Let’s just say I back up my blog a lot now…
Yes, it is a good idea, because if it doesn’t come back in 12 hours, then you have an option to take it to WP.
This actually happened to me a couple weeks ago. I’m new to blogging so after only two months when I was finally actually happy with my blog I signed on one night and it was completely disabled! I couldn’t even sign in just to comment on other blogs. It said that same thing you said “Google Accounts may be disabled because of a perceived violation of either the Google TOS or product-specific TOS.” It happened after I added my blog to my google+ account. I sent a help request and they turned my blog back on in about 4 hours. It scared me so much I started a WordPress but I didn’t feel like paying the extra money. I back everything up and still might switch over but just taking my time thinking about it.
I would take your time and think about it. The main thing is to back everything up regularly. You can still take pieces and parts of your blogger blog and use on WP if you ever switch and you’ll definitely be able to transfer posts and comments.
Thanks for this post! The “Real Name” feature is sooo wrong! Especially since Google wants Google+ every where! Where is the privacy, the identity protection in that?
I just deleted my G+ account. Here is a link with instructions:
http://www.computric.com/2011/07/how-to-delete-google-plus-account-3-steps-to-delete-google-account/
Thank you.
TYSM for this. I back up my wordpress pretty regularly but hadn’t figured out how to back up my Blogger blogs. On the new dashboard the export option is under “other” but I think you just saved my life. Especially if Google decides to pull my site for any random reason.
This was such an awesome post, TYSM.
Thanks, I hate the new blogger interface, so I keep it in the older version, LOL.
I just deleted my Google+ account. I have several gmail accounts–I just don’t get why that’s a problem to them. One’s personal, one’s business. Sigh. So, Rachel, should I start thinking about relocating my blog to some other platform? I’ll be contacting you soon for website updates, anyway, so let me know what you think!
Thanks for the useful, scary post! LOL
Laura I’ve switched a few of my static web pages to a wordpress web page – you are getting it hosted, so might as well have it all in one. You just forward your blogger blog to your new “blog” location.
Oh, also, when you backup your blog, it downloads as an .xml file and wants you to open it in an xml editor–I assume you would know what this means if I came blubbering to you that my blog went byebyes, Rachel?
lol
Yes, that is the file you would import into wordpress. There is a plugin called Blogger Import that you download for a self-hosted wordpress site. It is pretty easy and they have some good tutorials out there for people that don’t pay me to do it
Thanks for this post! I had no idea that could happen – like you said, I thought that was only if you have kiddie porn on your site or something like that. Now I backed up my blog. Thanks for letting us know!
It could be anything from a misnamed picture. Who knows!
OMG, thank you.
I just deleted my Google+ profile. Major anxiety attack moment, LOL. I am sad to see my circle of authors, librarians + book bloggers go, but I can NOT live without gmail and blogger. Off to back up my blogs.
Another must read Book Blogging 101 post. Keep them coming!
*smooches!*
xx,
E.J.
From the Shadows
As one of the folks that lost their Blogger Blog a few days before Christmas, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your post. Also I want to publicly say how awesome you were with me on Twitter. I was at work, couldn’t get on my emails (except for Blackberry) and was almost crying that I couldn’t do anything. I was so upset.
After a few hours, Blogger did reinstate my blog but I still have no clue why they took it away in the first place. All I do is review books, occasionally post an image (besides book covers), and host author interviews/giveaways. Just like all my other blogging buddies. I do not post anything inappropriate and the only reason I have an 18+ warning is because occasionally I review erotic novels and those covers and reviews can be streamy,
I wanted to rectify and correct whatever I did that had my blog down and taken away from me in the first place. I don’t want to do it again. BUT ALAS, they wont respond to my emails.
I do have my google + set as MichelleK Canada. After reading your post, I did try to go back and change it to my real name but they won’t let me do that for another 3 months. I guess you’re only allowed to change it once every 3 months. So I’ll count the calendar days and go with Michelle Kelly soon.
I do back up my Blogger blog now and I found out how to do that by YouTube since I learn best by watching. Great advice!
Thanks for putting together this post. You’re awesome.
It’s hard to know how Google works sometimes. A lot of their stuff is automated so it probably just flagged you and when you went to appeal they saw that it wasn’t a real issue. You probably put a flag up just for having that 18+ warning – which I don’t recommend BTW. My thoughts is to have a warning at the top of the post if it is sexual – this way you don’t turn off visitors before they even enter your blog.
