This COULD Have Been The End.
On Common Ground almost died.
See, I realized the other day that I hadn't changed my Google password in a while. And since I had last changed it, I had shared it with someone - who I totally trust - who needed to use my gmail briefly. But I let paranoid thoughts run through my head and thought...
"What if they wrote my email login and password down on a piece of paper? And then threw it in the trash... And then someone found it in the trash... And has been secretly using my Google accounts for random things that I haven't picked up on yet?"
Paranoid. And a little crazy. But nonetheless, it was time to change the password. I hadn't changed it in years. And it is connected to everything I do on Google, including this blog.
So I changed it. And in the process, I turned on the two-step verification process in case anyone ever tried to hack my email.
But that is where I failed.
As part of the two-step verification process, Google sends a text to your phone witha numerical code. You enter the code into the screen when you try to log in with the new password the first time. I, however, forgot that the mobile phone I associated with this account was my Canadian phone...
WHICH I HAVEN'T HAD IN OVER A YEAR!!!
That meant I was blocked out of my Gmail, my Google+ and THIS BLOG!
I hadn't realized how interconnected my world was to one email address. And how losing access to that email address meant potentially losing a lot of things I feel are important.
I was mentally preparing myself to have to force this blog into "retirement."
"I would die!" one of my friends said, if this had happened to her.
"How awful!" another one said.
But I took it in stride and figured, "If not being able to update this blog anymore would be that devastating to me, that would mean I have a lack of faith in my writing ability. And that I felt my best writing days were behind me. The content would go on to live, but I wouldn't be able to contribute in this space. And that's okay. I would just start a new space."
As fate would have it, I was able to get back in after going through the multi-step process with Google's system to verify that I was indeed the correct owner of the Google login. And about 48 hours later, I was back in the system.
Day saved!!!
I have now updated my mobile phone with Google, as well as downloaded Google's Authenticator app.
And I have faith that this may motivate me to do some actual writing. Not just the dilly-dally posting I have been doing.
So I changed it. And in the process, I turned on the two-step verification process in case anyone ever tried to hack my email.
But that is where I failed.
As part of the two-step verification process, Google sends a text to your phone witha numerical code. You enter the code into the screen when you try to log in with the new password the first time. I, however, forgot that the mobile phone I associated with this account was my Canadian phone...
WHICH I HAVEN'T HAD IN OVER A YEAR!!!
That meant I was blocked out of my Gmail, my Google+ and THIS BLOG!
I hadn't realized how interconnected my world was to one email address. And how losing access to that email address meant potentially losing a lot of things I feel are important.
I was mentally preparing myself to have to force this blog into "retirement."
"I would die!" one of my friends said, if this had happened to her.
"How awful!" another one said.
But I took it in stride and figured, "If not being able to update this blog anymore would be that devastating to me, that would mean I have a lack of faith in my writing ability. And that I felt my best writing days were behind me. The content would go on to live, but I wouldn't be able to contribute in this space. And that's okay. I would just start a new space."
As fate would have it, I was able to get back in after going through the multi-step process with Google's system to verify that I was indeed the correct owner of the Google login. And about 48 hours later, I was back in the system.
Day saved!!!
I have now updated my mobile phone with Google, as well as downloaded Google's Authenticator app.
And I have faith that this may motivate me to do some actual writing. Not just the dilly-dally posting I have been doing.
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