Blogger Advice
TWO BLOGGER TIPS - ENABLING E-MAIL AND CHOOSING BLOGS TO SHOW
This is updated from the February 24, 2014, original post due to Blogger/Google + changes.
Since a few people each week still ask about this, the blog post is being republished.
BLOG TIP:
Why would you want to do this?
Do you have Email notification set for your Blogger Blog? If so, you know that each time
someone leaves on comment on your blog, an email notification is sent to you.
Sometimes it is nice to “reply” via the email, like when someone asks a question. Unfortunately
most people do not have their email address “enabled” so that an email can be sent. It might show up as DonnaEllis@no-reply.blogger.com
Not having that email address makes it difficult for anyone who owns a blog and wants to respond.
Sometimes, we don’t want people to have our email address. But mostly, it is a case of not knowing how to enable our email address.
To correct this, go to your dashboard.
This is updated from the February 24, 2014, original post due to Blogger/Google + changes.
Since a few people each week still ask about this, the blog post is being republished.
BLOG TIP:
Why would you want to do this?
Do you have Email notification set for your Blogger Blog? If so, you know that each time
someone leaves on comment on your blog, an email notification is sent to you.
someone leaves on comment on your blog, an email notification is sent to you.
Sometimes it is nice to “reply” via the email, like when someone asks a question. Unfortunately
most people do not have their email address “enabled” so that an email can be sent. It might show up as DonnaEllis@no-reply.blogger.com
most people do not have their email address “enabled” so that an email can be sent. It might show up as DonnaEllis@no-reply.blogger.com
Not having that email address makes it difficult for anyone who owns a blog and wants to respond.
Sometimes, we don’t want people to have our email address. But mostly, it is a case of not knowing how to enable our email address.
To correct this, go to your dashboard.
IF YOU ARE USING BLOGGER WITH A GOOGLE + ID:
*NEW* Because some Blogger users (like me) have enabled a Google + ID, but NOT a Google+ Blog format, the Blogger User/ID information is no longer in the top right corner.
For Blogger Blogs using Google+ IDs in addition to Blogger ID, instead, do the following:
- Go to Dashboard
- Go to SETTINGS (left column)
- Go USER SETTINGS
- On the right side of the page are some options.
- Under GENERAL, select USER PROFILE.
- Make sure that BLOGGER is selected and NOT Google+ :
*NEW* Because some Blogger users (like me) have enabled a Google + ID, but NOT a Google+ Blog format, the Blogger User/ID information is no longer in the top right corner.
For Blogger Blogs using Google+ IDs in addition to Blogger ID, instead, do the following:
For Blogger Blogs using Google+ IDs in addition to Blogger ID, instead, do the following:
- Go to Dashboard
- Go to SETTINGS (left column)
- Go USER SETTINGS
- On the right side of the page are some options.
- Under GENERAL, select USER PROFILE.
- Make sure that BLOGGER is selected and NOT Google+ :
Click on EDIT (directly under the BLOGGER selection):
A new window pops up:
NOTE:
- if you are reading this on my blog, please click on the photo below so you can see the full size photo completely, and the writing on the right will not interfere with the photo.
- if you are reading this via email, I'm hoping it already is at full size for your viewing. If it is not, please click on the title of my blog post in the top of your email, and it will take you to my blog post so you can read it there.
A new window pops up:
NOTE:
- if you are reading this on my blog, please click on the photo below so you can see the full size photo completely, and the writing on the right will not interfere with the photo.
- if you are reading this via email, I'm hoping it already is at full size for your viewing. If it is not, please click on the title of my blog post in the top of your email, and it will take you to my blog post so you can read it there.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A BLOGGER ID, THE FOLLOWING SHOULD WORK:
In the top right (where your name and picture are), click on Blogger Profile.
On the right is a button to Edit User Profile. Click it.
The EDIT USER PROFILE page pops up.
Under the section for PRIVACY, click on SHOW MY EMAIL ADDRESS. Add the address
you’d like to have people respond to. This does NOT “advertise” your email address.
It merely shows up when people hit “reply to email” when you have left a comment on their blog.
Be sure to click on SAVE!
If it does NOT have a Blogger option in the top right corner of your dashboard, simply follow the directions above for Blogger users who have a Google + ID.
