I regularly read a bunch of blog friends who use Google's Blogger. All of a sudden the comments changed. Since I use Typepad, not Blogger, my choices for comments all of a sudden limit me to using a nickname or being anonymous, both choices which don't provide a way to link back to my site when I comment.
That stinks. It took me awhile to figure out that Google is roping in their blogging Blogger community and roping out others. At first I thought my options, being a non-Blogger, had closed me out completely. But gee. It is the feedback loops that make the online networks and conversations work. Blogger has just limited itself and shortchanged its community.
I wonder if this will drive more serious bloggers away from Blogger.
Anyway, I don't like it. Very clubby, too exclusive. So my Blogger friends, I hope you shake the trees. Now there isn't a way for me to leave my email or url for MotherPie for anything I say... Crummy.
I absolutely hate it. I had previously edited my blogger template to remove the no follow tags and this seems like a slap in the face (how dare you make your blog do follow?!?!). I am really hoping Google will see how bad a blunder is and reverse themselves. Alternatively I may be spending a lot of 2008 getting up to speed in WordPress and trying to migrate my blogs. Feh.
Posted by: Alan | December 02, 2007 at 05:19 AM
my intent was a thank you for your supportive comment about my venture into a second blog. but i was distracted by this post.
first, having a terrible time with TypePad configuration. experienced designer has been working with me and beautiful banner she did has disappeared. "help" tickets to server take long time for response.
second, some time ago i posted about the change in my status from blue-name to black when i left messages at blogger/blogspot sites. yes, it's all about google's drive to own the ether.
now have a gmail account which has its own problems.
like Alan, considering move to Word Press, though the thought exhausts me.
wait a minute, this comment is too dark...have a good december and new year!
yours, naomi
Posted by: naomi dagen bloom | December 02, 2007 at 07:36 AM
it is crummy crapola!
I honestly am not that brilliant to walk away from it though....I don't know how to set up something different.
????
Posted by: Rhonda | December 02, 2007 at 08:48 AM
I too am way too new at this to change to something else, but TX Poppet over at Canned Laughter http://txpoppet.blogspot.com/2007/11/blogger-blogger-why-hast-thou-forsaken.html has a way for us Blogger Sloggers to circumvent the Big Brother plot. Hopefully I can get it done without blasting all my other comments, as happened to someone.
Posted by: Janet | December 02, 2007 at 09:39 AM
I've done some more thinking on this, and research this morning, in terms of how the web should operate as a shadow of the real world, allowing us to link to each other and be relational and then, in another completely different direction, how the data mining issues with Google are working to harness so much personal information -- tracking all of these conversations and collected data. There are real issues in both areas - I'll pursue more for a later post.
Posted by: MotherPie | December 02, 2007 at 09:47 AM
Alan - I know some Bloggers use Haloscan for commenting. I don't know how to do it, but see Hoss's site. I'll see if I can get him to comment here.
Posted by: MotherPie | December 02, 2007 at 10:13 AM
Hoss has been under the weather. Commentor Alan, above, wrote a post today on this and one of his commentors has the site:
http://www.haloscan.com/
Posted by: MotherPie | December 02, 2007 at 10:26 AM
I don't like this either. I hope they change it back. I'll bet some of the bigger bloggers are going to demand a change, since it cuts down on their comments.
Posted by: Hattie | December 02, 2007 at 10:29 AM
I don't like this either. I hope they change it back. I'll bet some of the bigger bloggers are going to demand a change, since it cuts down on their comments.
Posted by: Hattie | December 02, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Sorry for the double posting. My wi-fi got the hiccups!
Posted by: Hattie | December 02, 2007 at 10:30 AM
I hope this doesn't mean we can't communicate via my blog! Let me know if you just want to use emails, because I'd hate to lose touch with you. I can't stand the way some companies operate, with only selfish intention...I'm sure it'll come back to bite them. One can only hope.
Posted by: Bellezza.mjs | December 02, 2007 at 12:02 PM
I sent a complaint to the Google Blogger Group. I'm not sure if it will do any good, but I tried.
Posted by: Sieg Pedde | December 02, 2007 at 01:48 PM
You are not the only one. Blogger will be introducing open ID which is great for you but not so good for us that self host our blogs.
If you would like to see this feature put back visit
http://help.blogger.com/?page=contact
Choose "Suggest a feature" from the choices & request they put it back.
Feel free to voice your concerns here ..............
http://www.bloggertalk.net/ftopicp-4809.html#4809
Posted by: Rose | December 02, 2007 at 02:00 PM
Others are picking up on this. Thanks everyone. It's up on the Blogger Help Group.
Posted by: MotherPie | December 02, 2007 at 02:21 PM
I'm so unhip regarding all of this; I had no idea that blogger/google was behind a big brother sort of collection agency.
Posted by: tut-tut | December 02, 2007 at 03:10 PM
Well, I don't see any difference here. Your comment box is the same as always.
Posted by: Old Horsetail Snake | December 02, 2007 at 03:25 PM
Geez!! I didn't think anything changed. I checked my settings and I have my blog set up that ANYONE can comment and I get comments from other TypePad users and even people who don't have blogs. I'm sorry you had problems and I'm going to check with Blogger on this. I don't want to have to move my blog. Heck!!! It was traumatic enough changing my template. I'm going to blog about this if I don't get any answers from Blogger. If you have trouble again, email me at the addy in my sidebar.
Again, I am sorry about this. I really love having you comment.
Posted by: Kay Dennison | December 02, 2007 at 05:27 PM
I just left a comment for someone who has a Blogger blog, and it had a link to my Blogger profile. The profile has a link to my website. I set up a blog on Blogger long ago, but never use it. But at least I have the profile there. If you want to be able to have people find you from comments, perhaps that's the way to go.
Posted by: Kathy | December 03, 2007 at 08:44 PM
I just found out about this on Sunday and it made me so mad! I just blogged about it and then saw on joared's blog that you were p**ssed too ;)
Thanks for being angry.
I am on wordpress.com and mostly like it. If one has a good provider, wordpress.org is even better. But blogger! yuck!
Posted by: Claude | December 04, 2007 at 04:02 AM
I'll complain too - and put up a blog about it.
Posted by: Lauri | December 04, 2007 at 07:41 AM