wordpress family award

Posted on August 18, 2013 by hugmamma

It’s been sometime since I’ve actually accepted an award. Not because I don’t want to, but because I’m not as adept at the intricacies of accepting as I’d like to be. However the time has come for me to jump back in the saddle, so to speak, and take this horse by the reigns, and gallop full speed ahead.

Stigma Hurts Everyone at http://stigmahurtseveryone.wordpress.com/ initiated the Word Press Family Award to help acknowledge those who have influenced our blogging in some way. So in no particular order are a few of the sites whose words have touched me. There are numerous others, of course, and I hope they know they are just as worthy as those who are mentioned.

cyclingrandma… http://cyclingrandma.wordpress.com/

believe anyway… http://believeanyway.wordpress.com/

figments of a dutchess… http://figmentsofadutchess.com/

pocket perspectives… http://pocketperspectives.wordpress.com/

nuvofelt… http://chittlechattle.wordpress.com/

the laughing mom… http://thelaughingmom.wordpress.com/

tiny lessons blog… http://tinylessonsblog.wordpress.com/

random thoughts from midlife… http://randomthoughtsfrommidlife.wordpress.com/

50 year project… http://50yearproject.wordpress.com/

wingrish… http://wingrish.wordpress.com/

jeanne’s blog… http://nolagirlatheart.wordpress.com/

booksphotographsandartwork… http://booksphotographsandanrtwork.wordpress.com/

chronicles of illusion… http://jobryantz.wordpress.com/

marcia clarke-la chica writes… http://lachicawrites.com/

living the seasons… http://livingtheseasons.wordpress.com/

tiny lessons blog… http://tinylessonsblog.com/

advertising…and wordpress

Posted on December 29, 2011 by hugmamma

Contacted WordPress support about unsolicited advertising on “hugmamma’s mind, body, and soul.” Asked that it be removed. Following is the answer I received.

WordPress.com has been running advertising on our free hosted blogs since 2006. Many bloggers do not know this because despite the fact they ticked the box required to get a free blog, they did not read the ToS. Many also do not read features page, or advertising entry in the support documents after registering their username and blog(s). Also note that as the ads do not display to us when we are logged in, and as many use browsers with ad blockers when logged out, they may not realize they are there at all. The only way to get rid of all advertising on our free hosted WordPress.com blogs is to purchase an annually renewable No-Ads upgrade.

If you feel an ad is inappropriate please take a screenshot of it and send it to Staff by emailing support@wordpress.com or upload it into your Media Library and contact Staff and let them know it’s there for them to view.

In response, I said…

Thanks lots for the clarification. You’re right that I did not pay heed to the “fine print.” Entirely my error. I seem to remember, as does my husband, that ads use to run in the sidebar. The fact that they now appear as part of my post is somewhat off-putting. My husband has opened up an ad thinking it was a continuation of what I’d written. Can anything be done to separate ads out of the body of the post?

I chose WordPress because of its offer to blog for free. I’d like to hold onto that freedom, such as it is. I already pay to own my domain name. Another $30 would seem to run contrary to why I chose your site.

hugs for your timely response…hugmamma.

A final response…and I mean final…came almost immediately.

No, in fact ads used to run everywhere, including sometimes between the title and the body of an article. There are generally speaking fewer ads than there were before.

Short of buying the No Ads upgrade or applying for this WordAds program, which also reduces the number of ads further from what it is now, there’s nothing you can do.

And so…the matter is resolved. David and Goliath have come to terms…the giant laying down the law of the land. Truth be told…the conversation was very civil…and clarification of the matter is all this David needed. I can still play in the land of the giants…as long as I abide by their rules. More importantly…

…i continue to do it for free…kind of…

………hugmamma. 😉

advertising…unsolicited

Posted on December 28, 2011 by hugmamma

My husband just informed me that there’s commercial advertising attached to my posts. I wasn’t aware of this fact, so I’ll be looking into the matter with WordPress support staff. I’ve not noticed it when visiting other blogs. I’ve just checked the technical aspects of my blog set-up and didn’t see where I inadvertently okayed such a change.

Is anyone experiencing such unsolicited advertising on your blogs? Would appreciate knowing if you are, and if anything can be done to remove them? Didn’t want my readers to think I was personally trying to sell you something…especially if I don’t like the product myself.

Image via Wikipedia

…strange occurrences…when wordpress starts to tinkering…

………hugmamma. 😉

appreciate your loyalty…big time!!!

