Will this blog be going away? The truth is, I don’t know. I hope not.
But I really don’t know. Why all
the concern suddenly? Because I got the
following email on Monday:
Dear Blogger User,
We're writing to tell you about an upcoming change to the Blogger Content
Policy that may affect your account.
In the coming weeks, we'll no longer allow blogs that contain sexually
explicit or graphic nude images or video. We'll still allow nudity
presented in artistic, educational, documentary, or scientific contexts, or
where there are other substantial benefits to the public from not taking
action on the content.
The new policy will go into effect on the 23rd of March 2015. After this
policy goes into effect, Google will restrict access to any blog identified
as being in violation of our revised policy. No content will be deleted,
but only blog authors and those with whom they have expressly shared the
blog will be able to see the content we've made private.
Our records indicate that your account may be affected by this policy
change. Please refrain from creating new content that would violate this
policy. Also, we ask that you make any necessary changes to your existing
blog to comply as soon as possible, so that you won't experience any
interruptions in service. You may also choose to create an archive of your
content via Google Takeout
(https://www.google.com/settings/takeout/custom/blogger).
For more information, please read here
(https://support.google.com/blogger?p=policy_update).
Sincerely,
The Blogger Team
We're writing to tell you about an upcoming change to the Blogger Content
Policy that may affect your account.
In the coming weeks, we'll no longer allow blogs that contain sexually
explicit or graphic nude images or video. We'll still allow nudity
presented in artistic, educational, documentary, or scientific contexts, or
where there are other substantial benefits to the public from not taking
action on the content.
The new policy will go into effect on the 23rd of March 2015. After this
policy goes into effect, Google will restrict access to any blog identified
as being in violation of our revised policy. No content will be deleted,
but only blog authors and those with whom they have expressly shared the
blog will be able to see the content we've made private.
Our records indicate that your account may be affected by this policy
change. Please refrain from creating new content that would violate this
policy. Also, we ask that you make any necessary changes to your existing
blog to comply as soon as possible, so that you won't experience any
interruptions in service. You may also choose to create an archive of your
content via Google Takeout
(https://www.google.com/settings/takeout/custom/blogger).
For more information, please read here
(https://support.google.com/blogger?p=policy_update).
Sincerely,
The Blogger Team
Since the email specifically talks about images and videos,
I’m hoping that I can save it. I’ve been
hard at work trying to find any and all images throughout all my nearly 800
blog entries. I’m deleting not just
those images, but the entire blog entry they were in. I think I’ve found most of them, but I’m sure
there are still a few out there. The
only ones I’ll allow to remain now are the ones I post to go along with my
stories, such as the few at the beginning of this story.
I used to have a website.
That’s how Karen Singer was born.
But after a few years, a policy change deleted the website without
warning. That hurt more than you might
think. But Karen Singer refused to
die. And a few years later, this blog
came into existence. The purpose and
contents of it have changed a bit over the years, but it’s still here. For now.
If for some reason, Blogger does decide to restrict the
access to my content, then I will close the blog completely. I hope it won’t happen, but that’s my plan if
it does happen. I currently average
about 12,000 blog hits over each thirty day period. If I post 8 or 9 entries a month, well, you
do the math. That still leaves a lot of
people from all over the world who are reading my stories. More than I ever imagined to be honest. And I’m grateful for every one out
there. But I’m not going to continue
this for the five or six people who will probably write to ask to be allowed to
view it. I put my work out there for
anyone who is interested in reading it.
If it’s not freely available, then there’s no point for me.
Once again, let’s hope it doesn’t happen.
Karen
9 comments:
I totally understand as writing a blog times time and effort so do that for just a few is pointless
I for one will be very, very disappointed if this blog goes away. Is there anything we can do to help?
I'd truly hate to see the blog close down. I've enjoyed reading your stories and have had some wonderful conversations discussing them with others. Not your average book club. ;) A pox on Google!! I wonder if there is something you could do with FictionMania? Could you just post there every Tue. and Fri.? Whatever the outcome, all the best Karen!!
Amen.
Can't believe google is going all censor all the time.
I hope they'll see reason and let you stay here with your stories, I don't want your tales to go away! I look forward to them too much!
Dear Karen!
Hope you can keep up the good work for years to come!
I have followed your blog closely ever since.
Ewa
My guess is there were some using the blog to post illegal images and Google wanted to distance themselves from that kind of stuff so to protect themselves they have to make these rules. As always the few destroy it for the many but to be fair I can understand googles point of view here as to protecting their business interests. There are far too many blogs to deal with it individually so they had to make a blanket policy. I hope you can find some other place to post as you are fun to read.
I have heard this is a fake. I hope so, because I love your wonderful work and imagination. Thank you soo much.
Michelle
Google has already reversed their decision about censoring blogs
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