Google: Get out of my life

I am now getting a rectangle pop up every time I open a webpage.   supposedly it connects me with social networking groups, but mostly what it does is block me from reading the page.

Welcome to the new Google Groups

Press question mark for a list of keyboard shortcuts

The new Google Groups is an improved way to participate in online discussions.

You are currently using the new Google Groups as your default experience. Click here to switch back to the old version, but please take a minute to tell us why you're leaving.

So why am I being offered to connect with everyone?

All of your discussions in one place

Organize with favorites and folders, choose to follow along via email, and quickly find unread posts.

Express yourself

Use rich-text editing to customize your posts with fonts, colors, and images.

People power discussions

Use photos, nicknames, and automatic translations to share your thoughts with the world.

Speed matters

Keyboard shortcuts and a streamlined design mean you won’t spend time waiting to read and get involved. Press "?" to see the full list of shortcuts.

This is after last week my blog disappeared and I was instructed to give them my cellphone number to correct the problem. I sent them an alternative email instead.

Shesh...guess I'm going to have to surf with a different browser than the one I am signed in with.

But the privacy issue is not the only one.

You see, blogging at least lets us discuss complicated issues with 500 word essays: Tweeting and facebook are "soundbite" media, that allow mainly namecalling and distortions of complicated issues. In other words, they are increasing the inability of Americans to understand what and why others disagree with them, but lets them live in an echochamber of newspeak slogans and five minutes of hate.