03 June 2011

SEO Blues - Bear Business

I recently hired and SEO company to try and get my website rankings up. Yesterday I went to my site and all my photographs were gone ( http://www.kinseybarnard.com/gallery/category/landscapes.html ) and I could no longer gain entry to the site to try and fix things. I literally wept. Neither the web host nor the SEO company is willing to take responsibility.

No I have not "lost" my original photographs. My original work is backed up six ways to Sunday. What was lost was four years of uploading, descriptions and linking, hundreds of hours of work.

It was too much to take so I rounded up Koty and headed for the forest.

We still haven't had much in the way of warm weather, although they say we could get near 80 next week. For now it's cool and rainy.  Everything is such a rich green it's like a dream but we are way behind in terms of blooming. My apple trees have yet to bloom and the only wildflowers, besides dandelions, that I have seen are clematis. Deer enjoy dandelions but I don't think anyone is interested in the clematis. They are a lovely vine.

Clematis

So up the mountain we went. The route I took was pretty much straight up hill and quite a good aerobic workout. There's nothing like a workout in the woods to fight off the effects of life's curve balls. I didn't see any bears but I sure saw where they had been. Due to the lack of much else to eat they are ripping up old stumps looking for ants, grubs and anything else they can find. I think coming out of hibernation hasn't been much fun for them so far this year.

Bear at work.

This piece of stump had rolled down the mountain and onto the trail. It doesn't look very big in the photos but I can say without a doubt that it would have cleaned your clock if one were walking by at the particular moment the bear sent it rolling.

Stump caught on a tree.

All over the mountain side above me I could see where the bears had been at work.

I didn't see any bears themselves this trip. They have been up at the house in the night leaving their calling cards all over the lawn. One night a plastic water bottle I had left out was tooth punctured and mangled. Another one had been up on the deck looking for who knows what.

I must say a walk in the woods was the right prescription. I felt much better even though nothing had changed. I try to tell myself it doesn't matter, all that hard work lost. But, I can't say I'm totally successful. I am well and truly depressed about it.

 Koty, always the happy camper, sniffed out a squirrel. He dug for it furiously for about 15 minutes and when he came up empty handed he didn't care a whit. He was just happy to have had the joy of the hunt. I guess there is a lesson in that for me. Would that I could be as enlightened as my dog.

Koty with his head in the hole he made looking for a squirrel.


©Kinsey Barnard

7 comments:

Weekend Cowgirl said...

Sorry about the server loss. I had that happen with a back up company a few years ago. Just terrible.

Michelle B. Hendry said...

I am so sorry to hear this happened. It must be devastating. Going out for a walk is the best thing to do!

When I updated and converted my site to WP my SEO went into the toilet. I have done everything I am supposed to but it would seem my move was not the best move for SEO. Live and learn...

futurexboy said...

Oh God, I would say losing all that work is a nightmare. I would call them both and give them each other's phone numbers and suggest they call each other and pow wow how to get your site back online with all the "Lost" works/text. I would mention that if they can't fix the problem that you know a very nice attorney that has asked to work on restoring your grand website to it's former glory. It would jolt the two into doing something, I figure they are just sitting around the office saying so sad/too bad for Kinsey...they aren't going to do anything unless you give them an incentive, and sad to say that in America that means dollars...You might mention the fact that you don't want to sue them, and it would be much better resolved if they would get off their duff and start researching where your works/text are stored in their huge amass of server's...trust me, they aren't lost or gone, these companies have them somewhere and don't give a fiddle about looking for them because the bottom line to them is the dollar, and if your not going to do anything, (sue), then they aren't going to do a thing for you. Do nothing, get nothing, mention attorney and just sit back and be amazed at how fast they respond and take some of their time to resolve the issue's. I never like to sue, and know that things can go much better without a lawsuit, but if these people are just throwing their hands up in the air saying they don't care then you need to remind them of just how expensive your time and work is....think of all the money spent traveling to text those logs, I know I loved reading your stuff and adventures...its gold baby and can't be regained unless they get off their duffs and start the research to find out where they have it stored, and I figure they have more than one copy of your website photos and text you wrote...and good luck my friend in getting it back up. I care for you and know how much of your heart and soul went into this; just don't get shafted please for me and all your fans.

So much for that, be very careful in the woods with the bears. They are wild animals and they have been known to eat people on occassion when things are tight for them, carry a big loaded gun to protect yourself and Koty with...its the right thing to do.

Clematis are sold in the greenhouse's down here for a right nice price, I didn't know they were a wildflower up there? They go for usually $15 up depending on their age, there are many varieties and different colors...very nice, I have I think 3 different kind in my yard/flower beds...the picture of the one is very nice and shows a well established plant, maybe 3 to 5 years old. I've never seen any in the wild down here. Anyway take care Kinsey and good luck with getting your website back up fast...I truly believe your hosting company has your stuff on one of their server's stored away, 99% of hosting companies have more than one backup of your website stored, it's their job you know to protect your stuff; that's why they get the big bucks, don't let them con you; your much too important to me and your fans...remind them you have fans and friends very upset. Love you girl, your friend in Arkansas, Lynn, futurexboy

Walker said...

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the support. Good friends are more important than computer files any day!

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear this, horrible thing to happen. I'd second the suggestion to 'prod' the company that caused it into action - the info (or at least some of it) will be there somewhere. Good luck. Rudolf Abraham

Study Agent said...

You have some interesting thoughts! Perhaps we should contemplate about attempting this myself.

Walker said...

Thank you Boundless Technologies.