Google has updated their inactive Google account policy recently. This may not be that important of an issue. After all, it is just an update to their policy?
However, Google actually made a major change to this policy. Moving forward, your Google account will become inactive if you do not log in within a two year period. This change affects Google, Gmail, Google Ads, and Google Youtube accounts.
Google actually will now begin deleting inactive accounts, if you do not login within a two year period. This technology giant company also will delete any activity and data associated with this Google account. This is a major change obviously that could cause you some grief.
How then do you avoid your Google account from being deleted? Actually, it is really quite simple as stated in the inactive Google account policy. All you would have to do is log into your Google account once every two years.
This is the easiest way to make certain that your Google, Gmail, Google Ads, Google Youtube, etc. account is not deleted. Below is a list of other actions you can perform to avoid having your Google account deleted.
- Read or Send an Email Message
- Accessing a Google Drive
- Viewing a Youtube Video
- Sharing a Picture
- Download an Application
- Performing a Google Search
- Signing Into Third Party Website With Google Sign in
Google stipulates that you can use any device to perform these actions. Whether you use a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, smartphone, etc. Google will notify you by sending an email message to both your Google account email address and your recovery email address.
Google will begin instituting this massive change later this year. If you do not perform any kind of activity, even as simple as logging into your Google account, your account and associated data my be deleted. Google claims this decision is to prevent someone from having unauthorized access to your account.
You will be given the ability to download your Google data, which includes pictures, email, etc. There are other actions that will keep your Google account from being deleted.
- Purchase an Active Subscription
- Obtain Gift Card With Positive Balance
- Active Subscription From a Google Play Store Application
- Purchased a Digital Item With Your Google Account
This inactive Google account policy claims another reason to delete accounts is to protect your privacy. This policy is now active and Google can and will remove accounts without activity starting December 1 later this year. Also, this inactive account policy will be enforced for all of Google's products and services.
Basically, if you are inactive with your Google account and or have not logged into your account, you are susceptible to a deleted Google account. Account deletions will not begin until the month of December later this year. Google will send you reminder email messages to your primary and recovery email address.
Supposedly, they will warn you that you have not been active and or they are planning on deleting your Google account. Google claims that these reminder email messages will be sent out 8 months prior to them taking any necessary action against your account. Adding insult to injury so to speak, if your Google account is deleted, you will not be able to use that same Google Gmail address.
That is to say if you had a Google Gmail account. Not all Google accounts have a Gmail email account associated with them. I included earlier in this blog post an easy way to avoid having your Google account deleted.
The only action you must perform is to log into your Google account once every two years. You can scroll back up earlier in this blog post for other account actions that will keep your Google account active, thus avoiding deletion. Also, I provided some exceptions to this rule.
There are certain indirect activities perhaps, that will allow you to keep an active Google account. You may want to backup your Google account data as a pun intended in advance, backup measure. Google provides a tool called Google Takeout that you can use to backup your account data.
Also, believe it or not Google has what is known as an inactive account manager. Google also recommends verifying your recovery email address. Google sends out warning email messages so to speak to your recovery email address as well as the primary email address associated with your account.
If you have a Google account you are not able to access, this may be an apropos time for you to try to regain access to that account. Remember Google can and will begin deleting account due to inactivity.
