But I Don't WANT To Be Owned By Google!

Everybody who knows me, knows that I believe in business, I believe in success, I believe that capitalism is the key to a strong economy. I cheer on successful businesses, and love to see them grow and prosper and make lots of money for the brilliant minds that brought them to where they are, for the stockholders, and to provide jobs for those who choose to work for them.

But not at my expense. And to Google I am a commodity. I would become THEIR commodity if I continued to graze in their pastures like the rest of their sheep.

Yes, I have an android smart phone. When my contract runs out in the spring, I will no longer have to use Google's o/s. In fact, I am not planning to use a smart phone at all. I want a dumb phone. And a tablet. Linux-based. Which will be fine for what I plan to use it for.

Yes, I have a GMail account. That too, will be history in the spring, since the only reason I have it (but don't use it) is because my phone requires it. (Requires it...key phrase.)

There is a plethora of search engines to be found, some even better than Google. And those are where I go when I do a search.

And obviously I don't use the Chrome browser.

I've been working on breaking Google's grip on my online life for a while. And now, finally, the reason I am writing about this tonight:

If you have followed this blog, you know that I have been wanting for vlog for a long time. And, of course, YouTube is THE place to put up vlogs. Last week I finally started, and excitedly posted my first 3 vlogs on 3 different days. It was strange that I had to make some changes on my YouTube account before I could upload the first one, and stranger yet that I started getting notices of people adding me to their circles on Google+ since I have steadfastly refused to join or use that service. I guess I didn't understand what YouTube was asking of me but I was so stoked about finally making and posting some vlogs that I just agreed to whatever I was agreeing to.

But once I realized that I now had the Google+ account, I deleted it - it definitely isn't something I want! Then tonight I went to upload my 4th vlog, and I can't! In fact, it appears that all of my former videos aren't viewable on my channel anymore - in fact it appears I don't even HAVE a channel anymore - since I deleted my Google+ account!

NOW I AM TICKED! I will make sure I have all of my YouTube videos on my external hard drive that I use for archiving and backups, and then I'm taking them all off YouTube. I have been a long-time YouTube user but I won't be a YouTube/Google property.

I will find somewhere else to vlog. If it's even worth the trouble; I'm not so sure it is anymore. I'm fed up.

NO, Google, you cannot own me OR my "online life"!