It Appears Google Plus Is Not That Great A Place

Dont blame them, or all we would have are adverts. On all social medias you have to be social......

what's the point of it then? facebook is set up to be social. people use both sites to advertise on, otherwise there wouldn't be people's titles on that site. and there wouldn't be a need for a google plus button on the page.


---Mike Savad

Well, that would suck as gmail is my primary email on all levels.

(Never did use G+ though)

What's the point of it then?

LOL to be social and to network.

That's why it is called SOCIAL media

twitter is social, but it's not used that way, facebook doesn't seem to mind that much. in either case if they want a site that people can and want to use, they can't keep banning people. they ban them from what they think is spamming, if you don't have the right name, etc. and when you are banned you can't comment in youtube, or do anything else related to google that uses your input. from my understanding.

---Mike Savad

I use G+ and FB as advertising tools. I post on average 2 or 3 images a day on FAA and always use the G+ and twitter buttons. I have never had a problem

Yes but, Dave, you are on there sharing and chatting too

apparently it's either a timing issue, or just one bad egg complaining. no one really knows, there is a huge ban list of people about that site. in either case it's a warning that you could be suspended without reason. and i'm only assuming i know the reason.

---Mike Savad

I'm pretty sure the point of them is to make money for their owners....

You got banned from everythint Google? Wow. I wouls upset if that happened to me for advertising my art.
Taking away your mail for advertising art seems like an overkill to me.

I am not sure how to go about it but I would contest the decision.

As big as Google is I can't see them having the time to know what everyone is posting! I'm thinking you are correct in that someone in your network had sent in a complaint! It's stupid, why would someone be in a network and not expect to see adverts. I always thought Google was geared more toward a business frame of mind. Thanks for the warning I guess I'll have to be a little more active there too and keep my fingers crossed!

Hi Mike. I was thinking about exploring Google+ but I'm not sure I understand what exactly happened to you? When you say ..send stuff from a place like this...do you mean that there is a link from FAA to G+ everytime you upload to FAA? Is so and you get "whacked" for so called spam then that really sucks!

I think I'll lay off of G+ for a while then. I can't afford to lose my gmail account.

i can only assume someone marked something as spam. it's the only thing i can think of. why now? not sure. maybe i'm a target, it seems easy enough to put someone down that way. there are no email things you can sent. i submitted a review, but from what i know, they put you back, but don't tell you exactly why you were banned from it. and there are thousands with the same story. for no apparent reasons each one of them was banned from using it. good thing i don't buy words from them, they remove those from the search and i don't think there is a refund.

@bold - i'm not sure because they give a host of reasons why you were removed, but not the exact reason. or what they consider spam, etc. like what if it wasn't my thing i sent, but someone else's - is that spam? there not specific and only offer a generic boiler plate of what is allowed.

http://www.google.com/intl/en/+/policy/content.html

here is what is not allowed. it could really be anything.


---Mike Savad

Hey..join the club. I was "suspended" from G+ with maybe 20-25 total posts over the course of a year or two. Spamming. I didn't lose my gmail account though. Or my webmaster tools for my website. But that is about all I use. And there is no one to talk to. I found a place to ask (via webform) for the removal of the suspension, but in the meantime closed my G+ account. And... it won't let me add a new one. No big loss

Supposedly, you should set up a "business" account to promote your work, instead of a personal page. However, when I first signed up, there was no distinction (that I know of), and in the meantime things changed but I wasn't around enough to notice.

i'm not sure how i would go about doing that. because if that's the case i'd rather do that. unless of course it's a pay site, then forget it.


---Mike Savad

http://www.google.com/+/business/resources.html

i found the business part. i can't do anything while i'm suspended. but i don't see how it's any different other than your marked as a business. if i sent ads out from that account would i be marked? could i join circles or transfer them? (they took forever to get), does it cost money? they don't seem to mention these things.


---Mike Savad

I am in circles with 100's of photographers, but have no idea how G+ works and don't have time to sit and read all the posts that scroll by. I hop on once in a while and post a comment on a photo or +1 something, but that's it. I find it rather boring to sit there all day and just keep sending my photos there by clicking on the G+ button when I post a new photo.

