It's been a while, clearly, since I've felt the desire to share anything here. So do I shut it down? Or leave it lying around, like an old notebook?

I'm opting for the latter, and like an old notebook, just seeing it lying around- or making the effort to recover one's work-around google account just to be able to log-in- may bring on the urge to scribble something.

So, google accounts. What are they? I'm not sure. I have... some. Not sure how many, so here goes: I signed up here, using my UC email address. At some point, UC were trialling google apps/docs as an institution-wide service, and decided to annex these. So I have a 'UC' one, that doesn't get used. At that point, I had to find another home for this blog, so transferred it to a new google account. That's based around the gmail account 'rob.stowell2 at etc' which I had to create. All it has ever done is allow me to log in to blogger.

I also have a bunch of youtube accounts- and at some point, google required that each one needs a unique email, so I've created new emails/accounts around these.

Why so many? I have a personal one, for family stuff, and anything else I want to share as me. I created one as a place to share stuff with some on-line friends (and because we needed a home online, and didn't at that piont have any other options.)

A colleague left for the UK, and we wanted to share some projects, so I started a channel which we never used. Then I started making some videos for our union, the TEU- and other semi-political causes. I didn't want them on my own channel (distance is necessary- and they have a totally different 'flavour') so I started another channel.

There are a bunch of UC channels- some of which I know of, and make clips for, but never log in to. But after the Sept 4 quakes, I started using the 'official' UC youtube channel for UC communications, as a way of getting material both approved, and then out quickly. I'm not the owner of this- but after the Feb 22 quakes, I started a channel just for learning related university videos- getting the material out to students was a priority. (Another lecturer started another on I uploaded material to, as well) It works so well, I've kept it going- it's good: analytics, reliable streaming, variable qualities, great encoding...

Finding I like web-video, having a couple of private jobs, and 'considering my options', as they say, due to the endless restructuring at work- I dreamt up a name to trade under (25P), started a website (www.25p.co.nz) and started a new youtube channel for this- and hence a new google identity.

At about the same time, google plus looked interesting, and google insisted on 'real names'- so I started a new google account/gmail/etc using my full name.

Hey ho. It's a mess!

Google insisted on the real names thing so they can collect data about users, which means they can sell advertising in a targeted way.

Good luck with that!

I generally like google, but I don't feel any obligation to give them good personal data.

And my accounts are such a mess I can't keep track of them myself, forget the passwords, don't know which I'm logged in as, don't know what relates to which account... Any attempt to analyse my 'net habits is going to be randomised and fragmented.

I think I'm getting hints of this in the 'suggestions' youtube, for example, offers when you first open it. And I like it. We all have multiple personalities- different behaviours in different circumstances- don't we?

And somewhat randomised is how the world is- and the net should be.