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!

google has become way to powerful. like right now i'm trying to figure out how to stop it from calling home. every time you log into a network of any kind, it takes your gps info, and wifi (locating near by servers) and sends them all home. if you log into google under more stuff i think - it shows you the last place you've been. if my account is hacked, people will know when i'm not home. it's the same reason i turned off the history and locations for facebook and such. where it actually tells all your friends that your not at home right now.


---Mike Savad

Here's an interesting article I found. http://www.itworld.com/it-managementstrategy/288351/google-offers-no-shelter-people-whose-accounts-are-suspended Seems G+ suspension happens frequently for no apparent reason in some cases. Read through to the bottom where Dan received a response from a Google Engineering Director.

I agree it should not affect your Gmail account. Or any other parts of your Google accounts. What if that was your main business email account and had important emails to be read? That's just wrong. I was wrong, in my earlier post when I said I have had no issue. I forgot, I was booted from the Nikon Photographers community for some reason. At least I think I was because I can't comment on anything, including my own posts, and it is no longer showing in my communities list. When I click on the community there is no join this group button either so I was definitely block. Its no big deal but it would be nice to know why. To my knowledge I didn't post any FAA ads to it. All I did was upload a couple pictures with a link to my website to it. Is my stuff that bad? My posts are still there and still getting nice comments but I can't comment back to thank them. I can still +1 their comments though.

I don't use the FAA buttons because I'm trying to drive traffic to my a/w site instead of FAA. I use my blogger.com account (which is linked to my G+ account) to post new image info after I upload them to my site. It automatically creates a posting for me on G+ which I then just type in a title and click the share button. I've not had any problems (yet) with this approach.

I tried out google + awhile back. AT the time, they had no warnings about the issue I had. They Pull all the photos off your Blogger pages and even my web site(which had nothing to do with google) onto Google+ Without permission....
and unknown to me at the time, if you removed the pilfered photos from G+ .... they are gone forever and removed from your blogs.

That caused me no amount of heart ache. So I closed the G+ account and refuse anything else to do with that place.

I also have Gmail for my business and have a few Blogs. I would not recommend G+ to anyone.

I use the image link on my website page to post the image to blogger - rather than uploading an image file.

It does not interfere with Gmail, trust me I know. It will however hurt with using Google Reader and Picasa. Fortunately, I use neither.

The albums on google plus have full privacy and is meant to help you carry photos to any area of google as and when you need them.

People cannot see them until you give permissions.

It is a great site if you are using it properly but many people do just advertise all the time and nothing else and I see them vanish.

I use it for my wips and chatting and, of course, I have the faa community if we have issues here

I see people uploading there all the time with many images at once.

Also you have the option to email people when posting and someone was emailingbme for every image. I was tempted lol but I just told him to stop which he did

But, to kick you off every part shows just how integrated it all is. Seems now they cannot separate you from certain areas and that's bad. Good if a real spammer but not for someone who may have posted too much

if they gave me a hint that i was doing wrong i can adjust for that. because even if i am back, i learned nothing from the experience. like what is considered spamming to them? they don't specify. i'd like to know more about the business side of it, but can't find anything that makes sense.

http://support.google.com/plus/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1713824

they said pages so often in this, that i couldn't figure out what they were talking about and the word lost meaning. and i'm still lost. i want to do right, i don't want to be seen as a spammer. yet they make the site such a pain to use, that i don't know what i'm doing.


---Mike Savad

Getting suspended from Google+ doesn't suspend you from Google.

However, getting suspended from Google bans you from all their services, which sounds like what happened to Mike. His suspension may not have anything to do with Google+.

no its google plus because that's where the warning came from:


Your profile is currently under review to make sure it is in compliance with the Google+ Names Policy and User Content and Conduct Policy. Reviews are typically completed within a few days.

During this time, you won’t be able to make full use of Google services that require an active profile, such as Google+, Reader, and Picasa. This will not prevent you from using other Google services, like Gmail.

If approved, your profile will have normal access. Otherwise, you’ll see an email that your request was denied and your profile will continue to be suspended. At that point, you can still re-edit your profile or name and submit it for review.

We're sorry for the inconvenience.


i got this after asking for a review.

it seems after actually reading it, gmail is ok, probably due to the level of complaints... but my main fear is, would i be removed from google search, because that would totally kill my business.


from my understanding if they deny your request you have to fill out a form and send a copy of your drivers license? i don't think so.


---Mike Savad

It sounds like they're just going to require you to make use of their business page for your activities instead of the personal profile.