That is so weird about the 3 month thing…and you are welcome.
Fantastic post, Paranjunkee–thanks so much for sharing this advice. My blog went down for 24 hours a couple of months back and it left me pretty panicky! I will definitely start backing up my blog from now on…and looks like I won’t be joining Google Plus after all, at least under my blogger name.
There is a way to do pages — that Giselle pointed out above. You can create a Google + account for your name and keep it private and then create a PAGE for your blog. Much like facebook. I hadn’t realized that their pages had gone live yet…
I left Blogger back in May after all of the issues, but because I also have ISSUES using blogger services. They’ve never liked my computer. I have to say I’ve been much happier on WP, mainly for the fact I can…use it without wanting to scream each time I try to format something. LOL
I agree with much of what you posted. I only have a Google + account because they set it up for me. One of my domains (and that domain’s email accounts) are still linked to their services, but after the first of the year I’m moving everything from them as much as possible. :\ I haven’t done it yet because I did pay for it and didn’t want to lose too much out on money.
Instead of using a free image site for my own images, I have set up a sub-domain on my site where I’m saving my own ones. Any images I “share” are hosted elsewhere.
“What is worse is that there have been reports in tech boards that you’ll get deleted if you have multiple gmail accounts also…”
I’m confused. If multiple gmail accounts is a TOS violation, then why would Google offer multiple sign-in feature where you can switch between gmail accounts accounts? This doesn’t make sense.
No it doesn’t make sense to me either. But, once again these are rumors on forums. But, Google doesn’t give a reason as to why they are shutting down accounts. They just do it, so I think that one might be speculation. But if you have a real name in Google+ and no TOS violations on your blog, why are some people’s blogs still going wacky? It was one of the reasons a few techies through out because the common denominator was multiple gmail accounts linked to one Google+ & Blogger account.
Which again is weird. My Google+ account is linked to my default gmail account (their terminology) and they allow me to link my other gmail accounts. I don’t get how they can call it a violation if they allow it. Also, I use google apps so that my email is domain email. I can create unlimited accounts on that, again, another google product. I hope they make their TOS loud can clear at some point. It’s all very confusing.
Thanks for this post! I just deleted my Google+ account. If they are going to suspend my email if my google+ name isn’t my real name then I don’t want anything to do with google+. Not to mention I didn’t like it much anyway.
Also, this made me realize that I do depend on a lot of google services (some of which totally suck-like Feedburner) and I should convert to self hosting as much as I can since I pay for hosting anyway.
I think Feedburner is my favorite right now of Google apps LOL — the only one I haven’t had problems with *knock on wood*
Okay, so I’m kind of confused. I don’t have a google + account, but I do have a blogger thing. So if my display name on blogger is for example Tabitha @ Tabithas Book Blog would that make google freeze my account….. I’m new to this, so I’m curious.
No, from what I can tell it is just Google+
Great post! I’m backing up my posts right now. In the new Blogger in Draft, the export button is under settings>Other, if anyone else needs to hunt it down. I would hate to lose all those posts!
Thanks – hating on the new blogger.
Yikes! If I blogger account went down tomorrow I think I would go into complete mental overload. This is such a wake up call. I’m a bit of a Luddite and Blogger is so easy to use though. Is WordPress much harder?
I thought it was harder at first, but it’s not really. It’s just different. My $0.02.
It is just different, but I actually like it a bit better. The posts are easier to format. But I think the “extras” are harder to install.
Thank you SO much for this warning. I was considering Google+. Now I think I’ll pass.
Well you can do the Google+ name and a page for your blog. It is still available.
This was really helpful thanks…I had no idea u had to use your real name on Google+ I went and changed it right away but also created a google+ page for my blog.
Thank you for posting this! Do you think it’s wise to switch to wordpress? Can I import my blogposts to that site? I have been thinking About switching.
Ah, yes.
I got deleted all of a sudden, absolutely completely with all the fun messaging you displayed so well – with pictures!
I found a complaint response in Google and added my astonished “I’m sorry!! Tell me what I did and I won’t to it again!!” to a long list of the same responses listed that day.
