Hi everyone.
I am posting this for Diane@
Lavender Dreams.
Please follow her new blog-
her other blog was shut down.
I will let her explain in her own words
what happened.
Saturday, February 23, 2019
The Behemoth squashes the little Lavender Dreamer
That's right. "The Rise of the Machines" is upon us. Our former happy little blog (lavenderdreamstoo.blogspot.com) was suddenly terminated.
Why and how was it done? It wasn't someone reporting us. It was Google's automated piece of software (a bot) that roams the Blogger world looking for pre-programmed words of woe. Once it detects something it kills the whole blog without warning. Without any notification about these supposed offending words. Without an opportunity to fix anything. Just ZAP ... your digital life is deleted. Everything is gone!
Ten years of blogging, thousands of posts, many thousands of photos, over ten thousand comments and a hundred thousand heart-felt words all gone in an instant. Devastating! Be warned all you innocents in blogland.
The blog was actually removed twice, for "phishing". Which, as you all know, is absurd. We have never asked for your personal, private information. The Appeals process reinstated the blog the first time then the Google Bot zapped us again the next day. But the second time we were locked out of the Appeals process. We tried sending Feedback. Never got a answer. Tried to post to the Blogger Help Community. They never published the post. Located twenty phone numbers for Google. The numbers are all automated and only a couple allowed you to leave a message. We left messages. Never got a callback.
Google/Blogger pronounces you guilty using an "automated system" (their words) and gives you little or no opportunity to prove otherwise. It's been a nightmare. (for more details see the timeline post below)
So what choice do we have now that Google/Blogger has burned down our blog? Like the Phoenix from Greek mythology we shall rise from the ashes with this new blog. We will start over and hope that our many friends and followers will be able to find us and that they will never ever have to suffer the same fate.
Mr. Lavender D.
You can imagine how devastating this has been to me. I appreciate my sweet hubby taking the time to help me start a new blog. But can I ask all of you to do me a favor? Will you please put a sentence or two in your next post to let people know where I am and what has happened to me? You can say that my blog was unfairly removed by Blogger and we are trying our best to get it back, but for now I will post updates on the process here:
Thank you, Lavender Dreamer Diane
lavenderdreamsnew.blogspot.com
And also a plea to Blogger to bring back lavenderdreamstoo. We're a supportive community! Maybe they will listen if we all voice our consternation together!
You have our permission to copy and paste any part or all of this post to your social media. At the very least please post a few lines on your own blog about what's happened to Lavender Dreams and include our new blog address. Thanks. MrLD
46 comments:
As soon as Diane let me know about this, I put a post on my blog also. It is appalling that Google would do this. Now I am trying to figure out how to back up my blog so if it happens to me, I still have my posts.
Yes, I will also share. I need to back mine up. Is it difficult to do?
That is just crazy! I have pulled her new site into my Feedly reader. Thank you for letting us know, Diana.
Thank you SO much for sharing my story with all of our blog buddies! And I know that you love me Diana....you found a photo of me when I was still a blond! hahahaha! I showed it to my hubby and he said, Wow! That was worth a lot right there! Seriously though, I appreciate you getting the word out. I still hope blogger restores my old blog. We're going to keep appealing! Sweet hugs, Diane
Sad situation. I have no idea how to back up my blog. Not sure I want to. It is just fun for me.. Headed over that way to check it out.
Love sent from North Carolina Where it is Rainy and cool. My sustem is letting me type a whole line, then I eat some nuts and take a drink then the line appears. And I can correct it.
Sherry & jack
Oh no! That just doesn't seem right at all. Thank you for letting us know! I've known diane for a long long time!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia :)
This is so horrible! I don't understand how this happens. Blogger owns the blogs and they control the content and what information is requested when someone comments. I'm confused, but I have heard of it happening to other bloggers. Will go to her new site! Love and hugs!
Google is making a lot of changes. I don't do google+ but they are doing away with it. I still can't leave comments when they are embedded- does anyone know the answer o that either?
Wow this is horrible. I hope she can get her old blog restored. I am not sure how to back up my blog either. I hate when this stuff happens and there is no place to turn for help.
Hugs
Kris
Goodness! I never realised that a 'whole' Blog could
be deleted, parts of it, usually just changes..Yes!
BUT..the whole Blog..That's terrible..!
Surely something can be done, hopefully you've looked
into every way of doing something..But then Google etc..
Are ALL powerful..
Once again the internet has the final say..It's never
right..I feel for you..I really do..!
I'm thinking of switching my blog over to wordpress for this very reason. Ugh.
That's terrible. It's just not right. I never knew they did this kind of crap. Why not spend your time getting rid of the spammers who clog the comment lists.
Oh no! That is just awful, I’m so sorry this happened to her! I love her blog and will absolutely follow her new one!
Hugs,
Nancy
That is just terrible!! My heart breaks for her.
How Terrible! How do we back our blog up? I have no idea.
Really, I have never fully understood hardly anything about blogging...I am fearful of touching anything on my settings even! Notice how everything on mine stays the same? I do my posts and that's all I know.