It is spamming if all you do is blast out links to your work. More of that is tolerated on twitter because of the ephemeral nature of a tweet. G+ seems to have a strong sense of community that wants to keep it free from spam. Twitter was more like that at the beginning too.

Whether or not you get flagged as a spammer probably depends on how much you've invested in G+, since good activity builds up a profile of a person who's not a spammer. I don't have any problem on G+, but I also have a decently large following with some very strong connections.

I only posted about three images on G+, but I did not use the G+ button. I went into my G-Mail account and accidently foud a G+ tab. So I posted a couple of links to my personal FAA Web Page. After viewing this thread, I think I'll just forget about it. Not worth being booted out of Google Search.

Thanks for the thresd Mike!

This is totally confusing. I joined some communities such as FAA artists, and FAA artists on zazzle, with the specific purpose of promoting work on those sites. I wish they would give a specific number as the cut off point at which they consider it spam. Or is any post from here considered spam???

if they wanted me to use the business part, they should say so and offer it. i have no problem using it if they mention it. but they didn't.

like what if i made a group just to promote other people, all the links went here, but from different people - would that be spamming?

@ann - i'm thinking anything that isn't conversation based is considered spam.... so i wonder if i were to make it look like a conversation, like add my description to it, would that look more like spam?

i just don't know. there are no strong guidelines. but they will find that the more they remove the smaller it will be until there is nothing left. there are already established social networks, and if that one dropped out no one would miss it. i'm confused myself honestly.

---Mike Savad

hello Mike are you saying you can not post your images from FAA on Google +

Mike, In case you didn't read the link I posted above. Your suspension may or may not be your fault? Here's the text I wanted you to see...

"UPDATE: After I posted this story to my (ahem) newly reactivated G+ account, I heard from Google Engineering Director Pavni Diwanji. She wrote:

Dan, We looked into this, and we are really sorry that our systems incorrectly detected your account as spammy, which resulted into suspension. We hear you that our messaging to the user needs to be more clear. We are working to improve to provide better explanation and also looking to be more
transparent about our appeals process. If there are other users, who feel they are/were in similar situation, please do point them to me, and we will investigate.

So you heard her, folks. Been ousted unfaily by G+ mandarins? Ping Pavni."

Good plus does offer a business plan to host your business but of course a price come with it....there is a number you can call look at all the info of the opening browser page it says and gives you all the information to contact them.....

@michael - yep, i can see it, it's in read only mode.


i've tried the social angle and that takes far too much time, and they can still call you a spammer. i basically have nothing to say to people i know and even less to strangers.

@christina, i read the most part of it. and while it might be a mistake, it might not be a mistake because i know someone else who is finishing her 2 week ban because she was marked as a spammer. and they haven't really done anything with the site from at least august.

right now at this point i wonder how worth it, it really is. if each person in turn is being removed from the site, who will be left to see my stuff? no one. that's who. many people are having a hard time because of their names. like what if your name really is john smith, or jane doe?


---Mike Savad

thanks for the info about google, Michael

"i basically have nothing to say to people i know and even less to strangers."

Then social media isn't for you. If you just continuously dump your portfolio with hashtags, keywords and pricing into the stream without interacting with anyone, that's spam.

"It Appears Google Plus Is Not That Great A Place"
yes it does in a way
more people to get to know.

I don't think it is quite like that. I had a few posts of socializing..posted new works when I added them here. Figuring my "friends" would want to know.... but i suppose someone just flagged a post as spam, and done. No warning at all. I may have had 20 or so posts over time, so I don't think that is me continuously dumping my portfolio with .... I don't post enough work in total since joining G+ that I would have ever thought it would be considered spam.

Personally, now I hope G+ dies a flaming death, but given Google's track record, they'll let it flounder for a time then discontinue it after awhile....

Jeff, your situation is probably way different than Mike's. Your suspension sounds like a glitch somewhere.

I was enthused about G+ until the inevitable ruination and oppressive commercialization of the interface. It's too cluttered to work with now (for me. I know some people enjoy clutter).

There is this to consider............ Google has has an ongoing war with spammers since they went in business. You need to know what google thinks spam is.

May be Dan..but I don't know. The frustrating thing is there is no one to talk to, no one to call, so I just sit and wait and perhaps some day it will become unsuspended. Until then...

Mark, I don't think Google comes out right and says...we define spam as...."this". Because I suspect they would not want to be tied down to a definition. By not being specific, they can act as they wish and not much anyone can do about it.

