Wordpress Is Being Shady
So many of you may not know that I also run a grammar blog called Language Rules! (tee hee) that, by most measures, is quite successful, or at the very least oft-visited. As of early last week, there were almost 27,000 hits on the site with nearly a hundred daily visits.
To a grammar site. About grammar.
GRA. MER.
I must have been mistaken because I didn’t think people were all that interested in grammar.
The funny thing about it, though, is that there has been one post to it in the past year or so. The vast majority of the hits come from Google searches and people wondering whether their writing is correct or not. There is literally zero traffic coming from RSS readers and very little from direct links. Why would there be? It’s a site about grammar.
But, as of late last week, it was taken down. It appears that, without warning, it suddenly began violating Wordpress’ Terms of Service. With one-ish post in the last year. No emails, no warnings, no cease and desist letters. Just taken down. The ToS discusses things like defamation and nudity and obscenities and “racial objectionability,” things typically reserved only for the most extreme of grammar blogs, not ours. And no one has gotten back to me after numerous emails about how or why or whether it will be put back up or whether the content even still exists anymore.
So, on their suggestion, I tried the forums. Seems those don’t work either. See? (Can anyone else access these?)
What’s the deal, Wordpress? It’d be nice to have a little communication here.
I like grammar.
The logo on their blocked page looks strangely similar to the one we used to use for our podcasts (less so the one we use now). Two B’s in a circle? We’ll sue!
Voilà! It’s back up! http://languagerules.wordpress.com
YOu host a grammar site? Is there no bounds to your myriad skills and talents?!
No, there are no bounds.
Damn, I was hoping for a stern reprimand for my singular verb/plural subject disagreement. You subtly corrected me in your response.
Go ahead. Be stern. Kick some grammar butt.
For the record, it was a test. (You passed.) I am admittedly not a grammarian, but I write a sentence with subject/verb agreement.
I didn’t want to be that guy who corrects everybody annoyingly and also maintains a grammar blog. But—shit.
An aside: How do you like the new Dave Eggers book? “AHWOSG” was one of my favorite reads.
Agreed. This one is quite good, if a little random at times. It’s a bunch of independent short stories, so it moves along nicely. Very good writing.