I use the Google + button for other peoples artwork and haven't had a problem yet, however I had a feeling something like that might happen if you did it too much , so I only press a few at a time. I understand why they suspend some people when they post lots and lots of FAA ads at a time. I don't like seeing hundreds of ads on my G+ account so I have to scroll way down to get to the stuff I'm interested in and I'm sure others don't either. G+ is not an advertising site or they would be charging. Usually when promoting my FAA website I actually upload a real picture and add my website link to it, that way it just looks like I'm sharing my photos not advertising. I compare the G+button to the morphine button when you are in the hospital, a little at a time is fine, but too much can be dangerous. Just use discretion is all. However I'm not really sure posting to G+ is going to generate to much sales when pretty much most of the people seeing your work is other photographers. I wouldn't be surprised to see Facebook start to suspend soon if things start to get out of hand. I don't know if you noticed or not but there is a fairly new button underneath your Facebook posts that says promote this. Click on that and you will see they want money for you to advertise and if they see people continue to advertise for free I think you will see a change.

That stinks. I hope you are able to rectify this soon.

Jeff / Mike ... may I ask how you found out that you were banned from Google+ ?
Did they send you an email or what?

I got no notice that I know of. When I clicked on a G+ button where ever that may be, it gave me an error... This went on for a while, but I was just too lazy to check into it. Then I searched (google... irony?) and found what could be the problem. One of the things i found said if the g+ button doesn't work your account could be suspended. I laughed, but then went to my G+ profile and sure enough... it said I was suspended. No warning, no nothing. Just suspended....for spamming. My guess is someone reported a post as spam... but I wasn't given a chance to do anything.

no mail. i tried hitting plus, it gave me a red triangle, i log in, click on home and you are suspended for such and such. but no specific data or a way to be ok and advertise. like if i joined business, which so far i can't see an advantage of. it's like walking on egg shells there. i'm fine until i'm not. most people use facebook and twitter for socializing. i'm sure there are others. what google plus was for, is beyond me. but it's a heads up, to let all of you know. because i was a promoter of the site, but now not so much.

and there are no warnings - this is the warning. not, someone reported you. or we think due to your pattern, or anything like that.

---Mike Savad

Thanks to both of you.
Google is a bitch!

I've only skimmed the first few and last few posts so forgive me if this has been mentioned. But wow, people do you really not keep up...Google had been announcing their changes from quantity content to quality content for over a year. SEO has changed and for the better. It is not about me, me, me...but what value can I bring to you, you, you. So ask yourself, what value does your art bring to others. Then also figure out your niche. Not everyone is interested in your style of art and if you just keep throwing it in their face, it does become spam.

Yes, Google is all tied in now, gmail, youtube, reader, if you are banned from one, it effects all of them. Best practice, don't spam.

I'm with you Minnie, I've experimented with the social media sites and don't find them particularly helpful, especially as so many point out, views don't equal sales.

@Jean I hate spam and would never practice it, but since only people (mostly other FAA artists) that have chosen to link with me will receive the FAA updates, I don't consider it spam. They can choose to unlink if it bothers them.

Facebook, great for print sales
G+ has got me commissions for originals

It is what you [put in as to what you get out......same as all things

i'm showing my work to other people i don't consider it spam.

if it really is spam they should say to or tell me how to fix it. i can't even open the business part of it. and no, i have no idea where google announces it's news.

---Mike Savad

My frustration with google is the search is now a commercial thing, they want people to pay to show in a search. If you have a red Holland tulip image you do not have much of a prayer of coming up in a google search now. (My ebay 8 years ago and etsy 5 years ago would often come up on the first pages) Same with my husbands music stuff although he has faired a little better with 10 plus year old website and various shared commercial links.

For example, I have Celiac Disease (no gluten) and 2 years ago could google a question and browse similar queries, like is Hunt's ketchup gluten free? Those searches only show sites you have to pay to see a response now. And it is misleading, if you check an ice cream brand and click on a specific result, it does not even contain that brand, only the gluten free ice cream part.