Jeff, don't send anyone anything they didn't ask for.

i consider spam something you get in your mail box about a service. and it's not spam if it's something you wanted or if it's something your sharing with someone else.

i've always found google to be a pain to work with and not much of it ever made sense. as far as what they think is spam - impossible to know. i'm certain there is some guy flagging people down left and right.


---Mike Savad

I never sent anything, but posted to my google+ page. I assumed it was like FB. Its my page... but maybe I did, maybe I didn't

I couldn't get a G+ account, they didn't like my name, they suspended my account the day after I tried to set it up, I went through their 'review' process and supplied them with a bunch of info including some scanned documents showing that it was a valid name registered with the state, etc. they still ruled against me, so I closed the account. I guess it isn't a 'club' unless they keep some people out.

Well, I am weighing in late on this but... I get very SICK of artists (and others) who put up 10, 15, 20 posts in a row of their "new" art or clever puppy/kitty posters. I had one person from FAA who was posting 20 plus "new" photos A DAY. I finally blocked that person. I have a few more I am considering blocking as they NEVER say anything only post posters and clever sayings. Talk to me or leave me alone.

I thought when someone signs up to follow me, and put me into a group it is because they want to "see mine and show me theirs". Otherwise why would they follow me ? I have a group that is called artists, and that is where I add people who are posting their art, and that is what I expect to see there. If someone posts too many than I will remove them from my group. I think of spam as a totally unsolicited item, that came from someone I did not sign up to see, or did not give them my email address, etc. etc.

There's probably no substitute for meeting potential clients in person and talking about your artwork with them. However, the days of door to door selling is pretty much over - unless you are a Mormon missionary or Jehovah's witness, etc. Not only that, many artists are introverts and prefer to spend their free time alone working on their art.

Social media has the potential to reach thousands of potential clients - if used properly. But I am not sure exactly how to do that since most of the people I am connected with on Twitter, FB, Li, G+, etc are other artists trying to do the same thing that I am doing. The other non-artist people I am connected with are all trying to sell me something except for maybe FB where some of my friends are telling me about what an ass their boss is, how they've been sick with the flu for a week, how drunk they got the other night, who to vote for or how well the local sports team is/isn't doing.

Some people write elegantly about marketing your artwork but yet I never see their name listed in the recently sold page - which I visit quite regularly. Some folks that do sell well give plain honest advice which is not always accepted or followed. In fact for almost every opinion or piece of advice I've read in these discussions, there are other people disagreeing with them and claiming the opposite. I guess all the suggestions are helpful to some extent and if one persists at it long enough he/she may discover their niche and an audience that appreciates it and buys from them. One can only dream I suppose. Until that happens, I remain in a state of confusion and bewilderment unsure that any of the things I have tried so far will bear fruit in the future. But I'll keep trying nonetheless. One good thing about all of this is that I am working on my artwork more and growing as an artist. But will I ever grow into a savvy internet seller/marketeer - especially with the threat of being singled out as a spammer? We already know how google can shut down a website as malicious even when there is no problem.

While social media can be a wonderful avenue to advertise our wares, do some (or many) people rely on it too heavily in exchange for getting out face-to-face and meeting others? Before social media, how did people sell their art?

In the old days, artists were commissioned by wealthy art patrons and the church to make portraits and religious art. Before social media, other than commissioned art, there was the gallery system where an artist gives away half of the selling price in exchange for the gallery director bringing in buyers and doing all the selling for the artist. I see the gallery system fading out except perhaps for the very high end stuff and in select locations with lots of tourist traffic such as Santa Fe, Carmel, Sedona, etc.

And of course there's always Walmart which is how most average people decorate their homes with art.

If it is so easy to get suspended, any other artist who see you as competitor can make you vanish from G+

i had one guy email me telling me that for a low price of whatever he could give me a good WOT rating, then goes on to tell me that it's easy to give a bad one and no one would go there. --- THAT WAS SPAM --- he was then erased immediately.


---Mike Savad

Mike, instead of using the G+ button here, just post your actual photo (800 x whatever) with a description and include a link to your FAA website. Maybe join a few photography based theme groups that match up with your work and link to those. You don't have to have a conversation with people, but I do find more people look at my work this way, rather than through the FAA G+ announcement. I have over 8,000 followers, and I'd like to think someone out there is a potential buyer or knows of one. ;)

Physically posting a photo with hash tags might be a way to avoid being labeled as a spammer.

On Facebook, I've also observed that posting a personal message/post along with the photo and/or a link to FAA gives me much more response. People don't warm to automated posts, and I think they just get too used to seeing them.

i don't trust them with my image, and that's a lot of work. it also encourages pinterest behavior because they have a large looking image. if i don't add the tags, i won't be found that easily. i still think it's an "enemy" removing competition.

i did join photo groups, i did everything i do in twitter. google is trying to clean their site, by making it worse. and it will fail.


