Tuesday 2 June 2015

Do you know about Google rules?

I received this message in e-mail.

The issue arose from a comment spammers made through a Google comment, on one of my Ontario Seniors Healthcare posts. It took me ages to figure out how to delete it. The veiled threat in their messages implies it is my fault. Does it ever make this grandmother angry. I know Google is free, but this is ridiculous.

This is the offending post, apparently.
This is the monster Google+ has created. People I do not know can put me in their circles. They can freely comment, and place their spam and ads on my posts. This, since I have a high profile webpage (a high SEO: Search Engine Optimisation, like many of my active blog buddies), it raises their profile on their for-profit website to link to mine. 

I am a non-profit blogger. I don't post ads. I am meticulous at removing any links designed to advertise an obscure, unethical website or business. As many of my bog buddies have done, I only permit comments with my approval. I've been hit too hard with spam, abuse, porn, and ads like this, which violate Google policy. I don't like it, either.

Google has created a monster. These bag men, who will do anything for money and profits, for precious little work. My solution would have been to not go on Google+, but with so many blog friends on it, it's too late. The next solution is to disallow any Google+ comments. I find Google+ hard to decipher, and difficult to navigate my way to a friend's blogposts, never mind the ubiquitous ads.

Rant over. Third day in a row with 10 C. temperatures, rain, and hubby is taking the car for Meals on Wheels.

9 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Sorry you had trouble with Google. Was the problem started with a comment that had a link?

I hope all is well now. Have a happy Tuesday!

Linda aka Crafty Gardener said...

I don't allow links in my comments and have a fantastic spam plugin that sends each and every one of them out into cyberspace without ever showing. It collects 100's of comments. Never mind Big Brother watching you, Google is doing the same thing!

Billy Blue Eyes said...

You can block people, this stops them posting and seeing what you do

William Kendall said...

It's a nuisance, particularly since Google just never gets back to you when this sort of thing happens. I've had it only once, and just deleted the post instead.

Christine said...

It's funny they never catch the real offenders. I am not on Google+, seems luckily.

Gill - That British Woman said...

not a Google + person myself, never could really figure it out?

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
I recently ran a three parter on G+... this post is highly relevant for what you need, I feel. Within that post there is a link which I also put here for your (and others') interest and ease.

Bill is partially correct. You can block. It does not stop 'them' seeing you, but they cannot comment and you do not see 'them'. Out of sight out of mind sort of thing. Important to note (per the little cut-snip in my article), that you can opt for what ads you are faced with. I don't get ads. Simples. For spammers, whilst the delete is not there on G+ (that is being hotly discussed by the power users and those to whom Google pay a lot of attention - so it may not be that long before it appears), you can press the FLAG/REPORT button and Google then take note; if it is a serial offender they will delete it themselves... so the more folk who flag such as you received, the better and more likely they will get banned.

That second link I gave you just now goes to one of the power users - an independent who has stuck with Google and who takes them to task. He links to another of his ilk who has gone a GREAT deal of trouble to provide just about all the pointers to help and issues that you could possibly come across.

One of the pains of being in the computing realm is that one must keep up. It's a pain. However...The snake is only a snake till someone picks it up and points out that it is actually a rope. No more feeling threatened, now you've got a useful bit of equipment!!!

Hope that is helpful. YAM xx

Red said...

I stay away from google plus. I hope it does some good to protect me.

Kay said...

Hoo boy! I don't exactly know what Google + is but I know my son asked me to join up with something so we could do Hangouts. That's probably Google+. There's so much technology I don't know.