Please explain in plain English - NOT amateur radio

This morning I received this from Google. 

"Google Cloud BigQuery works with Google Analytics 4 to help you become more data-driven and unlock AI. Bringing Google Analytics data into BigQuery can help you reveal business insights across more data and build ML-based audiences to increase marketing ROI."

I have no idea what ML means and many will not know what ROI means!  

More Google gobbledegook - NOT amateur radio

This morning I received another (near incomprehensible) email from Google. It was about video policy on AdSense. As with all things Google why use 3 words when 23 will do!! I think those in charge of communications at Google need to go on a plain English course. 

Google gobbledygook - NOT amateur radio

Every few days I seem to get an email from Google  Each seems more stupid than the last. Why use 3 words when 20 will do!  This is especially true if you can make the reader seem totally daft. The last one is talking about something I do not understand.

Plain English please!

Yet more Google crappery - NOT amateur radio

 I am sure they mean well, but I have just received this:

"We are contacting to inform you of a change to our Google Publisher Policies. To continue to ensure the integrity of the ads ecosystem, we have amended our language to allow IP addresses to be used for the purpose of fraud detection."

As I said, yet more "crappery".  What the heck is an "ads ecosystem"?

Plain English please.

More Google Crappery? - NOT amateur radio

This came today. Whatever is "a property"? They mention this elsewhere.

" You can now link your new Google Analytics 4 properties to AdSense to get a holistic view of your monetisation...."

Haven't clue what they are talking about (again) but so pleased I can now get a holistic view!! 😉

Gobbledegook - NOT amateur radio

I have just received an email from Google AdSense and I am none the wiser!  In my view it is total rubbish. To my mind, it was total gobbledegook.  

Please may I have this in plain English?  

Russia and Google - NOT amateur radio

The BBC reports that Russia has fined Google for spreading "fake news" about the "special operation" in Ukraine. Outside Russia it is called war, although by tight control of the media, most Russians are unaware.

I am puzzled why Russia is carrying out such aggression against people who (were) so close. It is clear that most in Ukraine hate Russia now and Mr Putin has even more countries now wanting to join NATO. Such aggression has no place in the 21st century.

Why?

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62214564 .

Am I being thick?

Before turning on my new webapages, I want to take a backup copy of my old pages. The old pages are in Google Classic Sites. 

When I looked I could not see how to do this. I shall look again, but if you know how, please let me know.

UPDATE 1222z: I think you go to Classic sites and download to your Google drive as a zip file in "takeout". Haven't tried yet. This must have changed as I am sure this wasn't the case a few years ago.

UPDATE 1256z: I tried it. When I unzipped I could see the images but only some of the webpages! Now, this may just be me being thick, but.....  So far, I am still trying to find a way. All I really wanted to do was make a backup copy just in case.

New website ready soon (this week?)

As mentioned yesterday, I am working on a new Googles Sites website. All being well, it will "go live" later this week. You will still point to www.g3xbm.co.uk and it will automatically take you to the new pages when they are ready. Most pages have been done, but some remain to be done. 

The main difference is pages will be accessed via drop-down menus at the top of the home page rather than the index on the left. It allows some new features including embedding, so my 10m FT8 grabber will be there too. I may be able to use this feature for other things as well.

All being well, there will be some new pages too.

Google storage - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday I had a confusing message from Google saying that after June 2021 Google Photos is now included in my 15GB free allowance. Obviously, this is Google trying to get you to buy more storage.

What I am unclear about is this: usually I store my photos on Google Photos not in their original size but smaller (as Google allows) so the storage is totally free. My question is is this still free?

UPDATE 1450z: It seems that after June 2021 what is free will no longer be for future uploads when the total allowance exceeds 15GB. See https://support.google.com/photos/answer/10100180. To me this is a way to get you to buy more storage. Clever marketing. 😣

More crappery - NOT amateur radio

This appeared on my blog maintenance pages earlier:

"Following the announcement of Google+ API deprecation scheduled for March 2019, a number of changes will be made to Blogger’s Google+ integration on 4 February 2019. "

So the new buzz word is "depreciation". 

"Going away" - NOT amateur radio

No doubt like many, I got an email yesterday to tell me Google+ was "going away" and that I needed to archive any data I wanted before Feb 9th. Yet another example of things getting worse, not better, with time. I have to admit, I have not used Google+ for years.

Why don't they just be honest and say Google+ was a failure? Sorry, I have little time for this "marketing speak". Please, tell us the truth, as we are grown ups and are not stupid.

My main website

My main website, which has pages and pages of projects is at www.g3xbm.co.uk . Now it appears that Google want this to move to the new Google Sites. They offer a preview. I tried this. Yet again, it seems a step backwards.

I have, for now, dismissed it. Certainly it would require a lot of edits before switching. Why, oh why, do corporations make things worse? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

Sorry Google, but why? Who gains?

President Trump and Google - NOT amateur radio

It must be great to be ruled by a true genius showing sincerity, modesty, integrity and statesmanship.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45331210

Google confirm new London HQ - NOT amateur radio

So Google has confirmed its £1billion investment in a new HQ building in London. This is good news in a post-BREXIT UK.