Posted on June 25, 2011 by hugmamma

Almost a month has elapsed since I spent my days blogging away contentedly. I must admit my neck, back and shoulders got a much needed break from the long hours I’d spend hunched over my laptop keyboard. If your eyes have been glued to your computer screen in recent days trying to digest my thriller about bedbugs, then you’ll understand my long absence from hugmamma’s mind, body and soul. Let’s just say I was out making memories, however forgettable I wish they were. At my age you’d think I’d have enough life experiences not to need more to feel like an adult. I thought 61 years was a pretty solid foundation upon which to rest my laurels. But apparently not.

Since my daughter’s apartment, both of them actually, were in total disarray, and because we were faced with the overwhelming task of moving her furnishings out of storage, and sanitizing everything before moving them into her new place, blogging was the furthest thing from my mind. Besides which we tried not to spend more time than was necessary where the bedbugs resided, the old apartment. Unfortunately, that’s also where the internet was still hooked up. Not until a new desk we’d purchased was assembled and in place, did my daughter want to relocate her computer and cable connection. All this to say I couldn’t blog even if I’d wanted to do so. I’m sure you’ll understand when I say…that was the last thing on my mind.

Image by Cat Sparx via Flickr

When I finally did sit down to log onto hugmamma’s mind, body and soul, I was very surprised, and very delighted, to find that my subscribers had remained loyal. I was certain the list would have dwindled alongside my dwindling posts. As other bloggers will confirm, “site stats” are an important indicator of a blog’s viability. While views declined as I expected, it was indeed humbling to see that I’d picked up another few subscribers, while hanging on to past subscribers. It reiterated, for me, the words of my Blogging 101 instructor, Cat Rambo. “Write something of value, and readers will come.”

So I thank each and every one of you who continue to make me feel my words are of value. I’m unable to publicly recognize all, for there are those who subscribe via particular posts, and friends and family who subscribe via email, neither of which I’m capable of reproducing below. But know that I include you, about 90, among the following WordPress subscribers whose gravatars I am able to show.

	estherlou http://estherlou.wordpress.com/	2 days, 20 hours ago
	Blogging Blueprints http://generatemasstraffic.blogspot.com/	1 month, 2 weeks ago
	carvingoutavoice http://carvingoutavoice.wordpress.com	1 month, 3 weeks ago
	Blogging Blueprint http://qtwt.us/2ift	1 month, 3 weeks ago
	nuvofelt http://chittlechattle.wordpress.com	1 month, 4 weeks ago
	frizztext http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com	2 months ago
	OneAngryBytch http://oneangrybytch.wordpress.com	2 months, 1 week ago
	easylifestyles http://easy-lifestyles.blogspot.com	2 months, 2 weeks ago
	littlenavyfish http://givemestories.wordpress.com	3 months ago
	dogear6	3 months ago
	carloscollazo06 http://carloscollazo06.wordpress.com	3 months ago
	Redneckprincess http://redneckprincess.wordpress.com	3 months, 1 week ago
	Marion Driessen http://mariondriessen.wordpress.com	3 months, 1 week ago
	Beneath The Tin Foil Hat http://tinfoilhatman45.wordpress.com	3 months, 1 week ago
	HaleyWhitehall http://haleywhitehall.wordpress.com	3 months, 2 weeks ago
	sagechronicles http://sagechronicles.wordpress.com/	3 months, 3 weeks ago
	jeanne http://nolagirlatheart.wordpress.com	3 months, 3 weeks ago
	Jackie Paulson Author http://postadaychallenge2011.wordpress.com/	3 months, 3 weeks ago
	CMSmith http://randomthoughtsfrommidlife.wordpress.com	3 months, 4 weeks ago
	literaryescape http://literaryescape.wordpress.com	4 months ago

	Isabelle http://myenglishthought.wordpress.com	4 months, 1 week ago
	hakea http://hakea.wordpress.com	4 months, 3 weeks ago
	Steph http://coolbluedudette.wordpress.com	4 months, 4 weeks ago
	Northwestgimp http://northwestgimp.wordpress.com	5 months, 1 week ago
	Keith Kamisugi http://keithpr.wordpress.com/	5 months, 2 weeks ago
	mecwrites25 http://mecwrites25.wordpress.com	6 months, 2 weeks ago
	fussymissy	7 months, 3 weeks ago

..how can i go wrong…with so many friends who…”have my back”…hugmamma. 🙂 …mahalo nui loa…aloha from the bottom of my heart!!!