A listing for a particular image like train engines for instance would not show you most recent items, in fact if you search under google images they repeat after about 3 or 4 pages and end at about 10. No help to scroll further along. I really miss the old information you could find.
My husband says google was not ever aiming to please the internet public, they want to make money. I did not mind commercials on the side... I do miss a very limited search now. Only the big guys.

I haven't joined Google+ because I didn't see much use for it, plus I don't like the arrangement. Just what the heck are "circles" anyway?

Beth, do you have a Facebook fan page? If so, do you like it? (P.S. Love your avatar).

the idea behind google plus was to organize it better than facebook. in facebook you gather together your closest 5000 friends and announce to them all that you had too much to drink, you passed out and here are pictures. i will be leaving on a 10 week vacation, here is where i live and here are shots of my most expensive things, and do check out that fake rock, i hid a key in there.

people tend to ramble on that site forgetting they have thousands listening, they think they are talking to 6 people.

google circles - the idea is that you only have friends in one circle, family in another, people you don't know in another. you only tell your friends about your drunken escapades. only your family about your vacation. and to everyone else, cat pictures. you can select who gets what. but it becomes very annoying to select which ones you want to send things too each time.

and in the case of google+ even if you add too many friends at once (some people use it just to collect friends) - they will ban you for that as well.


---Mike Savad

I've thought about joining G+ quite a few times, but didn't, and since reading some of the posts here, I'm glad I didn't.

This report is very informative and will help you understand how fix your penalties and get ranked again and if you have no penalties how to keep from getting them.

http://seobraintrust.com/perp/?inf_contact_key=e49b6d665f4310f3f90f9d1590238575ffbc48a10e3435b4317d91d493db4775&affiliate=0

I signed up for google + awhile ago but only activated it right before this post was first started by Mike, may have rethought it. I have looked around a little but do not see exactly how to navigate.

MIke, I fell down laughing at your post. And it made me very glad I'm not in any circles. As for Facebook, I've never had a page there, mostly because I value my privacy and see no need to broadcast what I'm doing or drinking or whatever. I do have a Twitter account, and I like it. But I'm thinking about a Facebook fan page. If anybody on this thread could tell me what they think about FB fan pages, I'd really appreciate it.

JL,

I have the FB page linked to FAA, and have a question for anyone with an answer: Should my images be posted to both the fan page and personal page? I have both boxes checked when posting images .

i have it going to both. i don't really know the difference. i can never really link to the fanpage for some reason and just kind of gave up trying to tinker with it.

---Mike Savad

Yes I have a page on Facebook because I value my privacy. My wall is for family and friends (bless em) and my page is for family, firends, strangers, art lovers and parties

I hold contests for prints, chat about my arty life (and other), play around a bit and share silly jokes... write poetry

But, all my private stuff is on my own wall. Thats how my privacy settings are set too

LOVE G+ but its a bot of both... work and play

As far as I can tell, I only ever see the one page (one with my images) that loads when I log in. Have also had problems "Liking": others (folks from here) pages, as I never can find the dang Like button.

Elizabeth, if I am not mistaken, you never really developed your "page" on google+...I think many of us didn't know there was going to be a page when we setup our account and now we are reluctant to do so because it would be so redundant...So , based on the new Google+ policy, using your personal profile to post artwork and promote it could be considered spam??...I honestly dont know why they need a "page" profile on google+...The circles concept should circumvent the need for it completely...I have to repeat what I said previously...the whole concept of google+ was to create circles of people you want to share with.. Images come through my feeds in droves...if someone is uploading images I am not interested in or too frequently, I remove them from my circles, or designate to ignore their posts....
I would say to anyone thinking of opening a google+ account to develop the page if you want to promote your artwork and just use your personal profile for family and friends and co workers...too bad a distinction was not made clear from the beginning...