Big companies still see the UK as a good place to do business. There is much right with the UK.

Personally, I think the EU will face difficult times ahead. OK the UK has to find its way in the new world order, but it will. With a political swing to the right (hopefully a blip) I can see other nations wishing to leave the EU. It would not totally surprise me if the Euro loses a lot of its value in 2017. A total collapse of the EU is possible too.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37988095 .

Panoramio - NOT amateur radio

From Google earlier:

As a born cynic, I do not like it when things are "retired". Usually what replaces it is less good.

Back in 2014, we announced our intention to retire Panoramio in order to invest our efforts into improving photo-sharing experiences directly inside Google Maps.  In response to your feedback, we postponed these plans and worked to add features to Maps that better support the level of engagement that you have enjoyed with Panoramio. Today, with photo upload tools in Google Maps and our Local Guides program, we are providing easy options for you to share your photos with an active and growing community. As such, we’ve decided to now close down Panoramio. To make this transition easier, we’ll provide several options to continue sharing photos through other services. If you choose, you can also export all your data and take it somewhere else.

Because you have linked your Panoramio profile with a Google account, all your Panoramio photos will be copied to the Google Album Archive at full resolution after Panoramio goes away. These copied photos will not use any of your Google storage quota.  However, unless you upgrade to a Google+ account, your Panoramio photos will stop appearing in Google Maps.  This is because Panoramio nicknames will no longer be supported, and all other photos in Maps are attributed to Google+ user names.

After November 4, 2016, you’ll continue to have access to your photos in Panoramio for a year, but you will no longer be able to add new photos, likes, or comments.  Below, we’ve included resources to help you manage or export your data.  You can visit your Panoramio profile to see what photos you've added.  If you have already linked your profile with a Google account, your Panoramio data will automatically be saved.

1) Keep your photos in Album Archive

Because you have a Google account linked with your Panoramio account, we will automatically copy your Panoramio photos to the Google Album Archive when Panoramio is retired in November 2017.

• Copied photos will not use any of your Google storage quota.
• If you activate Google+ on your account, then eligible images and your View Counts will be transferred into Google Maps and will be visible when you sign in to Maps and access the Contributions screen from the main menu.

2) Export your photos to a local zip file

Visit takeout.google.com and follow the instructions there.

3) Become a Local Guide to keep contributing 

To keep adding photos to Google Maps and engage with a growing community of photographers, join the Local Guides program. You can earn points and unlock rewards for photos submitted with a Google account when they are linked to a point of interest or business. Many of your Panoramio photos may already be counted.

If you prefer to no longer share your photos with Google Maps, you can delete your Panoramio photos or your entire account at any time.  

• You can delete your Panoramio account (and photos) immediately by logging in, opening "Settings", and clicking the "Delete your account" option.  You can also navigate to this page directly by using this link.
• If you delete any photos (or delete your entire account) before Panoramio is retired in November 2017, that content will not be automatically copied to the Google Album Archive and will stop appearing in Google Maps.

Please see our Help Center article for more information and the various options you have to save, transfer, or delete your content. We’ve appreciated your contributions over the years and hope you will continue to share amazing photos with the world.

Thank you,

The Panoramio team

Google going backwards? - NOT amateur radio

"We recently announced that the Google Feed API would be retired. As a result, the Slideshow gadget will no longer function and we will remove it from your blog by 29 September 2016."

Funny how Google announces changes to its blog "features". See https://developers.googleblog.com/2016/06/announcing-turndown-of-google-feed-api.html . It seems that they withdraw features more often than they introduce new ones. "Turndown" means the feature is going!  Sorry, "retired" is the euphemism I should be using.

Google restructuring - NOT amateur radio

Google s doing a major restructuring according to the BBC. Apparently this was a surprise move creating a new parent company called Alphabet Inc..

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33857412 .

Non line-of-sight (NLOS) 481THz paths from home QTH

Before venturing out, I have been trying to plot possible NLOS paths with the optical TX at home (inside) and the RX at a convenient roadside spot at a moderate (local) distance. One possible path is VERY remote down very uneven fenland roads which would have to be navigated in the dark with my wife driving the car. I am thinking about her driving the car. I am not allowed to drive as a result of my stroke.  Many of the NLOS paths are blocked by nearby houses and trees. It is a surprisingly hard task.

 Back to Google Earth to see where might be worth trying. From previous tests it is necessary to aim very carefully.

Chromebooks?

This week saw the launch of Windows 8. Also, Google launched a new Chromebook 11.6 inch PC manufactured by Samsung which is getting rave reviews. Chromebooks use Google's Chrome OS which is very much linked to Cloud based operation.  The new series 3 Chromebook is only £229 from John Lewis complete with a 2 year warranty. In the USA it is available for $249. Now, when I looked I could not see any amateur radio apps for this OS. They will surely come though.
UK retailers include PC World, Amazon and John Lewis. They seem to be selling FAST.

Although I am not sure why, this PC really appeals to me: it is simple, small and effective. The local machine remains uncluttered and safe to use as most of the applications work remotely "in the cloud" although Gmail, Goodle Docs and lots of other apps will work without an internet connection too.

Has any reader used a Chromebook? What were your impressions?