Bad, bad Blogger! Have you noticed that Blogger.com have changed how comments from non-Blogger blogs links are handled in the comment area? They don’t link to us any longer!
Wanna get that extern linking feature back in the comments?
Click here to Send them a request! (Even if you’re not a Blogger.com blogger!)
I urge every one to scroll down on that page and choose “suggest a new feature” and ask to get back the feature!
Not sure what I’m talking about here? Well, read on!
We have blogs to socialize with each other and Blogger have just built up a wall between us bloggers by implementing these new rules for commenting cross different blog platforms, they don’t any longer allow links to extern blogs outside Blogger.com.
Instead of earlier when you could click the “other” option, you can now only give in a nickname option – no link to your blog. Even if you write http://www.lifecruiser.org it won’t turn it into a link, not even if you place the a href code there.
This also means that YOU as a blogger.com blog owner can’t easily follow up your commentors either – as long as we don’t leave you a link in the comment body or is on your blogroll already. I’m only waiting for the day when they try to stop you from linking to us at all…
It’s totally UNFAIR. They’re kicking us below the belt in a very ugly way. It’s like cheating or too much big brother watching your steps, it’s not an acceptable behavior in the friendly blogosphere.
Haven’t thought about it? Well, imagine it would be the opposite. Think if all the WordPress or Typepad blogs would stop to link to all Blogger blogs?
Would you think that was a good thing? No, I didn’t think so….
What on earth made Google-Blogger to take this bad, bad decision? Maybe it’s so many bloggers that have left Blogger already that they got a panic attack and was not thinking clearly? One could almost think so.
I don’t believe that it was done to prevent spam – if so they would have gone out with information about it. No, this is clearly a step into the war of blog platforms. And what do we bloggers think about wars? Exactly, we don’t like wars, we want peace and more features to ease the way between us bloggers.
This way, if I leave a comment with my Blogger account, it will only go to my Blogger profile and there you can find a link to my real WordPress blog, but that means too many clicks, right? Not many will do that. We all know how lazy we are when it comes to clicks….
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if your comments on your Blogger blog will drop a bit now, at least from new commenters other than Blogger.com bloggers.
For me this was the last drop I can take from Blogger. I’ll still visit you, my visitors, but no searching for new Blogger blogs. I’ll concentrate more on the WP blogs from now on and my guess is that I’m not alone.
A big part of the blogging pleasure is to get responses on your blog posts and visit each others blogs and this is hindering us to do that easily. I’m not saying this only because of the link backs, but because I want the process to go SMOOTHLY. I’m not sure that Blogger know what that word is though…
I’m thinking of the uploading of images fuss that has been going on for quite a while now to, where bloggers with Blogger-blogs have had to wait for hours and hours (sometimes days!) to upload them! I can understand that there can be certain problems with things for a while, especially since it’s a free blogging platform, but not when they’re continuing for this long.
I’m very surprised that people are staying so patiently with Blogger as they do. I would never do that after all the problems they have had. I can understand your anxiety over a move from Blogger though, after all, you may have had that blog for long and really worked hard with it and maybe not even have the skills to do the move or for hosting an own domain and blog.
If you’re sure you’re NOT ever will be moving and your Blogger.com blog is new, I recommend you to at least install the add-on Haloscan for your comments, which still have the extern linking feature. It also has the trackback option that Blogger blogs normally is missing.
CAUTION: If you’re having an old blog, be careful implementing Haloscan, I’ve heard of bloggers missing all the old comments after installing Haloscan. There may also be some problems if you later decide to move, to export your Haloscan comments.
I think this is a way to try to keep bloggers at Blogger, but that’s just to bite themselves in the tail. It can have the opposite effect if they don’t are careful. This can be another reason for bloggers to actually leave Blogger.
As Sara at Suburban Oblivion answers in a comment:
“Finally, I think readers *should* be rewarded for commenting. It all goes back to that two-way relationship thing. Anyone can read anything I put up, but I truly appreciate those who take the time and effort to stop and let me know what they think of my posts. I could just as easily adjust my settings to where nothing is required but a name, but I think commenters should be rewarded not only with the linkbacks (and google juice since I am dofollow), but the chance for new readers to discover them here”.
