Inside Television 572
Publication Date: 9-30-11
By: Hubert O'Hearn
On the whole, it would have been easier if I had just written about Chaz Bono's breast removal. I'd asked for topic ideas on Facebook, and that was suggested to me. The removal of breasts gives one 'male' status. Chaz has not yet been looked at under the hood, shall we say. As such, this is rather insulting to anyone who has had a double mastectomy.
But that's about all I had to say. So instead, I am going to tell you a story, which, if I tell it well and accurately should scare the hell out of you. You have my absolute word that there is not a shred of exaggeration in the words contained here, no leaving out of details that might weaken my argument, and any supposition I make will be clearly stated as just that. But the next time you look at your computer, I hope you realize that It is looking at You.
At about 1AM on Thursday morning I started to write the column for today. I was at my regular job as a Night Auditor at a local hotel. I would say the name of the hotel, but the management and staff are kind people and they may not want to be drawn into what could prove to be a rather ugly and vicious fight. At least I'm hoping so on all counts.
I use Google Docs for most of my writing. The on-line storage is convenient. I can work on my desktop, my laptop, or the hotel computer and there is my stuff, available to my eyes. Oh, it's a little short on fonts and features, but it's not like I'm drawing posters here.
The column was going to be on three topics that had been brought to my attention by a morning newsletter I get from MediaBistro.com – a news digest about the industry. I was going to discuss three news stories that I felt were being neglected. The first was on the Wall Street protests. I would happily quote exactly what I wrote, but for reasons you're about to read, I can't.
I was writing the third paragraph, the second on the issue at hand after the general introduction. I recalled a conversation I had last week with Tzeporah Berman, the Canadian environmentalist who is now a highly respected and senior member of Greenpeace International. Tzeporah mentioned that the value of celebrity endorsements of causes was that they created coverage. So, I wrote that the actress Daryl Hannah had been arrested at the protest just as she had been two weeks ago in Washington protesting against the pipeline to bring tar sands -
And those were the last words I was allowed to write. I need to repeat the above caveat: I am not exaggerating at all. Suddenly, I could not write another word. The file had been stored in the Google Docs folder. I'd noticed that when I had to look up the spelling of Daryl Hannah's first name. A banner flashed across the top of my column. I had broken Google's Service Agreement which forbids, and I do quote, 'words intended to incite violence.'
Here are the exact words I wrote about the Wall Street protest, which I am positive I remember precisely: 'the largest peaceful protest in years.' Now, perhaps it was my referral to a lovely actress being captured that set off the alarm bells. Maybe that sounded, you know, kinky and sick. Except I'd made a word error that I was about to go back and fix. I wrote, 'Daryl Hannah was hauled off in cufflinks.' Not handcuffs, cufflinks. Clearly Google takes a dangerous view of fashion accessories. We must neither let them fall into the wrong hands, or shirts.
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| Don't let THESE fall into the wrong hands or shirts! |
Enough comedy, and do forgive me but one must find the humour in life's horrors. So what did I do? Well, after a certain stunned silence, I thought I'd copy and paste what I had written into a new document, perhaps Microsoft Word. I could not copy it. I looked back at the Google Docs folder. The saved document was now unsaved and missing. I returned to the draft window. It was now blank. My work – may I remind you the work of an honest journalist expressing an opinion about a news event – was considered dangerous, had been defused and destroyed.
It gets worse. I notified the newsroom by Gmail – Google's email service – as to what had happened and that I would have to write the column when I got home in the morning. That email I assume was sent and checking my Sent mail folder just now, it was. Then the next things happened.
Another banner appeared, this time with a black triangle enclosing an exclamation mark. Because of 'unusual activity' (direct quote) my email account had been suspended. I would have to give Google my phone number or text them to get a reactivation code. I complied and Gmail was restored although I do wonder (this is speculation) how and to where exactly my email is now being diverted.
I posted what had happened on Facebook, and I wanted to do the same on Google+ which I had joined – and quite liked – after Facebook's last maddening update.
My account at Google+ was suspended because: 'After reviewing your profile, we have determined that some of the content (for example text, images or name) violates the Google+ Community Standards or Names Policy. Please remember that we are currently limiting profiles to individuals and will be launching profiles for businesses and other entities later this year. ' I was also suspended from Google Reader and Picasa (which I do not even use). As of this writing, Google+ service has been restored.
Rest assured I will be following this up – principally by forwarding this column to Google as soon as I know that it has gone to press. I will report to you honestly as to what comes back. But do you want a preliminary conclusion? If so, here it is:
I never truly understood why one of my heroes, Hunter Thompson, used the phrase Fear and Loathing in his observations on politics, money and power. Now I do.
Be seeing you.
Since this writing, I have been made aware that Yahoo! has also been accused of blocking email related to the on-going protest in New York. I beg of you, PLEASE share this column - to friends, on your wall, to any media you may know. Let's Take This Country Back!
