Google goes bye bye!

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   Randy Godwinposted 5 years ago

   Just received an email from Google saying they will no longer support personal accounts on HP. Good bye to most of my writing income here. 

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      bravewarriorposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't get an email from Google regarding HP. I did however receive my first check from Google AdSense last week. I guess it took me 7 years to meet the $100 payout threshold.
      
      I don't understand the email you received, Randy. All accounts on HP and the niche sites are personal accounts, are they not? What exactly are they saying they'll no longer support?

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         Venkatachari Mposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         It is for those who maintain a Google Plus account. Those accounts will be closed from April 1st. So, if you shared your posts on G+, whether from HubPages or from any other sites, all that stuff and your own personal stuff on it will be erased gradually within some period. If you want to keep a record of all that stuff, you can download all the content into one of your personal folders of the computer on 31st March.

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         Venkatachari Mposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         It has nothing to do with earnings.

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      samanthacubbisonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Deleted
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         FatFreddysCatposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I'm not Randy but assuming he got the same e-mail I did, I copy/pasted it in this thread a few posts ago

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            Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, it was the same email, Samantha. I apparently missed the "+". after Google.

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I believe they were talking about Google Plus accounts.  I saw this yesterday when I was posting there.  Starting Feb 4 they will start deleting content and within a few months it will be gone.  I hope what I read is what's happening and not the opposite.  I'm sure the team would be notifying us if this was the case because it would mark the end of this site if it is!

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   ziyenaposted 5 years ago

   Interesting.  If so, then I'll just wait for the official Axe.  Until then … business as usual. 
   
   Find it interesting that I can't access any of my stats.  Just times out

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      Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I assume the in-house program is doomed as well, but I don't use HPads so I'm not clear on that. It was a long email saying any Google related content would be deleted, and Feb. 4th the program will end. We have two months to make our last few bucks it appears.

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         ziyenaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Hmmm … haven't received any emails.  If true, sad news for those who make a few bucks with Google ADs.  I never did make anything with their ad program.  Just pennies … What I'm really wondering if this is is the case, will the removal of the Ad program effect our Google ranking in some way?

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            Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            I'm waiting for either Paul or Robin to address this issue as the email is very official sounding.

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               ziyenaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               Let's hope it's a phishing scheme … crossing fingers

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               Jean Bakulaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               I thought it was just Google + they were getting rid of. At least that's how I interpreted the email. It has nothing to do with our writing accounts here or wherever else we write. Google + was supposed to be a place to exchange ideas in groups. But it was really just a place everyone used to promote their own work. I won't miss it.

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                  Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                  You're correct, Jean! You must've been awake when you read the email. Good thankin'!

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                     Jean Bakulaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                     I was awake, but I sleep late .

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         bravewarriorposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Randy, clarify "Google related content".

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            Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Ready Freddy's email above, Shauna. Apparently, and hopefully, I mistakenly thought the Google program was discontinued. Hope Freddy has it right. Whew!  My bad!

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               bravewarriorposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               It is Google+, Randy. I have the email now, too. It's in the "social" tab of gmail. Nothing to worry about. I'm not active in my Google+ account, so no skin off my back. I'm not active on FB either (not much anyway). I think those social sites are total time sucks and a place for people to post stuff that's really none of anyone's business. Or a place to bash and trash.
               
               You can rest easy, my friend!

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         galleryofgraceposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I doubt very seriously that Google plus was creating any income.

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   FatFreddysCatposted 5 years ago

   Are you sure you read that email correctly?
   
   I got an email from Google this morning too, but it said my personal "Google Plus" (or Google+) account will be going away soon because they are discontinuing that platform...which is fine by me. My Google+ profile was created automatically for me when I signed up for GMail service, but I've never used it.
   
   Google Plus was G's attempt at building a Facebook style social media service, but it never caught on in a big way so they're pulling the plug on it.
   
   https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4 … ts-april-2
   
   I don't think it has anything at all to do with Google AdSense.

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   FatFreddysCatposted 5 years ago

   This is the message I got. There's nothing here about AdSense. 
   
   

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   theraggededgeposted 5 years ago

   Also... some people who had Adwords account (the 'other side' of Adsense) are having those accounts closed down. We all signed up for them to use the Adwords keywords research tool. They are just closing inactive accounts.

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   ziyenaposted 5 years ago

   Looks like the axe is not gonna fall after all!

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   FatFreddysCatposted 5 years ago

   Randy at the start of this thread:
   
   
   Randy now:
   
   
   You OK, boss?

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      Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Freddy, I think I did cut my butt a little anyway..... 

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         DrMark1961posted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Sorry about the injury but I do want to thank you for providing an entertaining thread.

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   Will Apseposted 5 years ago

   You need to have a word with the "Randy who does not read emails properly" you. Try to be kind, lol.

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      Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Ha Will, at least I didn't respond to my own comment as some unnamed do!

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   Titiaposted 5 years ago

   I haven't used my Google+ in years I think. I never saw the benifit. Same goes for Twitter and I never started with Pinterest. I only use FB to keep in touch with my sheep breeder colleages and some internet poetry friends.

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      Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Me either, which made me mistake it for my AdSense account. Of course, I have glaucoma.....but it wasn't that...I was sleepy.

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         snakeslaneposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Randy, chill my friend. It's allowed to be sleepy
         

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            Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks, Verlie! I feel better now.

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    eugbugposted 5 years ago

    Hmm, I wonder does that mean the Google+ communities are being abolished too?

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       Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

       I think so eu, you didn't get the email? The thing that scared me so much was not the loss of income for myself, but the hit HubPages as a whole would take. I've been here long enough to have grown a great deal of respect for Paul, Robin, and the other people who keep this site going. Sure, I make a few bucks here, but this is secondary to the effort these fine folks put out for their writers.

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          eugbugposted 5 years agoin reply to this

          Just got it this morning. It's 5.30 am here so brain not fully awake for processing

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    Kenna McHughposted 5 years ago

    It's the symbol "+" and I suspect Randy isn't good at math either.  As an aside, where does Google get these terms? AdWords and AdSense or CPM, geez.

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    CYong74posted 5 years ago

    G+ was never well-managed, with things getting really horrible over the last year. Spammers were openly posting porn. Some nutcase kept posting Anti-Semitic, Anti-Islam hate posts in one of the communities I'm in, and no matter how we complained, nothing was done. To an extent, I'm glad it's going away.

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    lobobrandonposted 5 years ago

    Randy (facepalm) haha. Get that window fixed.

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       Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

       I don't know about that Brandon, I may need to jump out again! 

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          lobobrandonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

          

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    PaulGoodman67posted 5 years ago

    Sorry to hear that you've wrongly interpreted an email, Randy. I have a proposition that might make up for it. I've been contacted by a representative of a prince in Nigeria who needs to transfer $100,000 to your bank account. All you have to do is give me $2,000 to cover the admin fees.

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       Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

       Great news Paul! Send me the details along with your bank account number and we'll go for it. 

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    Natalie Frankposted 5 years ago

    Yes, my mom called me a couple of days ago panicked that the world was ending as she thought that Google had gone out of business and was shutting down.  She didn't know what to do about email and her pictures I tried to patiently explain that it was Google+ which she doesn't use but once she's convinced of something it's next to impossible to convince her otherwise.

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    watergeekposted 5 years ago

    I don't mind about Google+ closing. I opened it in the first place because another site on which I used to write required it. Then I started using it to promote my HP articles, but that's it.
    
    Glad to hear that Google AdSense is not connected. That's really what I came to this forum to find out. BTW, I think I might know that Nigeria prince. He never did much for me though.

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