The Real Blogger Status

We see odd abuse issues reported in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue - like blog owners reporting a blog with recycling abuse status. My blog was locked one day, unlocked the next, then locked again the following day. Help! Generally, this will be a simple case of borderline abuse / spam content or techniques . Sometimes, the cause of the recycling status is more subtle, than being solely the fault of the owner.

Occasionally we see confusion and impatience, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken , about previously submitted DMCA complaints . I have repeatedly submitted a complaint about "offendingblog.blogspot.com" - and nothing is done! How long must I wait, for results?? We should start by noting that Google staff attention cannot ever be promised immediately - but if a valid complaint is submitted, repeatedly, with no results, maybe the problem is in the presentation of the complaint.

Recently, we've seen a few problems reports, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken , requesting return of blogs stolen from the rightful owner. Supposedly, the "rightful" owner is the person posting the problem report. We've learned from past experiences that this may not always be the case, however.

Sometimes, people lose control of their blog, with no ability to regain control - and simply want the blog deleted. How do I have Blogger delete the blog, for me, since I can't prove ownership? When advised that Blogger does not delete blogs on behalf of former owners, the next thought by the former owner is to have the blog deleted as abuse. What category of Abuse should I use, to have a previously owned blog, deleted? While not intentionally fraudulent, this approach is still misuse of the Abuse Reporting process .

Blogger / Google provides two forms, for us to use when reporting unacceptable content, in Blogger blogs. Blogger Help: Report inappropriate content Google Help: Removing Content From Google Each form has a different use - and both forms have their stated limits. You'd be wise to look at both forms - and read the instructions, for each, carefully. Neither form will produce an absolute, nor immediate, result. Google has to consider that either form may be intentionally misused, for various reasons , when evaluating any claim made.

One interesting example of the lack of precision in abuse reporting involves the nature of private information When will Google do something about this blog that is publishing private information about me? They have my home address, my Social Security Number, my telephone number, for everyone to see! This person does not appear to understand the difference between personal, and private, information.

Every day, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken , we see the complaint I've been reporting this abuse to Google for a week, and I have yet to see a reply - or a result. What is up with that? This is possibly somebody who does not know what abuse category to use - or who maybe can't find the right category.

The Internet Is a wonderful thing - it has brought many people, from many lands, together, ignoring geographic and political limitations. Unfortunately, "many people, from many lands" is not always a good thing. In any group of people, there will be people who do not know or understand each other - and there will be conflict. Blogger / Google has given us tools to report a problem, when we experience conflict - and when that conflict involves someone else, misusing a Blogger blog. These tools were developed on an "as needed" basis - so don't expect them to be well defined, and well instructed, in every problem which you may have. And, you have to use these tools correctly - they are not magic.

Cyberspace conflict, using Blogger blogs, is becoming a commonly reported problem in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken . To keep up with the problem, Google is streamlining their processing of copyright violations, and of copyright violation appeals.

Some blog owners are confused about the function of the " DMCA Violation " complaint vs the " Report Abuse " form - and some blog owners use one complaint process when the other would be more appropriate. The Abuse Reporting process is for multiple offended parties to collaboratively complain about a given blog, using any of several different categories. Defamation/Libel/Slander. Copyright/Piracy issues. Spam. Nudity. Hate or violence. Impersonation. Someone is posting my private information. I think someone else is using my account. The "Report Abuse" wizard can be accessed from the navbar link, or directly. There are many categories for reporting a problem, and no specific details are required. This makes "Report Abuse" easy to use. To prevent abusive use of "Report Abuse", it's collaborative - many "votes" (in any one category) are required to be placed against a problem blog, before automated action takes...

Recently, we're noting a few angry complaints from people who may or may not be owners or readers of Blogger blogs. I reported blog "xxxxxxx.blogspot.com" for impersonating me repeatedly, but Google is ignoring me! and multiple complaints about the same blog Why is blog "xxxxxxx.blogspot.com" not being removed by Blogger? We demand its immediate removal! These bloggers show no understanding about the need for jurisprudence, nor for the concept of two sides to every story. If you report a problem blog to Blogger, using either the " DMCA Violation " complaint form, or the " Report Abuse " wizard, you are creating one half of a legal conflict . The other half of the conflict is the target of the complaint, or the publisher of the offending blog. In a legal description, you (and others agreeing with you) become the "prosecution", and the target of your complaint becomes the "defendant".

Occasionally in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I? , we'll see a panicked query I'm getting really creepy comments on my blog from someone who claims to know me or my family. How do I ask Blogger to tell me who is posting those comments? Some of these questions are from people who watch too much television. When somebody publishes an anonymous comment on your blog (if you allow anonymous comments), that person is entitled to his privacy - and Blogger isn't going to casually disclose his identity , to you. If someone leaves you an anonymous comment on your blog, you are disturbed by the content of the comment, and seriously believe the comment to represent a true threat to you (aka "assault"), this is a matter for your local police department to resolve.

The MPAA / RIAA stranglehold, in the USA, on the electronic consumer, may have reached a peak with their ability to coerce the US Congress to pass the DMCA. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, thought by some to be the most noxious bit of legislation since the British Tea Act of 1773, may have a valid use, though. It's possible that the DMCA Violation Form , which Blogger / Google provides, may be useful in reporting content that's been pirated, personally, from you. If you believe that your pictures, and / or articles , are being unjustly copied within Blogger / Google hosting space, you may get some relief from reporting this as a DMCA Violation . Note, however, that a DMCA Violation report is a serious complaint , and can have repercussions both upon the source and target of the complaint. Please note that you will be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees) if you materially misrepresent that a product or activity is infringing your copyrig...

As blogs are being increasingly used by ordinary people, to make their mark in the world, they are also being used by people to annoy or assault others, mock others, and other attacks of varying severity. In Blogger Help Forum: How Do I? , we regularly get questions like How do I get a stalker's defamatory blog removed? or How long does it take to resolve an impersonated blog complaint? or Someone has created a fake blog using my name - how do I get Blogger to remove this, or do I just sue?

As blogging becomes more and more a way of life, there will be culture and personality clashes between individuals, using blogs. Content, and legal ownership of blogs, will become relevant in court proceedings. Recently, we've been seeing various complaints and queries, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue . You need to remove "xxxxxxx" blog, they are publishing details about me and about my family. and The contents of blog "xxxxxxx" is taken from my blog "yyyyyyy". I need this to stop, but I can't find contact information for the owner. Can Blogger contact the owner and have this stopped? and My brother / sister / mother / father died recently. I need access to his / her blogs. Who do I contact at Blogger, to get this resolved?

In January 2008, Blogger improved its blog examination process , and started scanning for hacking / porn / spam blogs more intensely. This resulted in a cleaner (though never 100% clean) "Next Blog" surfing environment. Recently, they also improved our ability to actively participate in the cleanup process. Knowing the possibilities presented, one should also be aware of the limitations .