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Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers

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11–20 of 125 posts

Re: Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers

#11

So if I use 'Mithrandir' as my name, I could get banned?

Yes. One-word names seem to be one of the targets for suspended. Plenty of the pseudonyms that have gotten banned have well-known existences at other sites. After appealing you might be able to get it reinstated but there have been a lot of complaints about the process as well.

Re: Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers

#12
While I don't believe the google account deletion hysterics I did setup dove cot imap to trial hosting my own email. On friday I got an unshakable feeling of keeping all my eggs in one basket. squirrel mail is no gmail replacement but it's good enough so far, and I read mostly via imap

Re: Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers

#13
post #9
post #5

[deleted]

> ... by the bot ... Just wanted to mention this post: https://plus.google.com/106912596786226524817/posts/A3mStMmX... "we do not take automatic action based on the number of abuse reports submitted for a profile" Also, a real-name suspension only locks you out of Google+, nothing else. A Google TOS violation, however, can cause you to be locked out of your entire Google account.

If the Google spokesman's claim is correct and there really is manual review, it's remarkably shoddy. One of the accounts that's been deleted was recently on the cover of Wired. Another had assembled a page documenting all the people who called her by the pseudonym and posted it on her G+ profile. What kind of training are they giving these reviewers?

Re: Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers

#14
post #9
post #5

[deleted]

> ... by the bot ... Just wanted to mention this post: https://plus.google.com/106912596786226524817/posts/A3mStMmX... "we do not take automatic action based on the number of abuse reports submitted for a profile" Also, a real-name suspension only locks you out of Google+, nothing else. A Google TOS violation, however, can cause you to be locked out of your entire Google account.

[deleted]

Re: Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers

#15
post #4
post #3

I use Google for everything from Google Apps to Google Voice. Given this recent behaviour of Google, I'm doing something wrong. Over the next few weeks, I plan to do the following: 1) Transition my gmail account over to a domain I own. I'll email everyone I know, and change all my known addresses. Thankfully, Google lets me connect via IMAP to retrieve all of this. 2) Move my Google Voice number to my VOIP carrier. T…

> Life is too short to worry about when Google will delete your account for silly reasons. which is exactly what you're doing...

He won't be after he migrates his stuff. That strikes me as entirely reasonable precautionary action.

Re: Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers

#17
post #4
post #3

I use Google for everything from Google Apps to Google Voice. Given this recent behaviour of Google, I'm doing something wrong. Over the next few weeks, I plan to do the following: 1) Transition my gmail account over to a domain I own. I'll email everyone I know, and change all my known addresses. Thankfully, Google lets me connect via IMAP to retrieve all of this. 2) Move my Google Voice number to my VOIP carrier. T…

> Life is too short to worry about when Google will delete your account for silly reasons. which is exactly what you're doing...

[deleted]

Re: Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers

#18
post #3

I use Google for everything from Google Apps to Google Voice. Given this recent behaviour of Google, I'm doing something wrong. Over the next few weeks, I plan to do the following: 1) Transition my gmail account over to a domain I own. I'll email everyone I know, and change all my known addresses. Thankfully, Google lets me connect via IMAP to retrieve all of this. 2) Move my Google Voice number to my VOIP carrier. T…

Is there a good alternative to Google Voice? I want an online voicemail service and call forwarding for when I travel.

Re: Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers

#19
post #12

While I don't believe the google account deletion hysterics I did setup dove cot imap to trial hosting my own email. On friday I got an unshakable feeling of keeping all my eggs in one basket. squirrel mail is no gmail replacement but it's good enough so far, and I read mostly via imap

I managed my own email sever for a long time but eventually grew tired of fighting spam. Unfortunately spam is so rampant now that you're going to have to devote a lot of personal attention to do 1/10th as good a job as GMail to fight it.

Re: Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers

#20
I don't find Google+ any significant improvement over Twitter or Facebook. That is, in the larger sense it's a mildly amusing diversion and not at all something I'd miss if it disappeared.

Losing access to my GMail account, on the other hand, would be painful. The thing that's worrisome about this is that you really have no recourse if Google's automated systems mess up. For example, I've completely lost access to a Google Apps account I set up for another domain I own, and many other people have complained of similar problems on their support forum to no avail.

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