An hour or so later (I distracted myself doing something else while trying very hard not to hyperventilate) my blog re-appeared.
Out of the blue – gone & back again. (With the gmail, too, etc, etc. Gmail was easier to re-instate with the phone mssging “verify it’s really you” dealio, but still no blog.)
I’ve been fiddling with gmail for some years. I have a personal blog or three that latched onto a business email I started up, oh, three years ago? I can’t disengage my personal blogs from that failed business email account – they’re stuck. When I started a new google account (b/c hotmail started randomly spamming daily sister emails) it didn’t occur to me to try to get different email names with the old business account… so instead of connected gmails, I have two separate ones, which is exactly what you’re sharing is a Google violation. Who knows, maybe I attracted attention trying to reconcile the odd split?
I “fixed” my Google+, too, to reflect my blog like the industrious new blogger that I am. I can’t change it for 3 months from whenever I “fixed” it.
*sigh*
I’m not suave enough to move out of blogger, I don’t think. I seriously have no idea what I’m doing and blogger makes it so easy. It’s possible they’re feeling some backlash, maybe? and getting their act together?!?! Lol. I’ll back up my stuff. I tell you… it was a shock just as you so colorfully described when I lost my little blog for a few hours. I was in a huge panic. I really love my book blogging world!!!!!!
Hi, Rachel!! You know, this post is a HUGE eye-opener!! And let me tell you, I am SO grateful for this part of your blog!! This is an EXTREMELY helpful section for all of us in the blogosphere, so THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
This brings up a related question — if a blogger copies and pastes Internet images (such as book covers, pictures of authors, graphics) into their blog posts, can their blog be yanked with no warning someday?
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!! : )
I had a VERY bad day for blogging yesterday, it was me just having a bad day (although I’m petrified that Google will delete my blog) and I managed to delete all of my pages (after spending over an hour writing my review policy!) and nearly burst into tears, I know losing pages isn’t as bad as say losing your posts… But, I figured out that the URL is still saved, just not the page, so I went to the URL’s, went to create a new page widget and bam! They all popped up. That was all well and good but I now know how to back up my blog and import it onto WordPress just in case (I experimented around with this last night). I’m so glad I learnt my lesson lol. Having an entire blog deleted would be horrible!
Thankyou for writing this
Taneika @ Flipping Through the Pages
We’d already decided to change over to WordPress but this makes us feel even better about the decision! Great info, Rachel!
Google’s pickiness is starting to annoy me. I think you’re supposed to be over 18 for Google + because for some reason they won’t let me join! I’m 15 and I’m pretty sure I’ve never included my age in my account. I don’t know how to change the supposed age either.
Great post. You’ve encouraged me to back up my blog now and I’m definitely going to be more cautious.
Wow, I had no idea google was so gestapo-esque. You’re right about the “you get what you pay for,” but you’d think they’d want to be a bit more savvy with not wanting to piss off the people who are extremely active on the internet and have lots of followers listening to their complaints.
Smiles!
Lori
Thank you so much for this post! I had no idea about this, and changed the name on my Google+ account. Thanks also to Giselle who gave the link to make a Google+ page for my blog.
Another really informative post Rachel – thank you!
I’m still pretty happy with Blogger in general *touch wood* and the free service suits me while I’m still working half days (not to mention the exchange rate between the US and South Africa).
Thank you for the tips on how to back-up a blog – I have been blogging since February and haven’t backed anything up (I have copies of my reviews on my PC, but nothing else!) Off to rectify the situation now…
Ack! I entered my comment in the wrong section, I ended up posting my comment in your google form, sorry about that! I just wanted to say that this is a great post and that I will keep this in mind for future references! I was just recently introduced to your Book Blogging 101 and I think it is really helpful! Thank you!
This was a great post! I don’t think I’ve ever backed up my blog. I did that and had no idea what name I was using for Google Plus which I can’t stand. I’m still not caught up with my FB page! Don’t throw something else at me. They just asked for my cell# today and I put it in. I hope that isn’t the handwriting on the wall….
Heather
Well, wouldn’t that be peachy? To delete my accounts because of some wacky Google+ thing that they basically shoved down my throat anyways? If Google wants to get anal on my identity (which just seems wrong to me, but maybe I’m not properly over the communist reflexes of fear from 20 years ago), then they can have their Google+ party well without me. Google+ account went bye~bye.