“walking a fine line”

Posted on April 21, 2011 by hugmamma

Once in a while it’s good to step away from my own blog to visit others. There are so many on WordPress that are interesting and well written. And there are as many personalities as there are blogs. Each unique unto itself.

Image via Wikipedia

The Worpress community repesents a microcosm of the world at large since its members are from all over the globe. The conversations run the gamut from religious beliefs to political persuasions to everyday life. Sometimes a blog includes a range of topics, like mine; sometimes there’s a particular focus, like a journal of one’s daily activities. What’s valuable to the writer, is what drives the blog. Otherwise what’s the point?

What fascinates me about the blog world is that we all coexist, side by side, with true freedom of expression, except for what might be deemed inappropriate by “management.” Except for a short period where I was mistakenly being spammed from leaving comments a month or so ago, I’ve not otherwise seen evidence of suppression by WordPress. Heck, they’ve even allowed some spams to come through for my deletion. Although they have fortunately prohibited more than 26,000, for which I’m extremely grateful.

Just as in life, bloggers can rally with others who seem like-minded. Many do. I have. I guess that’s how we form relationships as human beings. It’s comforting; it’s secure; it’s familiar. But what’s nice about WordPress is that we can step outside our comfort zone to “test the waters” without being “seen.” We can read others’ opinions, get a feel for who they are, and decide whether or not to engage in conversation. That’s not always easy to do in real life, without “getting into it” from the get-go.

I think most of us want to be part of the larger community. I don’t imagine too many prefer isolation. I know I don’t. When I first began this blog in July of 2010, I was hell-bent on writing. But I learned in time that while I had readers, most were not really interactive. They came and they left without leaving their imprint. So I worked at making connections by getting out and about. Leaving comments on others blogs, brought them to mine where they reciprocated. I’ve formed strong bonds with a few based upon respect, compassion and positive support.

Image via Wikipedia

There’s a fine line between “telling it like it is” and expressing one’s opinions, I think. Walking the line between both is difficult at best. Refusing to walk that line can mean isolation, a lone voice in the desert. I don’t think we were built to live like islands unto ourselves. Where are we when Mother Nature upends our lives like Katrina or Japan? To whom do we turn if our loved ones are wiped out in a tsunami, and we’re left alone having isolated ourselves from others?

8 12 09 Bearman Cartoon Freedom of Speech

As I’ve indicated, it’s hard to be true to one’s own self, while coexisting with others who feel as strongly about their own true selves. It’s a matter of give-and-take, compromise really, just as in any relationship, even political ones and religious ones. It really does come down to compromise. Being correct can be isolating.

Research still points to the fact that Alzheimer’s might be in my future since my mom suffered its effects for years before she died. That is an isolating disease. I don’t care to self-impose more years of isolation…

by not being open to compromise…hugmamma.

well worth a visit…

Posted on March 23, 2011 by hugmamma

Image via Wikipedia

Have found a few more blogs of interest, again for different reasons. Wish I could visit the millions of blogs that exist on WordPress, but I think that’s very unlikely. But every so often I peruse the pages, and pause on a blog whose post’s title and first several lines make me curious enough to “click,” and read more. I never gave much thought to how very important those 2 items are to getting read. But with so, so many to choose from, how does one decide? I have no idea, truthfully. My method is just to handpick them one at a time. And these are the ones I’ve recently enjoyed.

Image via Wikipedia

Carloscollazo06 is an avid baseball fan. I mean avid. He’s a high-schooler who hopes to become a sportswriter. Judging from his blog, I’m sure he’ll succeed. I understood one post, the one about his passion for writing, in spite of his being so young. His observation, not mine. While he hopes to venture beyond scripting posts about baseball, I’m not so sure he’ll be successful there. Scrolling down, I saw entries containing words like the Braves, Joe Madden, the Phillies’ second baseman Luis Castillo, and a reference to fantasy baseball on ESPN. Did I get that all right? I also knew this blog and mine were generations apart because there were words I’d never known before, like yerd (yearbook nerds) and werd (“writing nerd, of course”.) Of course! Who wouldn’t know what a yerd and a werd are? Duh!?!? Me!!! Nonetheless, this young blogger is worth checking out. He did spend time in NYC on a yearbook conference sponsored by Columbia University’s Scholastic Press Association. We might be reading his sport’s column in the New York Times one day, so you might want to get started now.

