Don’t worry: it’s been resuscitated.
My traffic levels have dropped through the floor this past week - prompting a full scale inquiry. Ahem.
I’m not going to go into the ins and outs of exactly what happened (I can’t be bothered to, quite frankly) but let’s just say there was a fundamental problem with my blog template code which was producing a significant lag on loading and I lacked the knowledge, ability and patience to adequately fix it.
So, I’ve had to doctor one of blogger’s new rather awful looking templates.
I don’t know: the longer I stay with blogger the more disenchanted I become. I’m happy to move to another provider and pay for something decent and, with that in mind, reactivated my squarespace account which I see I opened in July 2008.
If and when I find a way of moving my blog over without my pagerank dropping off a cliff, I might just do it. Maybe I should finally move over to my custom domain (instead of just redirecting) and then export the whole thing over to squarespace. I see squarespace provides for SEO preservation of custom domain imports, though I’ve no idea how effective it is and I think there will be a fair amount of drop off.
What I do know for certain is that blogger has given me the frickin’ squits these last few days and I don’t think I can forgive and forget.
Anyway, apologies for the rather sloppy new template but I’m stuck with it for now. It’s very loosely based on a theme that I had planned to introduce this summer anyway but I was hoping to produce something half decent before letting it loose.
I’ll see how it goes over the next few weeks before making a final decision. Let’s hope I don’t have to pull the plug entirely. ;-)
Oh come on. The new template feature is quite handy, if you use it wisely. :P
ReplyDeletei started with blogger and am too lazy to transfer over to something better lol. Hope the transfer goes well, i look forward to hearing about it :-)
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear of your troubles. I had a problem with blogger recently, too, with the HTML code. Not as severe as yours, but it quit registering stats for about three weeks. Finally found time to fix the code.
ReplyDeleteI used Wordpress many years ago. A lot of things about blogger frustrate me, too, but I have found it the most user-friendly for day-to-day use. I'll be interested in hearing your experience, should you switch.
Glad you are running smoothly now.
Ah, the pleasures of Blogger. I've been considering switching to something else ever since I started using it five and a half years ago, but its speed, simplicity and reliability has stopped me doing so, although the reliability has taken a hit recently...
ReplyDeleteAndro - it is, up to a point, but very, very simplistic compared to wordpress or squarespace. Don't 'spose you know how to adjust the sidebar padding without affecting the main content under one of the new templates? :-)
ReplyDeleteI can make the change in Firebug but simply cannot transpose it into blogger's template without screwing other stuff up. Never had a problem tinkering with code before but this one has got me beat! :-(
Ollie - thanks. Painful as it will be, I think now's as good as any time to move. Of course, it would be been much better back in 2008 when I bought the domain and was experimenting with wordpress & squarespace.
LY - blogger has always been a bit 'fisher price' but it's worked pretty well until recently. There have always been limitations but they've never (until now) been severe enough to drive me away. And you can't beat free! ;-)
John - Yes, 2011 hasn't been great for blogger's usually bullet-proof reliability. I remember tweeting some abuse (I mean questions) to them about it earlier in the year. They didn't respond in any case.
You're back! Lasst week all I got was a maroon screen when I tried to look at your blog.
ReplyDeleteI know you don't like the new interface as much, but my work firewall was blocking comments on the old site (after your most recent refresh/revamp). But now (obviously), I can post again.
Beth - good to hear from you! So that's why you didn't comment much on Law Actually before! :p
ReplyDeleteSorry about the 'maroon screen of death' last week - the content of the blog would have appeared eventually but, of course, you wouldn't have known that! Bloody blogger, eh? :-)
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ReplyDeletewell i use both blogger and tumblr, but i am much more used to tumblr. i've stayed on blogger because for some reason, copious law based blogs are on blogger. so it's just prudent to remain here. i guess we must exercise our patience with blogger :)
ReplyDeleteBlogger may be an unpopular choice for professional bloggers, compared to wordpress, but it offers great flexibility in terms of design. And that's why I love it. However, I'm hating the new draft blogger control panel. Argghhh!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnyway... the padding... Have you tried adding:
padding-$startSide: [value]px;
to the /* Widgets section?
WordPress would be your best bet. Transition would be relatively easy as they have an import tool. You could either host everything yourself, or stick your blog on WordPress.com with your custom domain name.
ReplyDeleteGet in touch if you want to know more.
Anyhow, however you do it, long may your blawging continue!
LB - stuff that! ;-) Blogger has shredded my patience these last few days. I remember the days of Tumblr... I even had a law actually one... it's probably still floating about there somewhere.
ReplyDeleteAndro - yeah, I've mucked about with WordPress on and off. It just seemed 'too obvious' as a choice for me... dunno what it is really... puts me off a bit. Exasperating aren't I? :p
Thanks for the suggestion re padding - no luck I'm afraid. It did nowt! :-(
Adam - thanks... still prefer Squarespace I think... they've got an import tool (who hasn't now) and all the gizmos you get on wordpress. My biggest concern is loss of traffic and pagerank... otherwise I'd jump in an instant. Btw - it didn't say so on the blogger account but are you 'Adam' of Los Havros fame or ... (thought I'd better check)
Traffic problems non-withstanding, why is that a reason to completely shut down a completely functional and popular blog??
ReplyDeleteHow to Windows:
ReplyDelete1) I've reposted your comment removing the link ;-) - don't spam me buddy!
2) I think that should have been 'notwithstanding'.
3) And finally, I wasn't being serious - something you would have known if you were a genuine reader! :p
I'm too old, dim and genereally luddite to do much about the state of the rabbit. I occasionally think maybe tart it up in some unspecified way but don't hold your breath (okay you weren't planning on such a thing...).
ReplyDelete15 comments - omg! :D
ReplyDeleteWR - Nothing wrong with the retro blogger look... besides, content is king - right? :-)
ReplyDeleteAndro - I know... just like the good ol' days, huh? ;-)