Inactive Google Account Policy - How to Avoid Deletion Video Transcript
0:02
omputers.com did you know that Google changed their inactive account policy
0:08
recently now you might think it's not that big of a deal but actually it is a big deal and so I'm going to go over
0:15
that in this video then just release this announcement actually receive this email message directly from Google
0:22
[Music] and the email is basically the same as their
0:30
interactive Google account policy if you browse to my website in a computer.com
0:37
type in that uniform resource locator no mistakes that was a joke by the way I'll
0:44
try to be serious because this could be a really serious issue actually but if you were to check out my blog post click
0:50
on the link and then read over
0:55
the inactive Google account policy it's basically the same as the email message that I received so let's go over this
1:02
and so Google has updated their interactive Google account policy
1:08
I think two days ago it's active now as of I think two days ago it is active now
1:13
moving forward now on the surface it may not be that big of a deal well so what Google just
1:20
changed one of their millions of policies what why do I care
1:25
because it's just an update to their policy well yes and no
1:31
they made a major change and here is the major change
1:37
your Google account will become active if you do not let out the Ian missing to
1:43
your period now this policy change affects all of
1:49
Google products and services and here are some quick examples of which Google accounts Google just a normal Google
1:57
account that a lot of people have a Google Gmail email account a Google
2:03
ads account and also a Google YouTube account
2:09
so all those information accounts will be
2:14
added now here
2:20
are extremely important Google actually well now beginning
2:26
to delete in your discretion it's up to them it's your choice inactive accounts that's
2:32
right you earned that Google now that this new interactive Google
2:38
account policy change has been instituted and it is active moving forward from now until the future
2:45
they will delete your account and if they consider it inactive now I will get
2:53
to the solutions and I'm kind of going to give aware this is kind of a poor shadow so if you do not log in within a
3:01
two-year period your Google account will be flagged or identified as inactive
3:11
and that's kind of foreshadowing that's one of the solutions you know what I'm saying
3:17
now they not only will they delete your account possibly they will also delete any data
3:24
associated with it and then I just included that yes that
3:30
that too is an interchange you know and it could cause some major problems
3:36
and I'm not trying to make a joke out of this it's just still support information technology
3:43
clients with their you know programmers and this is a common one
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okay so here is the solutions you know what I'm saying what how can you avoid
3:55
from having your Google account deleted or like in the title of this blog post and Video in active Google account
4:02
policy how to avoid deletion well here is the easiest method and I chose to put
4:07
it first so this could be a gold tip potentially a gold tip the easiest way for you to
4:14
avoid your Google account will be coming deleted because of inactivity and to
4:22
make certain of that is to log into it that's all you have to do every at least
4:29
once every two years now remember these are some examples of Google accounts that are affected by this policy change
4:36
Google account a Google Gmail account a
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Google ads account that you would use to purchase ads now Google ads was known as
4:48
AdWords but now they rename themselves a Google YouTube account and other
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accounts so that could affect quite a few people
4:59
that's all you have to have to just log into that Google account once at least once every two years now you know I
5:07
don't do people remember that oh let's add it to my calendar
5:12
I need to log into my Google account so that it is not deleted because of inactivity no but just know that that is
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our policy and if you read you know if you go ahead and check out my blog post I link directly to Google's inactive
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account policy page directly to the source I try to add almost every video I record I try to include the source this
5:33
one I was able to
5:39
so that is a simple way you know what I'm saying
5:44
now it could cause problems with people that are locked out of their account I think I'll save that for last that's towards the end of my blog post but just
5:51
be aware you know I'm what I'm saying now here is other ways to make sure that your Google
5:59
account does not become inactive and then that would risk it becoming daily they're not just the account but any
6:07
data associated with it for example if it's a Google Play Store account which
6:12
is one of them your your contacts and your whatever
6:17
bookmarks whatever that you have synchronized with your Google account
6:22
you know what I'm saying would be deleted could be deleted
6:28
now here is a list of actions that you could perform so that you will avoid
6:34
having your Google account deleted these are different these aren't just signing in logging in once in a while but that
6:39
but they claim that is one way but here is other ways if you read or send an email message I'm
6:47
assuming with Google Gmail that is one way to avoid your account be coming
6:53
inactive and deleted if you access a Google drive if you have one if you view
6:59
a YouTube video which will mean that you were obviously logged into your YouTube account and then therefore you could
