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Tuesday, February 17, 2009

About to lose the blog

Just got this email from google

I can't understand how anyone can confuse my blog with spam. If there's sometihng my blog has, is hundreds of hours of written content.
Copy or download anything you may want to save because I dont know what will happen.

Hello, Your blog at: http://ferfal.blogspot.com/ has been identified as a potential spam blog. To correct this, please request a review by filling out the form at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Your blog will be deleted in 20 days if it isn't reviewed, and your readers will see a warning page during this time. After we receive your request, we'll review your blog and unlock it within two business days. Once we have reviewed and determined your blog is not spam, the blog will be unlocked and the message in your Blogger dashboard will no longer be displayed. If this blog doesn't belong to you, you don't have to do anything, and any other blogs you may have won't be affected. We find spam by using an automated classifier. Automatic spam detection is inherently fuzzy, and occasionally a blog like yours is flagged incorrectly. We sincerely apologize for this error. By using this kind of system, however, we can dedicate more storage, bandwidth, and engineering resources to bloggers like you instead of to spammers.

17 comments:

Sam said...

This happened to me. I filled out the form and waited. I was locked out for a few days then I could get in. Don't know why it happened to me either.

Anonymous said...

"Fuzzy spam bots". Um. I suppose. However, given some of your reporting and the recent nit-picks you've had....

Good luck, stay safe and make sure your writing doesn't cost you more than a blog! Worst case, see you on some of those "other boards".

Anonymous said...

Got an address we readers can send a clarification to?

Selous Scout said...

Maybe its all those ads by Goggle that it thinks is spam. ;))

Do you have your posts backed up?

I wish you good luck with this problem

sb said...

I'm sure it will get sorted, but just to be on the safe side, you can always export your blog (http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?hl=en-au&answer=97416) and move it to another platform (e.g. WordPress) if need be.

Anonymous said...

Once you let them know they'll probably will not delete the blog. Good thing I've had a chance to read it..

BTW, I'll be getting a vest.

Sticks

Anonymous said...

Ferfal,

I think you'll be fine after the review, but either way, I'd strongly suggest that you follow the instructions on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/696p3b

This will tell you how to transfer your blogger blog to a Wordpress hosted blog. Wordpress has many advantages over Blogger anyway, and it'll much easier to manage.

I'd recommend getting your own domain and hosting, especially if you want to make money from your site, but if 'free' hosting is much more appealing to you right now, I certainly can't blame you for that.

If you have any questions about this, monetizing your traffic, or anything else, let me know, and I'll find a way to get you my email address or Skype info.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like someone trying to hassle you most likely because they're a punk and hit the "report as spam" button or something. But quite possibly, another more paranoid idea that crossed my mind is that someone else doesn't like the useful/informative info you're putting out there. Either way, I hope they review your site and see that it's OBVIOUSLY legit.

Thanks again for all your useful content.

Anonymous said...

Could it be that someone in "higher" places may not like what you have to say?..

Or it could just be a "mistake" on thier part..

Time will tell I guess

Keep an archive of your site if possible..

Human Head said...

All it takes is a few emails reporting your blog as such and down you go. Wonderful Kafkaesque landscape...

These days, I would call such a notification a testament to the quality of your work.

Seems like you made someone you've never met (and/or their friends) unhappy for some reason that will never be explained to you.

Collecting your own email subscription list as a backup would be a good idea as I'm sure many (myself included) would subscribe to it.

DanT said...

Looks like you received a phishing email trying to get information from you. Be very careful when you go to the requested site. Make sure that the site is a google/blogger admin site. Contact blogger.com directly first.

Unknown said...

First and foremost, check twice -- does it really send to you by Google?
Because it is easiest way to ask you for some information about you -- they send you a letter, pretending to be a Google, but in reality they send you some fake adress, where you just fill some form with dozen of questions, probably entering your password for blog or entering your real name etc.

George Donnelly said...

This kind of thing sometimes happens when people get irritated by what you write and don't have the maturity to talk to you about it directly.

Definitely back up your blog, just in case.

If you decide to move to Wordpress, let me know, I work with it every day and can help out.

Anonymous said...

Sorry for nitpicking, but it is LOSE, not LOOSE :-)

FerFAL said...

soory :)

George Donnelly, thanks man. ;)

FerFAL

Anonymous said...

Ferfal, I had a similar event happen a couple months ago, but everything seems to have worked out, though it sure did scare hell outta me. I made sure I'd backed up all my files, just in case. Still functioning, but I wonder if it wasn't some (in this country) lib who got pist cuz I was attacking 'hisser' "gawd" and reported me. (So much for freedom of the press/First Amendment here.)
I fully expect some blogs to be eliminated on b'logspot not too long from now. (I know- tinfoil wearing :-D )
Hang in there, Amigo. You shall overcome.

N95 Flu Respirators said...

Wow, with all the spam blogs I HAVE seen, I'm surprised yours got targeted for this message, rather than one that actually is spam..