My Life in Photos – 365 Challenge, a newbie of 2 months is off and running, challenging her readers to post a photo a day in correlation to a given word. Today’s word, for example, is “situated.” Not an easy challenge , as you can see. My brain cells will definitely grow by leaps and bounds, which is more than welcome in my case. How about yours? Someone who has journaled for 25 years, you might want to check out this blogger’s photo-take on life.

Quickly becoming a friend, another blogging buddy, but one with whom I also regularly exchange emails is Figments of a Dutchess. Living a world away from mine in Holland, she shares my sense of fun, love of pets, appreciation of the great outdoors, and a passion for blogging. What we’ve not got in common is the wind blowing like a jet stream through her beautifully coiffed, short, blonde hair, while she sits confidently astride a Harley. Yikes! If I were to do that, my thinning, henna-rinsed hair might come undone…totally. Like gone, goodbye, fare thee well. I don’t think I’d look good in bald.

The Duchess is a great writer of fiction, having whet my appetite with “the second room on the right.” Hopefully, she’ll be launching the full episodic novel very soon. Like my buddy Scriptor Obscura who has been sharing technical tips with me, like “adopting” my internet doggie, Cheddar, Figments of a Dutchess has assisted in attaching the image “of pointed-toes, an umbrella, and raindrops” in the right sidebar of my blog. The amazing thing is that clicking on the image magically brings up the YouTube video of Gene Kelly in his signature dance role, “Singing in the Rain.” Try it!!!

finding friends on the internet…like finding gold…hugmamma.

blogging, internet “magic”

Posted on March 23, 2011 by hugmamma

Image via Wikipedia

First blogging buddy Scriptor Obscura had asked me some time ago to author a post on her blog. Very flattered, I agreed, but it took me awhile to get my footing on WordPress. A month or so later, I’m now comfortable in my own blogging “skin” to say a few words on Scriptor Obscura’s blog.

Please click on the following to read my original post, ” ‘small’ story, big impact” for Scriptor Obscura’s blog. It’ll give you further insight into what I’m all about.

http://scriptorobscura.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/guest-blog-post-hugmamma/

Another blogging buddy, My English Thoughts, has also posted the second half of the interview she did with me on her blog. My answers to the questions will give you more biographical info, including my take on life as a native Hawaiian. Clicking on the following will take you there.

“http://myenglishthought.wordpress.com/2011/03/18/my-interview-1-welcome-to-hugmamma-part-2/“.

Image via Wikipedia

We’d all love for you to experience the magic of the internet. Imagine 3 people living in France, Pennsylvania, and Washington State, coming together via a shared interest in blogging. That we were able to reach out, complete strangers, and become better acquainted with one another, is no small feat. So when you visit both blogs, keep in mind that there was a good amount of wizardry that occurred behind the scenes to make it all happen.

for partaking of our combined efforts…we thank you…and send a trio of huge hugs…hugmamma.

mandatory? blogging?

Posted on March 20, 2011 by hugmamma

I can’t help but think that we should all be made to blog. Why? Because it’s become obvious to me that the connections I’ve made with other bloggers, complete strangers, has nothing to do with socio-economic factors, like ethnicity, income-level, achievements, religion, age, appearance, political-bent, physical well-being, or aspirations. Blogging is about shared interests, values, hopes, concerns, anxieties. All with whom I’ve shared more than a passing nod, express compassion for others.

Image via Wikipedia

From what I’ve witnessed these last 8 months or so, people take to blogging to have a voice in the world. We begin as individuals, venturing forth onto the internet, getting adjusted to the new environment, getting cozy with our surroundings, making adjustments as needed. Some soar quickly, taking flight, experimenting without fear, gathering new treasures which they quickly bring back to their “nests,” feathering them beautifully. Others, like me, pursue one goal, writing, picking up enhancements by accident, or through much effort and deliberation, even getting caught up in viruses and spams.

Blogging is committing to print, what buzzes around in our brains. For me blogging allows my thoughts to alight now and then, like moths that come to rest on a windowpane near a lit lamp. Moving from writing in isolation to having others gather around to read, is indeed a bonus. But it becomes more than that. The blogging community is a microcosm within a macrocosm.