7:04
view a YouTube video sharing a picture I think there's Google pictures or
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something like that that Google I think has like a kind of like Flickr or whatever anyways if you were to actually
7:16
upload a picture and then share it which I say I sync technically would just need to upload but you might read the actual
7:22
policy just to make certain you know what I'm saying if you download an application and that one is in reference
7:29
to the Google Play Store so if you use your Google account on your smartphone
7:34
and you were to download an application then that would count towards
7:40
your activity and then all did you know that you didn't know this you you know I'm trying not to be condescending but
7:47
you can log into your Google Play account on a computer laptop desktop
7:52
tablet with a web browser and did you know that you can search for applications and then also have it
7:59
installed just click on install and that will synchronize if you then have a smartphone with a Google Play account
8:06
and then it's connected to the internet it'll actually download the application
8:12
so that is another way you know what I'm saying Google just wants to see that you're
8:18
active I have no idea why but also performing a Google Search now this one
8:24
you know I didn't really look into this one oh I'm assuming that you would have to
8:31
log into your Google account right and then perform a Google search
8:36
if you're not logging your Google account and you perform internet search you're not going to receive credit for
8:42
activity now signing into third-party websites with Google so I don't use that
8:47
feature but there's a lot of websites I think maybe like Amazon you know certain websites maybe even
8:54
Facebook whatever you'll notice it you know they'll even offering it to you instead of signing up with an email
9:01
address and a password they have it's called Google sign in so
9:06
a lot of websites use that now if you log into that website
9:12
which will be a third party it wouldn't be a Google website per se then you would get credit for activity
9:19
now I kind of alluded to this earlier I give you the example that you can log
9:24
into your Google Play account on a desktop any any computer with a web
9:32
browser and you can actually tell it to install the application on your smartphone
9:37
[Music] so my point is that you can use any device basically any device that has
9:45
internet access any device that you can log in with a Google account or you know what I'm saying so that includes
9:51
smartphones tablets laptops desktop mini mini PCS any unique you know
9:58
quote-unquote computer device that has internet access and then you use a Google account
10:04
now here so that's basically the solution the easiest way is just to log in the other way and I have some
10:11
additional but for now that's a you know pretty long list
10:18
now supposedly Google will notify you they claim that they will send an email
10:24
message to both your Google account email address that would be the email address that you used to log into that
10:30
account that is associated with it and also you become an email address and
10:35
I'll give you some tips later on in this video for you know
10:41
making certain that your your receive those email messages they could be more
10:46
to spam are do they are they really going to send out emails you know what I'm saying you know the internet and
10:52
technology is not perfect so you know what I'm saying now later this year this change will be
11:01
especially it is instituted but later this year the massive change will become
11:06
instituted meaning the possible account deletion
11:13
now if you do not perform any kind of activity including the activities that I
11:18
went over even an activity such as logging into your Google account
11:25
your account and any Associated data may become deleted
11:32
now I don't know if I believe these claims but this is what Google stipulated in their their updated
11:39
inactive Google account policy they claim that one reason why is to
11:45
prevent someone from having an unauthorized access to your account that's what they claim
11:50
all right there's another one that I will get to there's another reason why you know what I'm saying
11:58
so here's some additional tips you will be given the ability to download your Google data so you may
12:05
want to download it now just in case well here's a a lecture as a Information
12:11
Technology professional I guess whatever you know what I'm saying
12:16
my tip is to always back up your data it doesn't matter what kind of backup laptop
12:22
it doesn't matter what operating system it doesn't matter if it's a computer or smartphone it's just data in general
12:27
when in doubt always backup you're dating because you just never know you know what I'm saying now you will have
12:35
the ability to download your Google data and back it up which includes pin teachers photographs email messages
12:43
Etc and I will tell you what tool that you
12:49
can use I think it's free it's from Google and I will get to that here in a few moments
12:54
now here are some other actions that can
13:00
avoid that you can avoid having your Google account deleted
13:06
if you purchase an active subscription with a Google account or even I'm not
13:12
sure about Google pay I would maybe that if you purchase an active subscription
13:19
for example the Google Play Store maybe there's a game on there or whatever and
13:25
you're using your Google account and then you purchase a subscription that is active meaning everyone's
13:32
it renews that Google considers that active all right
13:39
if you obtain a gift card now the gift card must have a positive balance it has
13:44
to have money it has to be monetized I I'm assuming that if you had a zero
