
bitter lily |

This is embarrassing, but I have a (still WIP) 5-page Word doc describing a new race. I want to post the doc and link it, rather than trying to post it internally on Homebrew.
OTOH, I'm suspicious of google security. (Facebook, too.) So I don't have an account. I can't spend a lot on this, either. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Darksol the Painbringer |

At first, I thought this was a question about improving vocabulary for roleplaying a highly-intelligent PC (i.e. Wizard), since that would be the proper definition of the word "Verbose." An embarrassment, truly.
You could make a link to Mediafire or Mega or some other hosting site that isn't Google, but I imagine their security for files and such will be no better (and most likely worse) than Google's security.
Speaking as someone who's posted several guides using Google Docs, I haven't had any issues with security in relation to the guides and other subjects on my account. There are also other guide creators who have used Google Docs, and I think among all of them there was maybe one incident regarding security for their , and it was because somebody forgot their password, which they remedied by simply making another account and copypasting the information from the remaining document onto their new document.
I'd honestly just bite the bullet and create a "junk" account for Google to paste, post, and link the stuff you write for demonstration with posters on the messageboards. Granted, this means more account memorization, but as long as you have that information written down and stored in a safe place, it should be a non-issue.
Again, if you're absolutely worried about security (in terms of people altering, deleting, or stealing your files), it really helps to have offline/hard copies of your work in the event something happens: either you lose access to the file online, get kicked from your account, or the file gets deleted/hacked, you'll still have the original copy (most likely stored on a thumbdrive or something similar) that you can still access or share to the public.
I'm not sure if this was any help, but it's my two cents on the matter.

Pizza Lord |
Drat, I also thought this might be a post about actual verbosity. I was so ready to share the fine art of word-smithing.
I think Darksol the Painbringer has the right of it. I generally just trust to DropBox and pasting the link to those I want to see my projects, but I tend to have little concern for security, I'll admit that. Google Docs (which I've just recently had a chance to work with) seems pretty secure. Always keep copies of your work saved off-line, like mentioned and, well, don't post anything you aren't willing to have out there in the world... forever.

JTDIV |

Use Active Voice . LOL
By the way, I really do get why a suspicious-type person would title their post differently than the body. It's kind of clever.
And Pizza Lord (Harry Dresden, is that you?) is right that if it's online it should be only things you're willing to share. It's not all bad though because if someone tries to steal your intellectual property, you have a way (date-time) of proving you posted first.

bitter lily |

I thought I had verbosity pat, but if you all want to tender lessons in extending my vocabulary and diction, feel free! :)
I obviously didn't make my OP long enough. I apparently wasn't clear. I suppose I am concerned that someone would make BIG bucks off of my work and not give me a penny. But if I were truly suspicious about that, I wouldn't be trying to post it on these boards!
My problem is more of a concern that google would want my personal info in order to set up the account in the first three places. (Just as Paizo did, for instance. And I trusted Paizo... Hmmm.) Okay, I do an awful lot of on-line shopping to maintain true credentials as a suspicious old koot. Until now, nonetheless, there hasn't been a payoff for me to give google one data bit about me. Maybe now there is, if I don't have any alternatives.

Pizza Lord |
I'm pretty sure that unless you're setting up some method of receiving money or credit card information, Google is just going to want a name and an email address (possibly a phone number to link a mobile app to so you can check on the go.) I don't think they're going to need a SSN, bloodtype, or date of birth. It's possible those lines might be there in the form, but unless they're marked with the asterisk (*) they're optional.

Darksol the Painbringer |

And I might as well ask, does Paizo ever grab the swag tendered on Homebrew? (With, presumably, credit?)
Not that I ever notice.
They hire freelance writers for that sort of thing, so there's no need to dip into the Homebrew section, since they scratch their Homebrew itch with the freelancers.

Darksol the Painbringer |

That's what I thought. Thanks, Darksol!
Now that I think about it, it seems likely that their writers have a hard-steel policy of never, ever looking at homebrew. It's the only way to protect themselves.
Actually, the forum rules state that any forum posts made from messageboard members can be used as Paizo intellectual property. It's just that Paizo doesn't really need to, since they have freelance writers who produce the character options and quality that they value over some random messageboard member.
Of course, this basically also means that information presented from sources like Google Docs would not be intellectual property that Paizo could use, even if it was posted as a link on a post in the messageboards, which means Google Docs becomes both a solid host for posting large amounts of content, and a means to prevent any sort of copyright infringement that Paizo (or their freelance writers) may interact with.