Image via Wikipedia

All species are interdependent. We humans are not meant to live as islands unto ourselves. Relating to one another is essential to our entire well-being. Blogging connects us, without consideration for the trappings that can separate.

though not perfect, it is an option to seriously consider…hugmamma.

please visit…#2

Posted on March 14, 2011 by hugmamma

My ongoing challenge to you, dear readers, will be to “please visit” other blogs in the WordPress community. There are literally millions of others whose voices want to be heard. I can’t guarantee you’ll love all that you “hear.” But they will definitely broaden your outlooks, as they’ve already begun to enlarge and in many cases, enhance, mine.

One of the better advantages of the internet, I find, is the capacity to meet people I would otherwise never know. Not only that, but be allowed inside their private world, be privvy to their innermost thoughts, probably be told things that not even those they hold dearest and nearest know. It’s mind-blowing, if you think of it.

Image via Wikipedia

Which came first, blogging or facebooking? I don’t know, but they both serve a great purpose, social networking. Although I’m not an avid Facebooker, since blogging occupies the majority of my computer time, there’s no denying that Facebook has risen to the top of the ranks in social influence. Its millions of users are able to change the course of history with a click of their computer keys. Who knew that it would be a global power player? Maybe Mark Zuckerberg had the tiniest inkling when he founded the media Goliath.

Image via Wikipedia

But my ramblings about social networking are to largely encourage you to visit 3 sites I’ve recently discovered. Beyond a small introduction, I’ll let you discern more about the bloggers for yourselves. “Ramblings of an Emmett” is a single mom’s adventure. She writes from the heart, and shares moments of joy, as well as frustrations. A recent post about her dad resonated with me. “Haleywhitehall” writes beautifully of sweet remiscences. There’s a light and airy feel to her blog. I don’t recollect that she rants about causes, as I’m oft inclined to do. And finally, “Beneath the Tin Foil Hat,” which I’ve just now discovered is poised to take on any ultra-conservatives among you. He makes no bones about being a liberal, probably as left-wing as he can get. I can sense a big heart beneath his brawn. He and I agreed that the current NFL-management money brouhaha is much ado about greed. As I’ve said before, athletes like professional dancers, get paid “peanuts” by comparison, but show up for work every day because of their passion for their job. I wonder if these over-paid, over-coddled, self-aborbed football players would perform for “peanuts,” for the love of the game? What do you think?

go become a “site-seer”…notice my new gizmo in the right side bar of my blog…it’s still getting “up to speed”…hugmamma.

please visit…

Posted on March 13, 2011 by hugmamma

If We All Do One Random Act of Kindness...

Image by heathbrandon via Flickr

Decided to take some very good advice of another blogger, “what’s bugging me today,” and branch out to visit other blogs. Classy Rose, the site’s creator, started the challenge called “Random Acts of Kindness,” inviting fellow bloggers to read a new blog a day. Lacking a wealth of technical savvy, I couldn’t figure out how to get on board her challenge. But no matter, I decided I didn’t need to be a part of a group effort, I just needed to subscribe to the message. Toward that end, I would invite you to do the same.

I highly recommend you visit the blog, “I have MS.” It’s a well written documentary of this young 25-year-old, single mom’s debilitating journey with the dreaded disease. With no known cure in sight, she is trying to originate her own path toward a better life for herself, and her child. She is currently contemplating the help of a healer in Canada. John has received acclaim by those who believe he has helped them, in their search for an answer to whatever problem ails them.

“I have MS” also provides helpful information for those of us wanting to live healthier lives. Born out of her own need to fight MS, the blog’s creator has accrued a wealth of knowledge. I’ve commented on her blog that she might consider writing her life story. Its publication might help fund her visit to Canada to see John, and assist in making life more bearable for her family. Now if I only had some real “pull” with Ellen.

You won’t be disappointed by a visit to “I have MS,” in fact you might react as I did…

Image via Wikipedia

i came away a little more humbled…hugmamma.

“beautifully written”

Posted on March 13, 2011 by hugmamma

A comment on my post, “the japanese, a stalwart people,” left by Scriptor Obscura,

beautifully written

prompted my response,

Writing from the heart ensures its own beauty…I’m just the instrument.

hugmamma.

words that came unexpectedly to mind…from somewhere other than myself…hugmamma.

husbands…can’t live without them

Posted on March 13, 2011 by hugmamma

A sure sign of my significant other’s undying support and love was reflected in something he did for me, which I’d not even asked him to do. When WordPress suspended my blog, my husband came to my defense by messaging the support staff a few complimentary words. In return, WordPress emailed an equally supportive message.

Hi

Image via Wikipedia

Thank you for your note.