13:50
balance they would not accept that I'm thinking you might want to read the policy they used a different word they
13:57
use different verbiage but that's basically what it is I'm saying
14:03
I think if your gift card expires and there's no balance that would not be considered
14:09
active you know what I'm saying and then I already gave you this example an active subscription from a Google
14:14
Play Store application now now there are other websites there are other ways to
14:20
purchase a subscription with a with your Google account does any
14:25
word qualify also if you purchase a digital item with
14:30
your Google account that could be I think like a a game on the on the Google
14:38
Play store or what else an application if you purchase an application
14:43
and I think maybe music any kind of downloadable music and then here is an advertisement you can ignore that
14:50
but if you do need online computer technical support they actually ask a computer technician
14:57
now and potentially solve your problem quickly or
15:02
sued all you have to do is broadcasting and computers.com click on get help and you
15:09
can see online computer technical support 24 hours a day seven days a week
15:17
over text message Chat
15:22
remote and voice even over a telephone okay back to my blog post
15:33
now here's the other reason I'm there was two major reasons why Google has changed their policy
15:40
this reason they claim is to protect your privacy I don't know if I believe those two reasons but that's what they
15:47
claim
15:54
up
16:08
active so I think two days ago and Google can and will remove any
16:15
accounts without activity starting later this year actually December 1st of this
16:21
year is when they're going to begin you know what I'm saying now I know it's too weird I was confused
16:28
by that their policy and stimulus if you do not have any activity including logging into a Google account within two
16:36
years but actually they're going to looks like they're going to go back a year so what happened so starting December
16:43
1st well yeah that is possible you might
16:49
have that would be what two years old or
16:56
close to and yes that's what I'm afraid of I don't have
17:01
to feel longer but that is possible and they actually admit it you know what I'm saying so you might
17:07
want to take this one serious when I found out about it I was like holy F I
17:12
don't know if YouTube likes cussing sometimes they don't like Free Speech but anyways I better digress Away by it
17:18
from that okay
17:24
now they claim that this inactive account policy change and the entire
17:29
policy will be enforced for all Google's products and services all of them
17:37
okay so this is just kind of reitering if you are interactive with your Google
17:43
account and you have not logged into that account within two years you are susceptible
17:49
to having a Google account deleted
17:54
now they will not begin deleting accounts until later this year
17:59
and then this is important too they actually will notify you in advance
18:04
and I will be getting to that in a few seconds now remember this is this was important
18:10
too I thought Google will send you reminder email messages to both your primary email
18:16
address and your recovery email address associated with your Google account so if you don't have access to both of them
18:24
you better and you might want to change your email address you know that's a tip that's a potential tip you might want to
18:30
it's up to you obviously you can do whatever you want but the data inclusion recovery email
18:36
address
18:42
now supposedly they won't warn you in advance that you have not been active
18:47
your account has not been active and they are planning on deleting your Google account which also includes any
18:54
data associated with it like I stupidly before bookmarks passwords if you use
18:59
Google to synchronize your bookmarks and passwords and contacts and whatever else that you are able to also one
19:06
features that may piss some people off is with your Google Play Store when you add an application
19:16
on the Google Play Store that actually gets
19:21
added to your Google account and then what lesson you have to reinstall that
19:27
application to your smartphone and maybe you forgot what it was you don't remember all 100 applications that you
19:34
installed today you know what I'm saying where you can go into your Google Play Store account look at your history and
19:40
it'll show you what applications you install that data would be deleted you know what I'm saying
19:46
now this is where Google claims that these reminder email messages will be
19:51
sent eight months prior I don't know if this is true or not but that's what they claim
19:57
so eight months before them taking any miss or action against
20:02
your account they will warn you they'll send you an email message now I thought this was kind of
20:10
a a bit obscene or obnoxious or I just didn't agree to this but this hey hey
20:15
they can do whatever they want basically they're they're a monolithic monster I mean
20:21
all right so I thought this was adding a silk Tangerine basically what could happen is that if Google does delete
20:28
your account you will not be able to use that same Google Gmail address now not all Google
20:36
accounts have an Associated Gmail account but if you didn't have a Google account and then you created a Gmail
20:43
account and you Associated your Gmail account with that Google account
20:49
you will not be able to use that same Gmail address if you get your Google account deleted
20:55
because of inactivity I'm not sure I just don't know I didn't even really look into it I don't even
21:02
know if that information is public I was kind of curious as to do they do
21:10
they permanently I I don't think they would do they recycle those email