UPDATE...I just downloaded the SEO... For real???who are they addressing this to???It would take a rocket scientist or Harvard lawyer to figure out what they are talking about or who they are speaking to! The average person who is using google + and posting is not going to read or understand this policy...So what are they going to be left with...Tech Freaks...not artists!

I rarely post to a page here. I normally lead people to stories on my site.

judy are you talking about that lengthy book that drones on and on - and i have no idea if it really helped or not? there were some interesting things in there, but nothing that could help me, not on my webpage, not in my googleplus. it sounds a bit like that if your images or link is put on another site, you could also be marked as a spammer.

an interesting side note - i wanted to verify the plagiarized descriptions. you take it from some other site, say wiki, your page will be pushed to the back of the search. so for all those groups that require 20-50 lines of text, if you took it from another source, google will push you farther back. they want original content.


---Mike Savad

Mike its the Penalty Evaluation and Recovery Program A step-by-step, evidence based process for getting out of Google Jail, clearing
your good name and forever defending against further prosecution. the link was provided by Jean Moore in this discussion. I read just enough to know I have not idea WHAT they are talking about or more importantly WHO they are talking to...If they want to really help out...how about putting it in a language everybody can understand...No wonder there is so much confusion with google+ ..They need to tailor their conversations to the average user..or at least that portion that pertains to them...Check out the link and see for yourself...
I think Penney hit the nail on the head. I think Google wants people who are attracting business...People who are using ad words/ad sense etc....and they are weeding out people who dont meet that criteria..Honestly, I am starting to feel like there is a civil like war going on...the war between individuals and technology. technology wants to rule the world...and is doing everything to make that happen!

Yes that is very important. The words must be yours

they could have shortened that book down to about 15 pages if they just cut right to the facts. instead of giving pointless stories, making jokes, telling the background history of things, etc. at the end they say that we should make a book of some kind because it helps rank you better - which i assume is why they made this book.

funny thing is, if i was using adwords, they would pull me from that program too - even though i paid, because of this banning nonsense. glad i didn't buy any.


as for descriptions, there are a few on here that have enough wordage to create a novel. it just goes on and on. how they think that doesn't bore the buyer i just have no idea.


---Mike Savad

It will just be a case of "survival of the fittest"...The tech freaks will survive and all the people who support it. the rest of us who want a purist and simplistic lifestyle will "fall by the wayside!" In so many ways I love technology and what it affords us...but there is that part that makes me feel like I am suffocating.!

^ Jean Moore, thank you for the things you have shared. I am wading my way through the documents and it's all making sense. :)

I'm anxiously awaiting one of you ladies to read the entire document and post an executive summary telling me in simple, brief language how to use Google and avoid trouble ;)

@ Penny and changes in Google search - I guess that is why my Bot hits have dropped down to next to nothing. Pretty soon we will be saying "remember the good old days" about the internet.

Once upon a time - say 5 years ago - I signed up with google - and never went back after I used it the one time for the business I was working with. The information is still on google - and I am not.

As for facebook - I was on for a while - but I'm very obviously dense - I don't know how to use it - I have friends that use it for their "business" of selling glass and pottery collectibles, antiques, etc. It took me near 4 months to finally get shut of facebook - I started getting stuff I didn't want in my email from people I didn't know. I don't know the difference between the "wall" and "my page" or how to set it up. Frankly - I'm not interested in getting stuff on their from family or friends - I have email for that.

The one way I do advertise that you shouldn't miss: every outgoing email, even in response has my http://1-roy-erickson.artistwebsites.com as a "signature"

Yesterday I had an additional problem crop up on my Google Nexus 7 tablet while trying to edit a photo I had taken on my phone. I took a picture on my cell telephone (Sony 8 megapixel camera) and sent it "Blue tooth" to my tablet. It went into my gallery and I tried to edit the photo before sharing to google+..I have done this in past with no problem...Yesterday, however when I tried to crop the photo a error message came up, not sure how it was worded now.)..I tried several times and kept getting the same message...I got a link to report,and when I did google's legal "tos" came up...Not sure if this is just a routine report, or if there is an issue with my account?