________________________________________________
BLOG TIP: Choose which blogs to show in blogger
Why would you want to do this?
Do you contribute to several Blogger Blogs? The default setting is to show all the blogs you
contribute to. This means when people visit your profile (as in returning a comment from their blog),
they will see all the blogger blogs you are affiliated with, and have to choose which of the blogs
they want to take the time to visit trying to locate your personal blog.
It's frustrating to want to return a comment, only to have 7 or more blogs pop up, forcing
you to hit or miss which blog might be the author's personal blog.
To correct this, go to your dashboard. In the top right (where your name and picture are), click on
Blogger Profile.
On the right is a button to Edit User Profile. Click it.
The EDIT USER PROFILE page pops up.
Under the section for PRIVACY, click on
SHOW MY BLOGS, select the blogs you want displayed, and UNCHECK any blogs you don’t
want to show up. This helps visitors who look at your profile trying to locate your personal
blog(s) in response to your comments left on their blogs. Be sure to click on SAVE.
For example: I contribute to NINE blogger blogs. I don’t want people to wonder which of
those blogs are mine, so only 2 of my blogs are checked.
Be sure to click on SAVE!
________________________________________________
hope this helps someone today!
hugs,
de
In the top right (where your name and picture are), click on Blogger Profile.
On the right is a button to Edit User Profile. Click it.
The EDIT USER PROFILE page pops up.
Under the section for PRIVACY, click on SHOW MY EMAIL ADDRESS. Add the address
you’d like to have people respond to. This does NOT “advertise” your email address.
It merely shows up when people hit “reply to email” when you have left a comment on their blog.
you’d like to have people respond to. This does NOT “advertise” your email address.
It merely shows up when people hit “reply to email” when you have left a comment on their blog.
Be sure to click on SAVE!
If it does NOT have a Blogger option in the top right corner of your dashboard, simply follow the directions above for Blogger users who have a Google + ID.
If it does NOT have a Blogger option in the top right corner of your dashboard, simply follow the directions above for Blogger users who have a Google + ID.
________________________________________________
BLOG TIP: Choose which blogs to show in blogger
Why would you want to do this?
Do you contribute to several Blogger Blogs? The default setting is to show all the blogs you
contribute to. This means when people visit your profile (as in returning a comment from their blog),
they will see all the blogger blogs you are affiliated with, and have to choose which of the blogs
they want to take the time to visit trying to locate your personal blog.
It's frustrating to want to return a comment, only to have 7 or more blogs pop up, forcing
you to hit or miss which blog might be the author's personal blog.
contribute to. This means when people visit your profile (as in returning a comment from their blog),
they will see all the blogger blogs you are affiliated with, and have to choose which of the blogs
they want to take the time to visit trying to locate your personal blog.
It's frustrating to want to return a comment, only to have 7 or more blogs pop up, forcing
you to hit or miss which blog might be the author's personal blog.
To correct this, go to your dashboard. In the top right (where your name and picture are), click on
Blogger Profile.
Blogger Profile.
On the right is a button to Edit User Profile. Click it.
The EDIT USER PROFILE page pops up.
Under the section for PRIVACY, click on
SHOW MY BLOGS, select the blogs you want displayed, and UNCHECK any blogs you don’t
want to show up. This helps visitors who look at your profile trying to locate your personal
blog(s) in response to your comments left on their blogs. Be sure to click on SAVE.
want to show up. This helps visitors who look at your profile trying to locate your personal
blog(s) in response to your comments left on their blogs. Be sure to click on SAVE.
For example: I contribute to NINE blogger blogs. I don’t want people to wonder which of
those blogs are mine, so only 2 of my blogs are checked.
those blogs are mine, so only 2 of my blogs are checked.
Be sure to click on SAVE!
________________________________________________
hope this helps someone today!
hugs,
de
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HTTPS Redirect in Blogger
Update July 8, shown at bottom:
(original post was May 8, 2016)
Hi, Crafting Friends!
(original post was May 8, 2016)
Hi, Crafting Friends!
A little BLOGGER help for you:
I have tried to use "lay man" words below to help you make a decision regarding Blogger's SSL Option.
Hope it helps, and I hope I'm accurate enough.
First, if you want to see the changed dashboard options please visit Chuck's blog here.