21:15
addresses I'm thinking I know for a fact that I'm thinking that they may just recycle that that email address let's
21:22
say amet computers at gmail.com no don't send an email that to that because
21:28
that's not a real a lot of them it's real but that's not mine I think that's just an example
21:33
you know what I'm saying I'm assuming that somebody else could use it again but you could not because you had your
21:40
Google account deleted you know I'm saying because of inactivity so just become aware of that it can this could
21:46
possibly cause a lot of problems actually potentially all right
21:52
now like I said before this is just reitering basically all you have to do is log into your Google account once in
21:59
a while but at the very least according to Google's policy once every two years that's all you have to do is just log
22:05
into it with your username and password they don't care if you log into a web browser or a smartphone or a tablet just
22:12
any any computer device connected to the internet that you can log into your Google
22:18
account so I'll give you another bonus tip I wasn't going to give this one to you but I've noticed with Google and
22:25
even Facebook but that would be a digression I don't want to really digress I digress back to Google this
22:30
could be another goal tip or foolish gold tip I'm not sure a real estate you might want to
22:38
start using a smart I don't like smartphones I just do not like them however I'll give you a quick story a
22:44
quick example where I'll try to make it quick I had a Google account that I could not access for like years I'm not
22:51
making this up it was like three years ago [Music]
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this isn't my live stream and this is not my reality PC in real life study
23:04
hour I actually went and read the policy I read their email message I investigated this and I wrote the blog
23:11
post in advance you know what I'm saying this is kind of like my video reports but I basically retired from those for
23:17
now but I thought this was important enough to you know write a blog post try
23:22
to get some traffic and record a YouTube video anyways this is quick so I had a
23:28
Google account and I couldn't have access it was a YouTube channel was what it was
23:33
and I used to travel a lot I finally found some permanent premises I signed a
23:39
one-year lease so I'm tied down you know what I'm saying hey but hey I chose that
23:44
because of you know red stubborn and let me digress from that kind of discussion
23:52
so that's you know what I'm saying well what I did is I had to buy a snorkel
23:58
I have not used a smartphone in 105 years but I had to buy one but that's another story that I want to discuss all
24:05
right and I tried to log into that old Google
24:11
account using Google's either YouTube application yes not not the Google not
24:18
Google Gmail application not the Google application that you can perform internet searches no the Google YouTube
24:25
application and guess what when I tried to log in it didn't say the password was
24:31
wrong it I think it required a code is it it's sent to come to my telephone
24:37
number and I type in the code and then it let me proceed and then I think I did
24:42
I'd have to do you know perform some other quick tasks that was it I had tried now what was it a few months
24:49
ago I was able to access that account however I went try and traveled some
24:55
more and I went and stayed at a different hotel and they had a different IP address and guess what I could not
25:01
access that account even though I had the correct username and password so that could be a tip if you're having
25:08
problems accessing your Google account you may want to trade us using a
25:13
smartphone all right okay so let's move on from that
25:19
yeah the quickest way is just once every two years you know what I'm saying
25:27
and I already went over some easy ways to avoid your account being inactive and
25:34
then possibly possibly deleted you just log into your Google account once every two years at the least
25:42
okay now there are some exceptions to
25:47
that rule all right
25:54
now I consider these indirect confusing the Google Play Store using
26:00
Google third-party sign in you know blah blah those are indirect but they actually count and they will help you
26:07
keep your account active and not risking deletion
26:12
okay so I went over this already I already lectured I'll just reiterate you may want to backup your Google account
26:18
data because yeah and I added a dump on that probably is not funny but does
26:24
anybody laugh at my lame jokes I don't know get it a backup measure yeah
26:30
yep now over here in this video I promise that I would tell you about the tool
26:36
that you can use I I think it is free I don't think Google charges to use it or anything it's I'm actually
26:44
used it one time you know because that was a few years ago and it's called Google takeout
26:50
that's kind of a different type of I don't know what the is that supposed to
26:55
be some kind of a joke or a metaphor or pun you know get it Google oh is Google
27:01
are they planning on starting a competitor to lift and you Uber Eats and
27:07
GrubHub and I don't know I don't know man why I just Google takeout and backing up your data I don't I don't get
27:13
it but whatever okay it's called Google takeout and it allows you to back up your account data for
27:20
your Google account I used it once it's it worked I didn't have much data but
27:27
you know I just thought I'd test it out and it actually did work
27:33
now here's another tool that you might be able to use I do not include the links because that would be a lot on one
27:40
post I decide not to there's another tool that you could use and it's called
27:46
inactive account manager I have not accessed it yet I'll be upfront and
