A Google Mess

Since forever (and remember that forever isn't all that long in electronic terms) I've had two Gmail accounts. I've managed them fairly well, but recently (maybe when Google+ came along? Or was it when I had to pay for extra storage in both accounts?) I decided I was tired of having two accounts and I'd try to merge them.

Ugh--not so easy, and actually not even totally possible.

Here is what I have done and what I have learned:

• I still have both accounts and don't actually plan to delete either
• I'm making my linda.simons account my primary account
• A Gmail account and a Google account are NOT the same thing. I suppose that is obvious to all you geeks out there, and I learned this quite some time ago, but I think when I signed up for Gmail I thought my Gmail account WAS my Google account.
• I fairly easily moved a couple things from my unwanted to my new one: Contacts and Reader subscriptions.
• I'm having a heck of a time moving my million emails from one account to another, although I did find a way to do it. Unfortunately for a compulsive sorter like me, I lost the labels when the emails moved.
• Google Docs are not able to be moved; you just have to share from old to new. Messy, but workable.
• Picasa Web Albums seem to be somewhat messed up, and I"m not sure what to do. I have learned that you must SPECIFICALLY log in to Web Albums to make the profile look right.
  
• I never did understand the Google page about Multiple Sign In. :-( I think Google themselves got mixed up with acquiring so many applications from other people in a less-than-principled way. They don't all work seamlessly.
  
• I don't want to have two Google+ accounts, so I deleted my circles in my unwanted account and kept them in my linda.simons account. I hope nobody got mad for being deleted!
  
• And lastlly, this blog cannot come from my linda.simons account.