Google Deletes Last 7 Years Of User's Digital Life, Shrugs • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Deletes Last 7 Years Of User's Digital Life, Shrugs

#251

Post by samj » Sun, Jul 24, 2011, 9:59 PM UTC

ptman wrote: post #175

jellicle wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cutts, Google still doesn't understand the problem here. Let's say I decide I have to break up with my live-in girlfriend, for good and sufficient reason. Perhaps she banged my three best friends, perhaps she literally killed my dog with an axe. Doesn't matter - I have my reasons. I break up with her. I still have to give her back her stuff from my apartment. If I don't do so, I'm committing a separate offense of my…

Physical objects can only be in one place at a time. Data on the other hand can be backed up while it is still being used by the service. And Google collects information about how to do this for their services in one place: the Data Liberation Front http://www.dataliberation.org/

Skud observed (http://infotrope.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/plus06.png) that she "can’t use Google Takeout to export [her] profile and stream" after having been suspended herself: http://infotrope.net/2011/07/22/ive-been-suspended-from-goog...

Re: Google Deletes Last 7 Years Of User's Digital Life, Shrugs

#252

Post by samj » Sun, Jul 24, 2011, 10:21 PM UTC

Pewpewarrows wrote: post #174

ajays wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow. A bunch of Google fanboys voting me down for stating something rational, but that just happens to be anti-Google. I just started using G+ (mainly because I'd like there to be a strong competitor to FB), but Google's antics give me cause for concern. I'd hate to get "hacked" some day and have Google completely wipe out every bit I have with them.

You can download your data from Google anytime: http://www.google.com/takeout/ When you sign-up for a Google account, there's a little something called a Terms of Service you agree to. You violate them? You sacrifice all rights to any data you may or may not have on their services. That's something every Google user agrees to from day one. If you don't like that punishment, you shouldn't have signed up.

According to Skud (who was also suspended) you have to do this before you get suspended — now she "can’t use Google Takeout to export [her] profile and stream": http://infotrope.net/2011/07/22/ive-been-suspended-from-goog...

Re: Google Deletes Last 7 Years Of User's Digital Life, Shrugs

#253

Post by 2045utopia » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 12:48 AM UTC

Matt_Cutts wrote: post #113

white_devil wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> FWIW Not much. They're only doing damage control. I wonder whether Matt Cutts is on holiday or something, by the way..

I talked to the person with this complaint, then looked into it myself. The account was suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service. After digging into the situation, my personal opinion is that Google took appropriate action. I'm sorry that I can't go into more detail.

I have been suspended fro Google+.

I wish I knew what terms I have supposedly violated. Google are being really mysterious, very Kafkaesque, because they refuse to tell me what I have violated and they refuse to allow me the option of appeal. I am guessing I was suspended because I posted a Google-critical thread regarding the user-names issue but the ToS don't mention anything about not being able to criticize Google. Free speech is theoretically permissible.

The most detail I can get from Google is that my suspension is due to "text and images" which alleged violates community standards. No precise details whatsoever and no option for appeal.

Re: Google Deletes Last 7 Years Of User's Digital Life, Shrugs

#254

Post by spoodle » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 2:27 AM UTC

Matt_Cutts wrote: post #113

white_devil wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> FWIW Not much. They're only doing damage control. I wonder whether Matt Cutts is on holiday or something, by the way..

I talked to the person with this complaint, then looked into it myself. The account was suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service. After digging into the situation, my personal opinion is that Google took appropriate action. I'm sorry that I can't go into more detail.

You are destroying your brand. I know literally dozens of people that have enthusiastically come over from FB who are deeply freaked out about what you are doing here.

Yes, you can remove someone from your service if you like. But you must let them retrieve their materials. Otherwise, please trust us: We will go somewhere else. Behavior like this from FB is why we came here in the first place.

Re: Google Deletes Last 7 Years Of User's Digital Life, Shrugs

#255

Post by spoodle » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 2:29 AM UTC

Locke1689 wrote: post #179

josecastillo wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Users should be able to control the data they store in any of Google's products. Our team's goal is to make it easier to move data in and out." This philosophy, or at least the "out" part, should apply doubly after someone's account is terminated in this manner. Google has determined that sinning against one service warrants terminating access to other services. That may be justifiable. But sinning against one servi…

No. The ToS applies to all Google services.

Doesn't matter what the TOS says. They are destroying their brand. Last week I had some trust, now I have less. Next week I may have none. I can say that I am already looking for alternatives.

Re: Google Deletes Last 7 Years Of User's Digital Life, Shrugs

#256

Post by Devilboy » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 7:31 AM UTC

BonesLF wrote: post #126

Matt_Cutts wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I talked to the person with this complaint, then looked into it myself. The account was suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service. After digging into the situation, my personal opinion is that Google took appropriate action. I'm sorry that I can't go into more detail.

Since Cutts isn't at liberty to say I think I'll take this one for him. This guy did really dumb stuff with Adwords or Adsense and got caught. Everyone wants a piece of the Google pie and Google wants no one to have it too easily, or their integrity goes to the shitter. Think about what you could do with a tiny bit of programming knowledge and keyword knowledge to make money using these service. Then try it and get b…

He has now publicly stated that he is not and has never been an Adwords or Adsense client.

Any other theories?

Re: Google Deletes Last 7 Years Of User's Digital Life, Shrugs

#257

Post by Matt_Cutts » Wed, Jul 27, 2011, 5:51 AM UTC

Matt_Cutts wrote: post #113

white_devil wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> FWIW Not much. They're only doing damage control. I wonder whether Matt Cutts is on holiday or something, by the way..

I talked to the person with this complaint, then looked into it myself. The account was suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service. After digging into the situation, my personal opinion is that Google took appropriate action. I'm sorry that I can't go into more detail.

For the people who land on this thread, here's how the issue was resolved: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/bvqdos The person whose account was suspended remarked about the image in question: "I too found the image bordering on the limits of what is legally permissible and hoped to highlight the fact that it is allowed to exist within a grey area of legality."

Re: Google Deletes Last 7 Years Of User's Digital Life, Shrugs

#258

Post by Matt_Cutts » Wed, Jul 27, 2011, 5:53 AM UTC

ajays wrote: post #132

BonesLF wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since Cutts isn't at liberty to say I think I'll take this one for him. This guy did really dumb stuff with Adwords or Adsense and got caught. Everyone wants a piece of the Google pie and Google wants no one to have it too easily, or their integrity goes to the shitter. Think about what you could do with a tiny bit of programming knowledge and keyword knowledge to make money using these service. Then try it and get b…

Even assuming the OP pulled some stunt with AdWords (and this is just an assumption that you're putting forth, without any evidence whatsoever), does it justify wiping out that guy's entire online existence? His photos? His emails? His documents? This is like sentencing someone to death for shoplifting. GMail, Picasa, etc. are not about AdWords; they're a means for people to connect with each other. Unless, of course…

As we can discuss now, it wasn't regarding AdWords or anything like that, it was about potential child pornography: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/bvqdos The person whose account was suspended said "I too found the image bordering on the limits of what is legally permissible and hoped to highlight the fact that it is allowed to exist within a grey area of legality."