---Mike Savad

i found on facebook, i'm usually ignored. even after the storm no one cared if i was alive or not. i can give it a try, but i just can't imagine what i'd say beyond what i have now.


---Mike Savad

I've been a reluctant participant in Google+, Pinterest, FB and Twitter. This makes me want to close all my accounts. I hope it works out for you. Keep us posted on your progress Mike.

"i found on facebook, i'm usually ignored. even after the storm no one cared if i was alive or not."

I'd look at that if I were you.

Do you care if they care? Would you care if I were lost in a storm?

OMG Mike, that's so not true. People on FAA were anxiously watching the threads continually for you and a few other members that we knew lived in the affected area. You were very much on everyone's minds.

i guess that's fair, i could care less about them. but most are people i don't even know, and others are family with about the same status.

i got a much higher reaction from this people on this board, then i did with family members on facebook. it was kind of sad. posting - i'm alive, just to be greeted by nothing, not even crickets.


---Mike Savad

well, they reviewed me, and said i'm still suspended. because i have either text, or an image, or a name that doesn't fit their policy. but left it totally and incredibly vague. the first time it was spam, but the second was a different answer? was it not the content, but the trigger words? i said gun in some of them, but it was art of a gun. but this is all speculation and asked for another review, but i doubt it will help until i know what i did that was wrong. they suggested i use the business version, but i can't join if i'm suspended....


---Mike Savad

and just to clarify - i know there was a thread about me, i was only talking about facebook not noticing.


---Mike Savad

Now I am afraid to use it. Lately I have been sending photos bluetooth from my telephone. Hope that doesnt appear spammy. I have 2,000+ people who have me in circles on my personal site and that is why I never developed my page...I wish I could switch the circles to my page instead...the only reason I use Google+ is for promoting...I never think of it as a social scene...I guess I'm next! As far as the name on my personal account...It is Judy Kay, my first and middle name, but in the "about" section I identity my full name...If they are going to suspend someone, they should be specific to let the person know why they were suspended. Why leave so much confusion!

I made a business page for my Zazzle shop when I first joined G+ but I found it to be pretty much useless. You can't add someone to a circle there unless they have already followed your page. It is difficult to get people to follow your page. I ended up with a circle of mostly other Zazzle designers. I don't know how the business pages are working now that there are Communities.

their rules are strict. they don't like your name. your adding too many too fast. your rearranging your circles too often. the place is impossible to work with. i think people know if someone is sending adverts out but they choose to join anyway, they can see what i'm sending when i make a request. so it's up to them if they want it or not. so i don't see what the big deal is. it's just like twitter. and if they don't want the "spam", drop me. but the fact they are kicking tons out, that's just dumb. they'll learn it's a bad idea at some point which is why i'm not closing that account. plus if i close it, i won't be able to make a new one. though they do allow you to download all of your sites, circles and so forth, which is pretty neat. the file will be huge if you send things to you tube.


---Mike Savad

I'm not getting on G+. Too pushy asking for my private information. It galls me, though, because now they ONLY allow G+ members to post reviews in the Android market. (In a possible backlash, I've noticing some apps adding the ability to submit feedback directly to the developer in-app, and I hope to see more.)

It really makes no sense to distinguish a personal profile from a business page. On my personal profile I have about 15 circles. ....artists, photographers, web design, music, faa, health and fitness, zazzle, etc. If I am going to share to my circles, I am obviously going to share things that will appeal to them...So most of my posts revolve around artwork that I share with artists and photographers and zazzle. I do very little sharing with the other circles...If they want socialization, then the circles should only include friends, family, co workers...non business related circles. ??

I have thought for a couple of years or more google is all about the money. They linked up with so many other sites as far as searching, sharing, adwords, etc. They want whoever, where ever to pay (promote) to come up in the searching, powered by google displays for everything it seems.

I first suspected this on etsy, and actually started paying the 7.00/wk max as a trial on etsy for impressions. I had left my store pretty much inactive for a couple of years or so. Etsy sent an email out, I want to say late 2010, about changing images to be inline with google requirements (they wanted bigger and do not have the protections in place like FAA to slow down theft).

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I cannot keep up with all the work it takes to market myself online. I have decided to let FAA do their job while I do the foot work in person face to face to promote myself in my community dispite how many artists and photographers are in Loveland! Have a great year everyone and good luck! :o)

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?