I wasn’t sure whether to address this here, but I did get some comments about my disappearance from blogland (and thank you for noticing, and commenting! It was nice to be missed!)
So, here is the story in case it happens to anyone else…
If you didn’t notice, then for one awful day my blog was temporarily removed from online, and my account temporarily disabled. Although the word “temporary” was scarily not used… I was completely horrified when it happened. Losing my blog, and my profile; I felt like I had lost a part of myself. It was a very glum day!
I was given an option to send a message to google, which I did. Then sat tight and waited. Then my husband, who is a bit of a computer whiz, turned up and started working at it, which I implored him not to do (thinking he might only make things worse) We applied to change my password, which involves getting a link sent to your nominated email address, and here it was important to have that back-up email address there since I no longer had access to my google one, remember, my account had been disabled! A password reminder link was sent to my backup email, which could only be activated by a code sent to my mobile phone number, also entered into my original google profile (thank goodness I had filled all these options out) We managed to change my password, and at that moment the problem was fixed; I had access to my profile again and my blog was restored. Such a relief!
Even so, Craig and I are unsure whether google had received my message and acted on it really fast, at that very moment; or whether it was our changing the password that did the trick. Apparently, there was “unusual activity” on my account, possibly a hacker, which caused the automated shutdown, designed to protect my blog.
And, if that is the case I have a personal message for that hacker… if you are reading this, then CURL UP AND WITHER, SCUM! You need a life, mate, or at least a hobby, so go out and get your own and don’t try to poach on mine!!! (hairy eyeball, pointing the bone)
During my downtime I did some serious self-searching. Would I be happy without my blog? Should I just let it go? Should I start again? I have backed up my posts as web archives along the way, so I have all my old posts for my own reading should I ever lose it online for good. I started doing that about a year ago, and am glad I did so since this little scare… My blog has become more than just documentation of my self-made wardrobe, my sewing, knitting and handcrafting. It is an artistic journey too. It has sometimes taken on the mantle of a pseudo diary, particularly during those self-stitched months. Those months are interesting to me now, and will be more interesting to me to look back on in the future too, since those months of my life stand out from the months around them, with a clear jog-the-memory of what I was doing and thinking and my moods and so on. I want to keep that…
But, more than that, my blog has become something else that I hadn’t fully appreciated when I started it… I have become part of a real community of like-minded people! Would I ever want to give up those friendships? Well, naturally I would not! I’ve met such a lot of people by this medium that I could never have met nor got to know otherwise. I know most of us haven’t met up for real, but that doesn’t mean I feel any less of a kinship with many of you. Just like when I met Yoshimi and Novita and Darci, we had an immediate understanding and friendship, even though we were actually meeting for the first time. And I feel it would be the same with many many others with whom I exchange words of encouragement via our blogs and websites… sounds strange; but in an increasingly virtual world and a global community blessed with instant easy communication, we are making friends. A new modern form of friendship, but friends just the same. It would be awful to lose all that!
So, in short, I am very glad to be back, and I also take this opportunity to thank all of you who do read my blog, who comment, and who take an interest.
THANK YOU!
(A bouquet of flowers picked from my parent’s garden. It doesn’t get any more beautiful than this, imo)