Diana, I am upset about Diane's blog. So unfair to not be notified in advance. I can't even imagine what wording set them off. Her blog is certainly not political in anyway. I do not know what would happened to me as I am not that strong with computers and do not even know how to back mine up. I just went thru windows ten doing an up-date...which always screws something up for me. I am once again having trouble loading pictures. Why do people have to bother us? Praying for good results for Diane. Blessings, xoxo, love, Susie
This is devastating news! I thought we were safe with blogging. My Facebook account was deleted along with my FB page because they said I needed my photo verified for security reasons. I guess they couldn't verify my photo because every thing I've ever posted or said on FB was deleted. All of my friends, pictures, everything gone - and without any notification! I felt fortunate that I still had my blog. Now, after reading this, my blog can go away too. This has me really scared!
Oh my! This is a very cautionary tale. Years ago, I used to print my posts and put them in a folder but have not done that for a long time. Maybe I should start doing that again.
Thank you for sharing this Diana! I went and backed up my blog last night after hearing about this. Perhaps we should do a post and let others know how to backup their blogs, I may try to do that today. Thank you for getting the word out to everyone! It is terrible what has happened to Diane!
OMG! this is devastating. I've no word to express! It is really shocking.
Holy mackeral - no WAY.
Wow - yikes times a zillion!
TY Di for letting us know.
I will do what she would do for me. Getting all of this posted (permission to copy and paste makes it easy) and praying she gets her world back. I'd be devasated!
Hugs to both of you. I am in a state of shock. It could happen to anyone.
Did she ever find out what tripped the automated system to delete it?
I am heading over to her new blog now.
Hi Diana, I just reached out to Diane offering to rebuild her new blog Free, to look similar to her old blog.
I don’t understand why Blogger would shut down her simple blog. I will look into this. It seems there has to
be an explanation. I hate to hear people frustrated and suffering.
She answered my email and was brought to tears by my offer.
Xoxo
Linda
www.lifeandlinda.com
How terribly distressing and unfair!
WOW! So heartbreaking but love that she is not giving up!
Yes, I knew about this, what a nightmare trying to figure it all out. I visited her new blog, and have been e-mailing her, so I heard about this a few days ago. Thanks, Diana. Have a great weekend! I got to see Francesca yesterday, so much fun.
love, ~Sheri
Thanks for sharing this information for her, how very sad! I am sure they will help her get it fixed, it might just take while. But its good that we warn one another to back up your blog as it is built right into your settings. I did a blog post on it to help anyone wanting to backup their blog!
She had so many amazing photos...
Hugs, Roxy
keep us updated if she gets it back!
I hope Google will share with her what caused her blog to be flagged. I'm a little anxious to see what happens now especially since Google+ is no more.....
We all know it certainly wasn't intentional.
Pinterest locked my account because they claimed I illegally pinned something and it was a copyright violation. And I had pinned the pin from....Pinterest!
I backed mine up today! I do pray blogger will reinstate her blog!
Thanks Diana for sharing this, I am so confused as to why this would happen. Prayers former to get her blog back, we all how much time and effort goes into making a blog.
Blessings,
Sue
Diana, you are our knight in shining armour once more!. This is horrible to hear, poor Diane. When she mentioned pre-programmed words of woe. what did she mean.? You know I couldn't even find my commentors without your help so I certainly don't know how to back up my blog. I haven't googled it yet, so maybe there is a easy suggestion, but I doubt it! When I put my post out Tuesday, I will certainly mention it..xxoJudy
I have not heard of that happening before!
Yes, I've seen this. Very distressing. I am following Diane on her new blog. I know she appreciates your support!
That is SCARY that you can lose all of those years of blogging:( Just not right and I pray it never happens again. HUGS!
Just can't believe this happened to Diane!!---she is so sweet and such a good friend...she didnt deserve this!!!^^%%$$##@))!
Wow saw this on my phone but needed my PC to read so reading this this morning is amazing. Just awful they have that much power. Quite shocking actually.
I was wondering where the blog went.
Cindy
This is just awful and I am still in shock that this has happened to Diane's blog. I just backed up my blog this morning!
Thank you for the shout out for Diane. I hope we find out what flagged blogger to do such a thing?
Thanks for posting this. It is very upsetting to think that all your journaling could just be wiped out with no warning! I am so sorry for her and curious to know what in the world triggered this.
This seems very wrong. I'm so sorry that happened. It's so unjust. I pray she can recover it all. I'm glad that she's starting another blog.
I will be sharing Diane's story as well. I'd be so angry if it happened to me and I'm angry it happened to her.
Many thanks for posting this …
Diane did let me know via a comment, but a good idea to share it here.
All the best Jan
I really do hope she gets it back...
My goodness, this is terrible! I can't imagine losing all that hard work, photo and life stories! Google/blogger is so big and one swipe you're gone! Being on Wordpress I back mine up after each post....It's store in the cloud (wherever the heck that is) is I can restore. Be interesting to know how you could backup on blogger? Thanks for letting us know!
Thanks so much for getting the word out to all our blog friends! It really made a difference my friend. Blog buds...we stick together! I've felt so much love from so many and even have some new buddies from your blog! I just want to know one thing....how did I age 10 years in one week! hahahaha! Sweet Southern hugs, Diane
Well that is just horrible. I'm so sorry that happened to you. This is a scary situation too it can happen to any of us. I can't seem to get through to the blog will keep trying. Dolly
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