27:52
transparent I just didn't take the time I'm not sure exactly what the interface looks like but you log into your Google
27:58
account and if you do if you perform a quick internet search for Google active
28:04
account manager it's supposed to tell you it's just supposed to give you
28:10
information about your account and whether it's inactive and there may be a lot of data there that may kind of shock
28:16
you I don't know does it does it like you know track all of your
28:22
activity your global positioning I mean let's digress from that kind of discussion you know what I'm saying I
28:29
think I'm already not right now nobody knows me but Google is an algorithm there it's a art I don't know if it's
28:37
artificial intelligence well they do use Barb is Google searches and algorithm so
28:42
is YouTube and I don't think they like me very well but you know I anyways let
28:47
me digress back okay so even Google recommends that you
28:53
verify your recovery email address now remember they will supposedly contact
28:59
you eight months prior to them planning on any adverse effects to your account
29:05
meaning account deletion to your main email address associated with your Google account
29:11
they will also send an email to your recovery email address which is the second email address all you have to do
29:18
is go into your Google account settings I don't know the exact place I've been there before but it's not like I haven't
29:24
memorized I don't you know that's the last thing I want to do is well let's see me click here and click there I
29:30
click that select this and click look under this menu okay okay after 100
29:36
steps then you can change your recovery email address but in we're looking you
29:42
can change recovery email address [Music]
29:52
okay so in closing this means the most
29:58
appropriate or a a apropos time for you to try to regain access to any accounts
30:08
and if you have a Google account that you are not able to access it doesn't matter what it is
30:14
just a Google account a Google Gmail account a Google YouTube
30:21
account you know what I'm saying a Google ads I mean you think about it
30:26
what what if you almost you know you need to make income or an income like I
30:32
do and you have Google ads and oops oops I can't get into my account oh my oh
30:38
it's been two years oh oh I had all my you know advertise all my campaigns all
30:45
my keywords all my ads all my settings oh oh oh now I'm unemployed I mean now I
30:53
have to get a job now that to me would be a crisis if I had to actually get a job or I sat in a
30:59
cubicle like what I don't know 90 of Americans that would be a crisis and
31:04
that's not what I ever want to have happen you know what I'm saying if you have a Google account you cannot
31:11
access now is the time to start working on trying to gain access to it I plan on
31:18
recording a future video and I'm kind of updated video on how you can gain access
31:23
to your Google account I have complete full instructions I have a lot of tips and I what is it one or two I have one
31:31
or two direct Google contacts there are one or two Google
31:38
contact forms that seem to work better and you just fill out the form and
31:44
Google would investigate your account and they may or
31:49
may not respond but that's a future video you may want to look out for that one I do plan on writing a lengthy blog
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post and and recording a video remember remember
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Google can and it will begin deleting your clue if they have concluded that it
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is inactive oh how how dare you how dare you become inactive I mean you're you're
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supposed to be using all Google's products and services all of them webmaster Google webmasters Google
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pictures Google pixel what you know blah blah and how dare you become inactive
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that is where video pertaining to interactive Google account policy avoid
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deletion how you can avoid deletion you can subscribe to my YouTube channel
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you can follow me on Twitter twitter.com internet computers you can follow me on
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Facebook I finally created a Facebook page
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book.com internet compute
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a-n-e-t-c-o-m-p-u-t-e you can follow me on YouTube youtube.com computers and I
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think also youtube.com computers will work I'm on Twitch twitch.tv computers I'm on trouble
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troll.live initcomputers also I just opened an Instagram account you can
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follow me on instagram.com in it computers if you follow me on any of
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those aforementioned platforms including YouTube you will become notified when I
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either write a blog post or just basically create any content anytime I
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record a video you'll become notified on Twitter Facebook and YouTube blog posts you'll
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be notified on Facebook and Twitter and possibly Instagram I'm also on tick tock
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tick tock.com payment computers you can always browse things that computers.com
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