There’s Facebook at my disposal, another free service that may always decide to go kinky on me, but still…I mean, it’s getting ridiculous, I sure won’t be working on putting up a parallel Facebook basically, with my real name up there and separate pages for my stuff, when I have the safe option of using Facebook for all those porpoises without any of the risks involved in loss of Google accounts! There must be a point to this, in their googlish minds, but it’s too convoluted for me to get it.
I think this Google+ issue particularly affects bloggers, because I’m thinking chances are we have a Blogger hosted blog, we’re very into networking, we’re into using any and all tools at our disposal…and we’re gonna be reluctant to lose our blog or move elsewhere, what with the GFC cut-off in non-Blogger area that’s coming up (and we can surely expect more cuts like that on other Google tools, I’m thinking?), why would they want to work so hard at convincing us to jump from their ship?
Honestly, moving your stuff isn’t a fun thing to do either, I went through it once and it wasn’t at all pleasant. What I learned is, unless you have the funds to make sure you’re not buying the cheapest alternative but the most reliable one, there’s no point in going through with it. If I had something like +/- 100$ to invest in my blogging on a monthly basis, then I’d go self-hosted again, but unless I’d be sure I’d have that money on a monthly basis, I’d just err on the side of caution with my Google stuff, backing up my stuff, making sure I’m spreading on a wider area as possible in regards to tools I’m using for stuff, storing data in more then one place, etc etc.
And, you know, about this “man, it’s a free service, expect it to be rubbish” thing; it is a free service because they offer it as such, it’s their option really, so as long as you offer a service be sure to goddamn come through, whatever you charged for it or didn’t charge for it, am I right?
Google has gotten touchy about -everything-. My boyfriend lost his Google AdSense today on his blog because Google decided there were too many clicks on his ads. Ok, so most probably came from me – at a few different IP addresses, none of which were ever used by him for updating his blog.
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When I first considered starting my blog, I thought about using blogger since that was what a lot were using. But when I went into play with it, I hated it. I have used WordPress for years on a personal blog so I was use to in and loved how I had complete control. Since I already had a website, I had hosting space, so I just bought a domain for it.
I used Google Docs like once for a giveaway but that’s been it, now I’m going to be using Rafflecopter. And for Google+, I never really use mine, but it is under my name. And I just created a fan page for it. Hopefully I don’t have to worry about it since I really only use the email and stuff.
Not a question but a comment–my blog was just disabled. I use my real name on G+ and have no idea how I could have violated the TOS. It was up within the last half hour, and now, poof, it’s gone.
I read this entry and thought it couldn’t happen to me. I’m a little nervous about moving from Blogger, because I’ve only been blogging for a few months, and I’m not whether I’ll be able to navigate all the technical aspects of moving to my own domain. Blogger is really easy to use, which is why I chose it! But I didn’t back up my blog, and the idea that it might be gone forever is really upsetting.
Hi,
Ok this happened to me recently. What I did was send google a mail saying that I’m not sure what happened or what went wrong and if they could please please help me.
12 hours later I tried logging on a different computer. Google asked me to enter my phone number and there it was. Fixed.
I think for now just reply to the error message, there is a email option somewhere.
I hope it helps!
Thanks, muggle! I did send them an email. Hopefully it’s a glitch that will be worked out quickly. I tried logging into my gmail and I’m blocked there too. It’s like losing a limb! Not really, but, you know.
Yea I know what you mean
I hope it gets sorted soon! When you get it back, make a back up
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I don’t want to move to Word Press. I can’t use the interface. After reading this I backup my blog regularly now.Looking at YOLA. Afraid I will lose all my followers if I don’t have the GFC widget.
This is a MUST READ post – thank you for it.
Lord have mercy. I have only been Blogging a month, with all the excitement that comes with that (y’all remember when you started?) and already I’m going to lose my Blog one day, and for no reason (in my mind).
Have just this minute deleted my Google+ as a direct result of reading this post and every single comment.
I’m currently one of the great unwashed (jobless) so moving from Blogger to paid hosting is out of the question. Having an empty stomach and no heating hasn’t quite been enough for me to get off my arse and find work. Strange how the thought of losing my little Blog has had me fill in 3 job applications today so I can afford hosting!