I think that sums it up, it’s simply good manners to keep the linking feature.
Update: Blogger has now after all the protests, apologized and put back the feature, even if it’s a bit hidden since you have to start to write in the nickname field before the URI field shows up.
Still wanna know more of what you’re options are and how to move a blog from Blogger? Read my next post!
I have a blogger blog, (for puppies) but found it really difficult. So I stick with my pay for it blog and I am happier.
Several of my regular reads are blogger blogs, so I am not giving them up but frankly I’m not going to start reading any new blogger blogs because it is a pain. I actually posted a comment at “Waking Ambrose”, Doug saw it, it was linked with my blog and name and google, or blogger, deleted the comment the next day. That was proof enough for me.
I have a goggle name and blogger blog but do not choose to use that name and do not use the blog.
I will now “sing the body anonymous” ( ew good title for a post) when commenting on my friends sites, as a ridiculous, senseless and useless form of protest.
I’m glad I am not the only one peeved by this.
peace
cooper’s last blog post..World AIDS day.
This is not how we’d like to play the blogging game. I followed your great suggestion and left the request to get the old feature back. I will keep doing that…
I haven’t changed because I have tried other hosts and I keep missing features…I know Leanne has a very detailed post about leaving blogger but I’d rather stick to the known evil before I change to a wicked angel…:)
Oh, oh, the captain is angry. This is no good. We’d better fix a large breakfast and many goodies!
Mar’s last blog post..photo hunt: r e d
Ah now I understand why I get this strange http ://address from you and not the usual link ! I didn’t even realize this last invention from Bloogle Glogger ! I was already furious that I couldn’t put in “others” my direct cat link anymore and have to write each time that it is my cat blog ! so my cat friends sometimes land on my WriterCramps and wonder where are my cats ! That is really a scandal and I will put Haloscan, anyway I already had the intention. And uploading pictures I tell you it’s just to land up in a madhouse ! It is like a roulette game sometimes it works but more often it doesn’t work. This time I was lucky with my Egypt posts otherwise I use Photobucket I don’t wait for their snail uploading !
Besides this I can’t say anything else against Blogger I only know before I landed up at Blogger I tried 3 others and they were even worse ! I sent the request !
I didn’t know about this! I am very upset with this!!!
Twisted Cinderella’s last blog post..Red — Saturday Photohunt
I hadn’t noticed this before, but will certainly put in a suggestion. Thanks for posting.
Aiyana
Aiyana’s last blog post..Green Thumb Sunday
Count me in! I noticed two or three days ago and I am not at all pleased! How arrogant they are!
A.’s last blog post..Keeping families afloat
Hi Captain,
I wondered what it was, thought it might have been a bit of a hiccup but that is not the case. Not sure what the point is they are trying to make.
Bongo
Mark’s last blog post..Green Thumb Sunday – Orange Tip Butterfly
not good Captain !!!
to get around this problem you can put a a href hyperlink in the comment section….
a couple of my non blogger friends have already done this at my site….will look at haloscan too …
laketrees’s last blog post..Portrait of Tamika
Your a really grate blogger Captian and I wanna thank you for standing up for our rights in this post and all the other efforts you’ve done e.g. in BlogCatalog and MyBlogLog.
This stupid thing Google_Blogger has done lately is unbelievable.
I went from Blogger to WP 6 month ago and the migration was smooth. I did it for a lot of reasons, e.g.:
1: I wanted my own domain name
2: To host my blog in a web hotel
3: Because of the great features
4: To experience the freedom of making your own layout
and I think it has turned out quite well
RennyBA’s last blog post..Brussels Fish Market
Hello Lifecruiser,
Ive just seen your post at mybloglog that made me curious to read your post,and this was a kind of surprising info,not in a good way though.
you`re right,redirecting would take our “little” time to roam around the blogosphere,that really sucks.I just hope that there would no more escalations to happen,that someone must do something about it.
Thank you for informing us.
ghee
ghee’s last blog post..Photo Hunter: RED
Hi,
Ive just posted a comment but I think it didnt go through.This is one of the barrier that sucks,some spammers stealed my IP and my comments always go to akismet so i need to change the URL.
