Fuckers disabled my Google+ profile. I don't know if this means that Blogger is about to disable me and this blog too, but it's definitely complexifying my life for now, as my Blogger profile and my G+ profile were linked.
Some requests for you, gentle readers:
1) E-mail me here if you want me to notify you where my blog lands up. I promise to use your e-mail for no purpose other than that, not to share it with anyone for any reason, and to delete it after notifying you.
2) If you're not comfortable with that, which I perfectly well would understand, google "mydissolutelife" in a week or so's time – I hope to be up and running somewhere else shortly.
3) Give me advice on blogging platforms: what's good for us smutty, pseudonymous folks? Is it WordPress? Something else?
4) Make some noise about Google's unfortunate "Names Policy" and "User Content and Conduct Policy." I understand that I'm not the customer – the people they sell my information to is/are – but Google is a utility, and a natural monopoly, and its behavior (and that of Facebook, too, which is similarly a natural monopoly) should be regulated.
Check out the message I get when I try to log on to G+:
"After reviewing your profile, we determined that some of the content (for example text, images, or name) violates the Google+ User Content and Conduct Policy or Names Policy. Please remember that profiles are limited to individuals; use Google+ Pages for businesses and other entities.
While suspended, you will not 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 you believe that your profile was suspended in error, or if you recently changed your profile to comply with our policies please submit your profile for reconsideration.
Your profile will be reviewed again and we will lift the suspension if it complies with our policies. Reviews are usually completed within a few days.
We're sorry for the inconvenience.
We understand that Google+ and its Names Policy may not be for everyone at this time. We'd be sad to see you go, but if you do choose to leave, make a copy of your Google+ data first. Then, click here to disable Google+."
I think Violet Blue had some experience with this some months ago. You might check her archives. Most of the cool sex bloggers (except you and I) have switched over to WordPress. Not all, but most. It will fuck with your stats, you can't use Google analytics, and IMO, the templates are hideous.
I host myself, in part because of problems like this — although in general I'm more concerned about free online services suddenly going away because the business collapses than I am about censorship (though both are quite real). I pay $20 a month for server space on Media Temple. They have a "one click install" of WordPress. I chose a theme, and started blogging. As long as you're not doing something illegal, Media Temple and other web hosts generally don't even look at your content (and won't unless they get a complaint from a law enforcement agency or copyright holder; they don't have the time). The upside? I'm probably safer in terms of privacy, threats of censorship, and stability. I also get to have my own unique URL, which I like. No ads, lots of themes. Downside? Setting up WordPress on your own is more complicated than getting a blog through a hosted service like Blogspot or WordPress.com. It's not free (although services like Bluehost and Dreamhost have pretty much the same service for less; I think Bluehost was $8/month for awhile).
Fwiw, you can use Google Analytics with WordPress. It's just not effortless.
I have used google analytics on a wordpress site if it’s self hosted. The G+ thing may simply be about not using a ‘real person name’ rather than content. They seem to be using a mallet to segment business from personal users. Who knows – maybe to take on FB pages – maybe they have their eye on LinkedIn .
I’m pretty sure it’s that they want to be able to deliver to their advertisers pristine, porn-free placements, and to harvest identity-specific data.