Second, To see Blogger's Official view of the new option, please visit Blogger's blog here.
Now - the (hopefully) easy explanation:
What is a Proxy Server? Most of us do not use proxies from our homes.
It appears the primary change MAY affect our followers who access our blogs strictly through a proxy server.
That means their device accesses the internet through another service, (rather than the way our homes offer internet service to us privately). Those users possibly use a "work around" to access the internet outside their employer's knowledge, or perhaps use a "free" service at a public location.
For those of us with direct connections from our homes to the internet, nothing should change.
But if someone does all their accessing from a location that has limitations on what they (the user) can view, then THEY possibly may no longer be able to visit our blogs because of the new SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) address and encrypted protocol (system or set of rules).
According to Chuck Croll of The Real Blogger Status, forcing SSL on our blogs will not make our blog readers more secure. But it may cause some other problems for our followers, and possibly for those who have their own servers.
Hackers? Worms?
Most attacks on websites are actually done in one of the following ways:
- The server is attacked directly. SSL does not protect you from this. Rather, you need
- to have a good IT security policy to protect your server.
- The user is attacked directly, either by infecting their PC with malware, or by using
- "phishing" to steal their passwords. SSL does not protect you from this, either.
- To protect your own PC from this, you need to use a good anti-virus program, and
- use lots of common sense and a small amount of paranoia when on the Internet.
- However, it is unrealistic to expect that all the PCs of all of your website visitors will be adequately protected.
In other words, SSL does very little to prevent the website from being hacked. It only prevents 3rd parties from listening to communications between the user and the website.
ERROR MESSAGE?
One error followers and readers might receive is found here.
If you have a domain name - more info here.
If I have used any words or phrases incorrectly, please let me know - I am mostly t
rying to convey to my non-techie blogging buddies what this might mean to us.
rying to convey to my non-techie blogging buddies what this might mean to us.
I do not plan on implementing the new SSL option, mostly because I know there are followers using proxy servers.
UPDATE July 8, 2016:
It appears more and more problems are arising from implementing the SSL option - unforeseen
consequences for crafters such as ourselves. Among them are a loss of past URL links, a loss of s
ome features, inability to use custom domain, error messages when people try to access our
profiles when trying to return-leave a comment.
Computer Hugs,
Hello friends! A fellow blogger had this on her blog. It is excellent information so, I also want to share with my fellow crafters. With SO MANY different issues being a blogger and not being a "techno-savvy" person, I wanted to share some "experience" that I've had over the years with blogging!
Make leaving a comment EASY on your followers!
I absolutely LOVE to return the favor of someone leaving me a comment. Everyone loves to receive some sort of "validation" on what they're putting out there and so they know they're not posting to themselves, right? Although I may not get back to you with my comment immediately, I will get there at some point. Just please remember that people do have lives other than blogging and with different time zones around the world, they may not be on the same time zone as you! So give your fellow blog friend a break if they can't reply back to you as soon as you think they should. (Sometimes life gets in the way and I can't always get there, but I certainly will as soon as life allows me to!) I certainly don't mind you letting me know that you need some love either! I may have accidentally forgot a post on your blog or didn't see it for some reason...so let me know if you need love on a particular post too. I will get there as soon as I can.
1. PLEASE TAKE OFF WORD VERIFICATION
If you are worried about SPAM coming through, you can always monitor your comments before they are published. I don't even worry about that. If SPAM comes through, I usually just get on my post and delete the comment if necessary. (I hardly ever get much SPAM anyway, but if I do, I just delete the comment and it's gone.) I'm sure your fellow bloggers leaving a comment know that it is SPAM and will leave it alone.
2. (OPINION) - POP-UP COMMENT BETTER THAN EMBEDDED
I leave LOTS and lots of comments on several people's blogs. It is your blog and you are completely entitled to create your blog the way you wish it to be, BUT....
to make it easier for your fellow blog friends to leave you a comment, PLEASE select the "Pop-Up Comment Window" on your drop down menu options in the settings. It makes it easier to leave a comment without having to scroll through tons of already left comments or keep scrolling up and down on the blog to see the card that was posted to make a comment about it. Also, I find that the embedded posts are a pain because if you want to leave an additional comment on a blog, then you have to wait for the entire blog to "re-load" the page again each time. This makes it very time consuming to leave a comment rather than the pop-up box where you can just hit the "Jump to Comment" link on the right side of the pop-up box and it will take you directly to the comment box to leave a comment. Then you can just close the box and move onto the next post or next blog.