The site you mention was actually removed by mistake, and it has been restored to its original state. We have notified the site owner of this, as well. We are incredibly happy that you’re enjoying this blog (and we’re sure the owner is, as well) and hope that you do continue to do so.

We do apologize for this, and if you have any further concerns at all please just let us know.

Enjoy your weekend 🙂

Anthony

WordPress.com

As with my previous experiences with Comcast, this one with WordPress continues to support my feeling that you can “get more with honey, than with vinegar.” This situation felt a little closer to the skin, in that I felt personally attacked, being labeled a spammer. Nonetheless, launching a retaliatory attack of words would’ve cost me more.

Stress is as much a killer, as heart disease. As it turned out, with whom would I have been engaged in battle? An automated system that would have come out the victor, not having shed any blood in the process. I didn’t mince words, but the matter wasn’t going to be resolved without the help of WordPress’s support staff. So I enlisted their aid, and while resolution seemed tedious and painstakingly slow, respect on both sides was never jeopardized. In the end, we both got what we wanted. I was able to resume blogging, and WordPress retained a consumer of its product.

Image by Jordan via Flickr

isn’t that what life should be about?…getting along with one another?..hugmamma.

a hiccup…albeit a big one

Posted on March 11, 2011 by hugmamma

The last 12 hours or so has had me pondering the ups and downs of blogging. Not something I’d set out to do when I awoke yesterday. But being blindsided by another “tsunami,” I had to deal with it. I’m becoming very familiar with those of late, as regular readers of my blog are aware.

I’d been writing about being spammed out of leaving comments on other blogs. “Speaking” with WordPress support staff, I was told to check with Akismet, which I did, but got nowhere. So I hunkered down and continued writing, hoping the situation would even itself out. Meanwhile I’d check to see if I was able to leave comments with blogging buddies. Eventually it seemed I could, with a few of them.

I got a message from Akismet saying they’d tweaked the system, leading me to think I would no longer be spammed from participating in the WordPress community. Proceeding to publish my last post, I pressed “click.” What happened next was reminiscent of the viral attack on my laptop several weeks ago. Across the top of my blog were words to the effect that it was suspended because I’d broken rules and regulations, and needed to go elsewhere with my blog, which was no longer suitable for this site. Well, I have to admit it was like a punch to the stomach.

Image via Wikipedia

Recovering somewhat I sent off a message via an automated screen, and clicked “report blog.” That seemed to trigger the message to the entire community that “hugmamma’s mind, body, and soul” was suspended. So it looked to me like I “cooked my own goose,” by seeking help. A couple of friends inquired as to what happened, and I told them what I knew. Waxing philosophical, I decided what occurred was probably inevitable, given that I was labeled a spammer.

I held no ill-will towards WordPress, still don’t, because I’m on their site gratis. I understand I must abide by their rules. I just wasn’t sure which rules I’d broken. But I’d need to “cool my high heels,” or flats as the case may be, and wait to hear back from their review.

The entire situation was disconcerting to say the least. But now I was free to do other things which I’d neglected. So I puttered, and puttered, and puttered. Eventually I returned to my laptop and began looking through tech sites which reported on WordPress’s recent DDoS, Distributed Denial of Service attack. In so doing, I came to understand its vast reach on the internet, and its correlating, gigantic presence.

My hobbit’s eyes were opened. My spam situation was microbial compared to what WordPress has been dealing with this last week or so. And from what I read, there are only 75 staff who handle millions of customers. I now understood why my blog was probably still reeling from the trickle down effects of the attack. It’s not to say I shouldn’t have queried the support staff about my issues, because they would not otherwise have known. It is true that the “squeaky wheel” gets the oil, or whatever the adage is.

Image via Wikipedia

With such a massive operation, it’s obviously imperative that WordPress is on a highly sophisticated automated system of checks and balances. However it wasn’t infallible to hackers determined to wreak havoc. My blog, it seems, got caught up in the warfare. I’d be curious to know if other blogs were similarly affected.

So while the events of recent days have “stirred the pot” until it boiled over, I’m a little wiser to the downside of blogging. There are things beyond my control, and in those instances I can seek solace in my family and God, knowing that there’s always a bigger picture in which I’m just one of his creatures.

It did help that when I awoke this morning, 2 messages awaited me from the WordPress support staff.

