Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Thank you

This morning, I woke up with my husband, and, as is my wont, checked my email on my Kindle Fire.

The Fire couldn't check my email. I opened the web browser, and mine and Kitty's blogs had previously been open there. Hers loaded up fine, but mine gave me this:

I've seen this message before, on other people's blogs when they suddenly go missing, but I'd not done anything! I had been using my account just last night. I was terrified at the prospect of months and months of my writing having disappeared due to some random snafu. When I saw Spanky's comment under Kitty's post, I realized it wasn't just me, something was wrong.

I ran to get my computer, responding to my mom's "What are you doing up?" with a "My blog is gone!"

"Gone? How?" (she knows I write a lot even if not exactly what, so it was a big deal)

I didn't know, but I tried to log in and I was gone here too. Not just some random Kindle/Spanky snafu, then.

That handy little "I can't find my blog on the web, where is it?" link led me to a verification page which explained that Google had shut down my account due to some suspicious activity, most likely someone trying to break in to my account. On that page, I could enter my mobile phone number that Google already had (thankfully!) and they sent me a verification code via text message to restore my access. I changed my password to a much more secure one.

Checked my email. Kitty was worried. Fondler's Anonymous was worried, in fact, sent me that screen shot, which of course I didn't have the presence of mind to take myself.

Checked Spanky's blog. Spanky was worried.

To everyone who's expressed a message of support and noticed that I went completely missing for no apparent reason: Thank you so much.

It feels very much like I'm a well-loved part of a community here.

Seriously, guys, you all rock.



Update: How to back up your blogger blog

22 comments:

  1. Seriously, I was grumpy most of the day because of this. I was afraid Blogger had arbitrarily pulled the plug on you as they've been known to do. I couldn't wait to get home (I can't log in from work) and see if perhaps a miracle had occurred and everything was back to normal. I was so relieved to see you come back!

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    1. I was relieved too! It felt like a miracle when everything was where it should be.

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  2. What a relief you were able to get your blog back. That is the worst nightmare for all of us in blogland.

    FD

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    1. Absolutely. "The worst internet thing EVER," I said to someone.

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  3. welcome back (even though you never really were truly gone!)

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  4. I was going to comment on something and poof! You were gone. Very unsettling I'm sure. Glad your back.

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  5. Hmmm...I saw Spanky's comment and checked and everything was fine, even left a comment for him saying it must have just been a glitch. Glad it was :) What would I do without my Conina fix?

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    1. You'd be a far droopier faerie. :)

      Well, I like to think so anyway. ;)

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    2. Yep, I would, so keep thinking it, lol :D

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  6. That's just terrifying! Glad that it worked out in the end.

    Hugs,
    mouse

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  7. Glad you got it all back again. Need to go and fix my account so I can verify via text message too.

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    Replies
    1. I definitely recommend that and backing up the blog regularly, which was ridiculously simple.

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  8. Oh, that's scary! Where is the "I can't find my blog" thingy?

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    1. It's a link that appears under the error message when the blog is gone. Thankfully. Else, I would have been panicking even harder.

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  9. So glad everything is okay. I figured it was some sort of weird blogger snafu because I could reach you through someone else's blog. I'm a lurker and I love your blog!

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    1. I'm a blogger and I love that you de-lurked to tell me this! :)

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  10. Yikes! I guess I wasn't visiting when this happened, but I'm happy you got some help and that you're still here!!! :)

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Thank you for reading. I hope you'll let me know you were here - I like friends!