Wrapping this threat up... - Ikai (from Google Support), obviously sent me a warning email that my service was used by spammers and that I should contact him, or he would have to disable the application. - Unfortunately, the email Ikai sent included some of the (spammy) short links as an example, which made GMail move it to the spam folder and I didn't read it. As a result my application was disabled. - After I asked here for some way to contact Google Support regarding the problem I faced, Ikai stepped in, and the issue was resolved. (Obviously, I want, as much as Google, to discourage spammers to use my application).
I've been a heavy user of Google services and products for many years. Google is doing a fair job trying to keep their services at a high level, but there are times, when something goes wrong, that a user feels helpless in the sense that it's hard to reach out to Google and contact a real person and explain the problem. Even though this issue looked (at least to me) as one such case, it turned out it wasn't. Thank you, Ikai. P. On Dec 21, 10:56 pm, Jeff Schwartz <[email protected]> wrote: > On Tue, Dec 21, 2010 at 3:32 PM, Darien Caldwell > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > I don't think you understood what he was saying. Google support sent > > him an email about their impending takedown with spam links in the > > body of the email, resulting in the official Google email being caught > > in spam filters and not being delivered. > > Yup! > > > > > That definitely *is* something the support team should avoid doing in > > the future. > > > On Dec 21, 3:01 am, Jeff Schwartz <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hi > > > > Respectfully, I don't really think it is nor should it be the > > responsibility > > > of the support team. It should be, I believe, the responsibility of every > > > AppEngine developer to ensure that their application adheres to the TOS > > > because that is what we agreed to out of choice when we signed up. > > But the following is certainly still valid and might save him some grief in > the future: > > > > Perhaps you can add some logic into your application that would allow > > those > > > who spot potential spam to report it and that then would allow you to > > take > > > some action. > > > > Jeff > > > > On Tue, Dec 21, 2010 at 2:12 AM, vrypan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > OK, mystery solved. > > > > > Ikai's emails contained the links that were used by spammers, and > > > > GMail treated them as... spam :-) This is something that the support > > > > team might have in mind for the future... > > > > > P. > > > > > On Dec 21, 7:53 am, vrypan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Ikai, thanks for stepping in, but I still can't find any emails from > > > > > you in my inbox. > > > > > Could you please resend whatever you have send me? (BTW, I just > > > > > received an order receipt from AppEngine, so I'm sure I'm checking > > the > > > > > right email) > > > > > > Thank you, > > > > > > Panayotis. > > > > > > On Dec 20, 11:08 pm, "Ikai Lan (Google)" > > > > > <[email protected]<ikai.l%[email protected]> > > <ikai.l%[email protected] <ikai.l%[email protected]>> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > I'm working with him off-list to resolve the issue. > > > > > > > In general, it's important to remember that as application > > developers, > > > > you > > > > > > are responsible for the content that is posted to your application. > > If > > > > > > objectionable content is reported that violates the terms of > > service, > > > > > > someone from our team will usually email the developers. We expect > > a > > > > > > response within 48 business hours. In most (99.99%) of cases, we > > will > > > > not > > > > > > disable applications before notifying developers. We ask people > > > > requesting > > > > > > takedowns for proof or, in cases of copyright violations, to follow > > the > > > > DMCA > > > > > > takedown procedures as documented for all Google properties. > > > > > > > The type of situations where we'd take down a site while notifying > > a > > > > > > developer at the same time would be, for instance, a site that > > hosts a > > > > worm > > > > > > or exploits end user computer vulnerabilities. > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Ikai Lan > > > > > > Developer Programs Engineer, Google App Engine > > > > > > Blogger:http://googleappengine.blogspot.com > > > > > > Reddit:http://www.reddit.com/r/appengine > > > > > > Twitter:http://twitter.com/app_engine > > > > > > > On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 12:18 PM, Maxim Veksler < > > [email protected]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > +1 > > > > > > > > On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 10:10 PM, Joshua Smith < > > > > [email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > >> Thanks for posting this to the list. His story was > > disconcerting, > > > > and > > > > > > >> it's good to hear that he didn't respond to your emails. > > > > > > > >> -Joshua > > > > > > > >> On Dec 20, 2010, at 2:18 PM, Ikai Lan (Google) wrote: > > > > > > > >> Hi, > > > > > > > >> I sent you an email a week requesting a response. Please check > > your > > > > inbox > > > > > > >> for emails from me addressed to the billing administrator of > > your > > > > > > >> application (vrypan@). Because you didn't respond, I was forced > > to > > > > > > >> disable your application. > > > > > > > >> Your application is in violation of our terms of service because > > it > > > > is > > > > > > >> being targeted by spammers to shorten spam URLs. If we are > > reported > > > > > > >> instances of these, we will contact the developers