If you choose to select "Full Page" in the drop down menu of the comments under settings, this is a better option than "embedded" comments, BUT I can not see your card when I'm leaving a comment, so I'm going solely on memory of your design at that point when I leave a comment and can't look back at your card unless I create a new tab page on my computer. I won't do that because it takes a long time! :)
3. PLEASE USE BLOGGER PROFILE - NOT GOOGLE + PROFILE
Ever since Google + started getting into the blogger/blogspot....it has caused more issues with trying to mesh one with the other smoothly!
I look at Google + as just another "social media" platform like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr and all the other "social media" venues that keep constantly popping up! It seems that everyone has their "favorite" and it's a must to join along! LOL!! Well, I may be "old-school", but it wasn't this way when I started blogging! :) Don't get me wrong, I am not afraid to join in the new trends to see what's going on, but when someone leaves me a comment and I get an e-mail that someone has left me a comment...I DO READ IT!!....yes, I do read it, then I click on their profile so that I return the favor if they've created a new post.
The PROBLEM is...when someone uses the Google + profile instead of the blogger profile, I get their "latest" post and NOT their blog...which is where I want to go in the first place! And sometimes, their "latest" blog posts are not on there...or they're not updated. So then I have to click on what is there when I "think" it's their blog and sometimes, it's NOT their blog and then I have to go and search for their blog! Yeah, it's a pain! I don't like that Google + profile much!
So, my advice PLEASE for those of you that do use the Google + profile, please leave me a link IN YOUR COMMENT when you leave me a comment so that I can get DIRECTLY to your blog instead of spending time trying to find it....I don't look at it as "advertising" for yourself, I look at it as you are trying to be helpful and make it easier for me to leave you a comment in return. If you do this, then I don't even have to click on your blogger profile, I can go directly to your blog...which is what I WANT to do!!! :)
HERE IS HOW TO LEAVE A LINK IN 'YOUR COMMENT:
1. After you type up what you want to say about the card, use this html tag:
<a href="your link">"your blog or name"</a>
(make sure you leave a space between the 'a' and 'h')Most all blogspot blogs will accept the html tags, but there may be some blogs that don't. I find that most of them do. I know this because sometimes you will see a link to my blog when I leave you a comment. The reason I do this is not to advertise myself, but to make it easier for YOU to find my blog and leave me a comment if you choose to do so. :)
What I do, is create my html tag lines in a program on my computer so that it makes it easy for me to just copy it and then paste it when I leave someone a comment. This way they have a clickable link in their email! And for those of you that already do this ....THANK YOU!!!
I do this for my design team comments as well. This way there is a link to the challenge blog/or store as well as a link to my blog. (I don't expect a comment back when I'm leaving a comment for someone joining a challenge that I'm on a DT for because as part of my DT commitment, this is what I am required to do....not that I wouldn't leave you a comment otherwise, especially for a regular blog friend that leaves me comments, but I don't expect someone to leave me a comment for doing that.)
BLOGGER PROFILE TIP
When you DO use a blogger profile, PLEASE fill in the "Homepage URL" section with the URL of your blog! Sometimes it's hard to figure out which blog I should go to when all I have is a list of several blogs at the top to choose from. Then it's a game if I get it right or not! (This will put a link on your profile that says "My Web Page" under your photo.)
If you want to keep your e-mail private..this is fine, but if you want me to answer a question you may leave me on my blog, I can't hit reply to answer you because it comes up as "no-reply blogger". So you have to tick the box where it asks to show your email address.
CLICK HERE to see my blogger profile.
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This is not meant as a "rant" and hope that it's not taken that way. I'm posting this in case some people are unaware of any of this and they can use it as information for themselves.
If you want to make it easier for people to leave you comments on your blog, these are my suggestions to help you with having people being happy to leave you some love on your blog!
If you make it easy for them to leave you comments, you will get more people doing it!
Just putting my "two cents in"!!!
Happy Blogging my friends!
These are great tips, Berni! I'm with you on the Google+ thing - it can be very frustrating! I wish everyone would read your tips! It would make life a lot easier!
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