Hi,

Your site was flagged by our automated anti-spam controls. I have reviewed your site and have removed the suspension notice.
We are very sorry for that happening and the inconvenience it caused you. -- Anthony WordPress.com

and

> Since my blog, "hugmamma's mind, body, and soul" has been suspended, I wondered if I could have access to my files.
Your site doesn't appear to be suspended - what's the URL of the site that you're speaking of above? -- Ryan M. WordPress.com | Automattic

Thankfully, WordPress's relatively small administrative staff does respond to questions from a non-paying blogger like me, even in the midst of managing a major crisis. I tip my hat to them for doing the best they can, which is pretty good, considering.

i'm learning...not such a novice anymore...hugmamma.

halleluja! for small favors

Posted on March 9, 2011 by hugmamma

Tried to leave comments on my blog buddies’ blogs. Thank goodness 2 of them worked, jeanne’s blog and The Daily Dabbler. I posted 2 comments on each consecutively, to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, as well as to celebrate the moment. Gotta love those small moments! Not so lucky with Scriptor Obscura and Sage Chronicles. Am letting them know via this post that I’ve left comments which disappeared into “thin air.”

Cover via Amazon

Bought a book which might help me understand the machinations of the internet better, especially the manipulations of others to get ahead of the pack. I think the title speaks for itself, “Get to the top on Google,” by David Viney. Someone left a comment a while back asking how it was I got to the top of Google’s ranks. I responded that I had no clue. Remember I’m a writer, not an internet guru. I’ve no clue about Akismet, let alone Google. I write. I click. And it’s out of my hands. Except for checking stats on my blog, I rarely venture out to see what’s happening with my site on Google. When I do, I’ve no idea what to make of what I see. I do see a lot of sites using my posts, but I just shake my head not knowing what to make of that.

My brother’s more tech savvy, so he’s been trying to clue me in on what’s what. I guess manipulation is part of life. We all do it, to some degree, to get our way, to get what we want. But when it oversteps, in the hopes of hurting others, then it’s in another league altogether. But I’m not going to go there. Just want to let readers of my blog know in case your comments are hijacked too. My advice? Don’t stress. Celebrate the small things that do go right.

thank you, jeanne, and the daily dabbler…for “taking my calls”…hugmamma.

“spammed” out of wordpress.com community

Posted on March 9, 2011 by hugmamma

Image via Wikipedia

It seems Akismet has probably decided I’m no longer welcome out there in the wordpress.com community. Can’t complain really because they’ve kept thousands of spammers from getting through to me. So I’ll keep blogging, in semi-isolation, possibly leaving comments on other blogs, hoping they’ll be “unspammed.” WordPress support staff seem as clueless as me, so there’s no real answer to my disappearing comments. Tried to post one this morning on “Success Network Recipes.” My comment “looked” like it might be accepted, but it wasn’t.

Now I know how spammers feel, except I’m not trying to coast on someone’s publications. But it is interesting to see firsthand, the downside of blogging, and technical control. When I tried to email Akismet again as suggested by a member of the wordpress.com support staff, the screen that came up asked if I wanted to buy into spam protection. Confused I emailed back to the support staff at WordPress asking if I now had to purchase spam protection. I’m awaiting their reply. The blogger of Success Network Recipes said in her post “Perfect Solution for Blogging,”

This is a very good question, Lucy. Recently I noticed WordPress have been adding charges to their .com version on certain elements which were free before, such as getting your API key to activate Akismet

This is all a little frustrating, to be sure. My foray into the wider world of wordpress is probably being seen as intrusive by the controls that are locked in at Akismet. Unfortunately, the nuts and bolts of computers can’t “think outside the box.” So perhaps the human in control of making decisions is away from his station, or perhaps there’s no human at the helm. Hmmm… Makes you wonder.

The other possibility is that my user name “hugmamma” is too suggestive. When I first began blogging, I did get a few spammers who obviously thought I was a “madame.” One foreign gentleman asked what I meant when I wrote “a babe in the woods” when I spoke of being a total novice to blogging. I had to laugh at what must’ve been going through his mind. Me at 61? Duh, I don’t think so. For sure he didn’t read my “About” page.

All kidding aside, I’m in a marginal “pickle.” I can write, but I can’t participate. So I’ll go back into my hovel like a hobbit, keep writing, and ponder my options. Meanwhile I hope you’ll keep stopping by to visit and read, and hopefully leave me comments, which I promise will not be spammed. As a wise soon-to-be 25 year old soul, my beloved daughter, once said to me…