to: > > > > > > > >> 1. Remove the content > > > > > > >> 2. Take aggressive measures to prevent spamming of their service > > > > > > > >> Our terms of service dictate that you are responsible for > > policing > > > > the > > > > > > >> content of your application. If you are in violation, we will > > first > > > > notify > > > > > > >> you and work with you before disabling your application. > > However, if > > > > we do > > > > > > >> not receive a response, we will go ahead and disable the > > > > application. > > > > > > > >> Please work with me off mailing list to resolve the issue. > > > > > > > >> -- > > > > > > >> Ikai Lan > > > > > > >> Developer Programs Engineer, Google App Engine > > > > > > >> Blogger:http://googleappengine.blogspot.com > > > > > > >> Reddit:http://www.reddit.com/r/appengine > > > > > > >> Twitter:http://twitter.com/app_engine > > > > > > > >> On Sun, Dec 19, 2010 at 1:32 PM, Jorge Guberte < > > > > [email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > >>> If that's the case, then the app i'm developing will be shut > > for > > > > sure, > > > > > > >>> because it extends the Google Contacts platform, making use of > > the > > > > API > > > > > > >>> Google provides. > > > > > > >>> Makes no sense, right? > > > > > > > >>> 2010/12/19 Philip <[email protected]> > > > > > > > >>> There is no way that the app was disabled because Google fears > > > > > > >>>> competition. I'm currently developing a google news like > > service > > > > on > > > > > > >>>> app engine and I got access to the matcher api and prediction > > api > > > > > > >>>> without any problems even though I have told explicitly that I > > am > > > > > > >>>> doing this. I also got always help from Googlers like Ikai in > > the > > > > IRC > > > > > > >>>> channel. > > > > > > > >>>> Besides, I'm pretty sure that it would be *highly* risky for > > > > Google to > > > > > > >>>> disable apps that are competing with their own services. They > > > > would > > > > > > >>>> abuse their online monopoly and this could result in > > > > astronomically > > > > > > >>>> huge judicial punishment. > > > > > > > >>>> On Dec 18, 8:56 am, Nickolas Daskalou <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > > > >>>> > It may have been disabled because it competes with Google's > > URL > > > > > > >>>> > shortening offering (http://goo.gl/). > > > > > > > >>>> > Nick > > > > > > > >>>> > On 18/12/2010, at 1:21 PM, vrypan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > >>>> > > Hi. I've been running my URL shortener, urlborg.com, on > > > > appengine > > > > > > >>>> > > since 2008. Suddenly, yesterday, the app was marked as > > > > DISABLED by > > > > > > >>>> > > google, and no one can access it. How do I get in contact > > with > > > > > > >>>> > > someone that can explain what's going on? I feel really > > bad > > > > for the > > > > > > > >>>> > > users that relied on my service. > > > > > > > >>>> > > I really, really like AppEngine, I mean, if you are > > offering a > > > > > > >>>> > > hosting environment, and people are paying for it, you > > can't > > > > just > > > > > > >>>> > > switch off an account, without a warning, or a notice or > > > > > > >>>> something... > > > > > > > >>>> > > Panayotis > > > > > > >>>> > > -- > > > > > > >>>> > > You received this message because you are subscribed to > > the > > > > Google > > > > > > >>>> > > Groups "Google App Engine" group. > > > > > > >>>> > > To post to this group, send email to google- > > > > > > >>>> > > [email protected]. > > > > > > >>>> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > >>>> [email protected]<google-appengine%[email protected]><google-appengine%2Bunsubscrib > > [email protected]> > > > > <google-appengine%[email protected]<google-appengine%[email protected]><google-appengine%252Bunsub > > [email protected]> > > > > > > > >>>> > > . > > > > > > >>>> > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > > > > > > >>>> groups.google.com/group/google-appengine?hl=en > > > > > > >>>> > > . > > > > > > > >>>> -- > > > > > > >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > Google > > > > > > >>>> Groups "Google App Engine" group. > > > > > > >>>> To post to this group, send email to > > > > [email protected]. > > > > > > >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > >>>> [email protected]<google-appengine%[email protected]><google-appengine%2Bunsubscrib > > [email protected]> > > > > <google-appengine%[email protected]<google-appengine%[email protected]><google-appengine%252Bunsub > > [email protected]> > > > > > > > >>>> . > > > > > > >>>> For more options, visit this group at > > > > > > >>>>http://groups.google.com/group/google-appengine?hl=en. > > > > > > > >>> -- > > > > > > >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > Google > > > > Groups > > > > > > >>> "Google App Engine" group. > > > > > > >>> To post to this group, send email to > > > > [email protected]. > > > > > > >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > >>> [email protected]<google-appengine%[email protected]><google-appengine%2Bunsubscrib > > [email protected]> > > > > <google-appengine%[email protected]<google-appengine%[email protected]><google-appengine%252Bunsub > > [email protected]> > > > > > > > >>> . > > > > > > >>> For more options, visit this group at > > > > > > >>>http://groups.google.com/group/google-appengine?hl=en. > > > > > > > >> -- > > > > > > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > Google > > > > Groups > > > > > > >> "Google App Engine" group. > > > > > > >> To post to this group, send > > ... > > read more » -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Google App Engine" group. 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