LIFE IN A BUBBLE
1. The site isn't that easy to navigate around, particularly when compared to AFF.
2. It's great there's no overt censorship here especially as postings aren't reviewed by the site before being posted. That is a big plus compared to AFF. Obviously, the Blogger site will take down any postings that breach its community guidelines. I haven't read them yet. I'm presuming or at least hoping they are reasonable.
3. So far, I've not encountered any glitches that were so widespread on AFF. I'm sure there will be glitches but Google should have the resources to fix them quickly.
4. I've learnt to keep track of blog posts of my so far few followed bloggers via my 'Reading List'. And I've learnt to keep track of my comments and replies on other people's blog posts by email notifications which are triggered by ticking 'Notify Me' before I submit my comment or reply.
5. When submitting a blog post, I've now learnt to correctly title my post otherwise no link will appear in email notifications.
6. I now know that blog posts can be easily edited but comments and replies on blog posts can't be edited, though they can be deleted.
7. I've found out the search function on my blog page is only for a search of my blog posts.
8. As well as bloggers having their blog name, they also have their own URL address. On AFF, only our username was important. I'm struggling to find bloggers' URL addresses. And if I haven't got blogger's URL addresses and they haven't added their 'Followers' gadget to their home blog page, then, I can't follow them.
9. My main concern now, after a few days on the site, is that I can't seem to access the wider site. Though there are 'Help' and 'Community' sections on the site, I can't find, for example, a generic search function, a feed of new blog posts on the site or even a generic Blogger page. Every time I sign into the site or I click the Blogger logo, I get sent straight to my blog page. Compared to AFF, there is far less of a community feel to the site.
What have you observed and learnt about this site?
Do you have any tricks to pass on?
As things stand, and understandably, I feel I'm in an AFF bubble. Don't get me wrong I couldn't think of better riff-raff to associate with! But like Jim Carrey in The Truman Show film, I would like to see what's life like outside the bubble at least once!
Without Enigma's excellent tutorials posted on her blog, plus many private lessons from her, I wouldn't have got this far on the site. It's a shame that there isn't a 'Blogger for beginners' guidance on the site. And without Enigma's help, I'm sure I would have given up by now. But I will continue to explore and play around with the site. It's not as if I've much else to do beyond domestic chores given I'm retired.
This post is far wordier than first planned!
As I've told you, I don't believe there is a wider "Blogspot" community. I have done numerous searches and found nothing.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I could help.
I put in paragraphs by just hitting the enter button twice after I'm done with a paragraph.
If anyone wants to join in and needs help, feel free to ask.
Oh well, I'll just enjoy life in the bubble!
DeleteI hit enter twice at the end of each paragraph too but no paragraphs appear.
DeleteHave you tried writing your posts in the openoffice program and copy/paste them over?
DeleteNick and i are headed out for a few, be back in 20
I got an email notification of your reply but it hasn't shown up here.
DeleteI do compile my posts on OpenOffice and copy-and-paste them over.
It's weird, I didn't delete it and I don't see it either but I did it on my phone in the car, so maybe it got lost in the interwebs.
DeleteSo, what happens, does all the formatting go away when you transfer?
It's entirely possible this is about the Theme you're using.
DeleteWhat do you mean Theme?
DeleteFor ease, I'm calling Blogger the page where you put up your posts, and blogspot your actual blog.
DeleteStarting in Blogger, on the left side of the page where the reading list is, is a link called "Theme". Mine is set to contempo Light to make blogging easier.
Go to your blogger page and click on theme, then tell me what theme you're using at the top, please.
It says my theme is Contempo Light.
DeleteOkay, it's not that. Let me do a little look around in settings and see if I can figure out what the issue may be.
DeleteThanks, yet again!
DeleteGo to Settings in Blogger.
DeleteScroll to the bottom, is the toggle switch set to "Blogger Draft"?
The 'Use Blogger Draft' circle isn't clicked - it's a blank.
DeleteHuh, that's how it should be. I'm so confused why you're not able to insert line breaks, aka paragraphs.
DeleteCan you do it in comments?
I can paragraph in comments.
DeleteI've even composed my posts with three enters after each paragraph and it still comes back unparagraphed.
Alright, I"m gonna email you. It'll be easier.
DeleteI am happy to be in the Bubble here with you all my fellow banned riff-raff!..lol. I must have done something right when writing on my blog.I double click enter after a few sentences or when I want to start a new paragraph and it seems to work..
DeleteThat doesn't work with me. Perhaps it's the site's first glitch I'm experiencing!
DeleteSpunky, go through JN's PDF File and see if your settings look like hers.
DeleteI will do that today.
DeleteYour "Huh ..." comment got spammed as well. I've just gone through all comments to see if any more have been spammed.
DeleteJN also had some comments spammed.
I just checked mine, no spam
DeleteIt's still a mystery but it's definitely a site glitch.
DeleteAfter some machinations, it looks like I can finally comment, woo hoo! It's disappointing that there isn't any community here, nor any way to browse content. I suppose the flip side of that, is that people who might want to leave AFF and are concerned about being more "public" on this site...well, it's not really the case. It's hard to imagine any vanilla friends who don't know my blog name, stumbling across me here.
ReplyDeleteThis place is less public than they may believe. They're more public on AFF truly.
DeleteI do miss the community aspect, though. Hopefully, the privacy will encourage more to leave and blog somewhere less sleazy as you say.
DeleteAlthough I miss the community there also, I am liking it here much better so far and so far as I know my privacy has not been breached..Welcome smarty..
DeleteAs things stand, it just needs one of us either get followed or follow someone outside the bubble, and a slight escape route can be very slowly planned.
Delete🤣😂 I just don't think there is a wider community on this site, unless it's one we've created.
DeleteWhat I meant was that by following bob-AFF bloggers, this may slowly lead to other non-AFF bloggers. And it may just lead non-AFF bloggers to AFF blogs.
DeleteThough there's no community here, there's a chance of widening our followed/followers networks gradually.
I noticed JN has a couple of non-AFF bloggers following her, but without their URL addresses I can't follow them if I wanted to.
Ahhh I understand now. You have to stop looking at followers as people who blog. I've looked at her list. None of those people have blogs because I looked for them. And, all of them are definitely affers.
DeleteI appreciate all those signed up on the site aren't all bloggers, a bit like AFF - there were many who commented or just lurked on blog posts but didn't blog.
DeleteDebbi, I agree, in reality bloggers might have more visibility to random visitors on AFF.
DeleteSmarty, they do for sure. I can read Pony's posts while offline. I haven't had a blog post on here go more than 150 views.
DeleteAll my followers are either current bloggers on AFF or they used to be.
DeleteBut how can any non-AFF bloggers follow us here?
DeleteI see you've been editing this morning. :)
ReplyDeleteAdding paragraphs and removing photos.
DeleteI see :)
Delete