Pls despam my comment in your akismet,so you can read what i just wrote.
thanx
ghee
I noticed the change, and it was bugging me. Sometimes even those of us who have Blogger blogs like to use the ‘other’ option when commenting, so if someone wants to click they won’t have to figure out which blog to visit when there are several listed on the profile. I hadn’t thought beyond that, but you’re right. How are we supposed to find and visit our non-Blogger visitors? I try to visit all the people who visit me. I would hate not to be able to. Comments mean so much more when you can see where they are coming from.
Oh, and, since I haven’t been here in a while, just let me say that I love this layout! LOVE IT!
[...] (2 December 2007): See also Cooper’s post on this subject, with her citation of yet another take on this [...]
Am I missing something?
I have blogger blogs, and when you comment to them, you can choose “other” and will be able to put your url link in, I removed the “nofollow” tags so they are worth something to those who comment. Please try and let me know whether I’m wrong about that so I can correct.
If you don’t update to the newer blogger format, it may be a problem then…am I right about that??
I have noticed it. So, are they suggesting that people should go to that other form of comment form? That’s just plain unfriendly. It’s like blowing up a bridge everytime you crossed it.
I love this layout!
Shoshana’s last blog post..Derailed!
Thanks for the heads up. Google has been pissing me up a lot lately. Unbelievable!
MommaDiary.com’s last blog post..How to talk to a baby?
Isn’t this problem fixed by deleting the “no follow” crap in your template HTML?
Because I haven’t noticed that people commenting to me aren’t able to post links.
Angelika’s last blog post..Yay but ON NO! But mostly YAY!!!
I haven’t noticed this problem. I don’t know if my blog readers are having problem leaving me comments because I haven’t heard any one complain. I’ll go find out.
Thanks for sounding me out.
eastcoastlife’s last blog post..The Age That I Wish To Go Back To
any update on what the hell is going on with Haloscan??? it seems to have been down since late thursday (???) i’m almost considering loading up the blogger comments on my page (blasphemy!)…. is haloscan just having hiccups or have they been forced out of the market by the megalopolis that is google/blogger??? please advise oh hiawatha hossannah whatever you are that seems so all powerful and all knowing however still on the periphery of mainstream acceptance what have you….gratzi, mahalo, all that gude stuph….
@Claudia: You have the problem to, I’ve checked.
@Angelika: deleting the “no follow” crap in your template HTML don’t help in this case. You have the problem too.
@eastcoastlife: You have the problem too, I’ve checked,
EVERY Blogger-blogger seem to have this problem. I haven’t seen any one that haven’t yet and other claims that it’s all over Blogger.
Reason for you to not notice: you haven’t had any none-Blogger blogger commenting until now!
Your comments may drop a bit since it’s many none-Blogger bloggers boycotting the Blogger blogs now.
Gosh…no wonder I hardly get any comments nowadays and my traffic dropped like hell. Even for photohunters, the comments are way below the norm. I hope something is done about this or else there won’t be many Blogger blogs left.
Criz Lai’s last blog post..ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY BAMBOO
Ah, this is not good Captain. In fact this makes me really angry. I had no idea. So I will be leaving a comment and let them know about my feelings…
Since I’ve been out of things lately…
This is not GOOD BUSINESS…THIS IS STUPID BUSINESS…ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT APPLE DID.
I just hope I can still leave comments on your blog!
Ev Nucci’s last blog post..World’s greatest photographer can’t focus his shot!
Captain, I obviously noticed it on my blog from your comments. Ah…not a good sign. After my business issues are dealt with today…I’m going to address.
It’s not letting me leave a comment!
Boy, what else can go wrong in the blogging world?
Last week, Google demoted my page rank from a whopping 3 down to zero – apparently in response to my having started to do a few paid posts. (Lots of other bloggers with higher page ranks got busted the week before I did and are now at zero too.)
Now -problems with commenting? I noticed too my daily visits dropped last week from in the high 40′s and 50′s daily down to high 20′s and 30′s and I was blaming it initially on the holiday and people being to busy to blog and visit regularly – I know I’m running way behind daily now -but perhaps there was more to the reason why my comments dropped so drastically. I dunno but I don’t like it any way you cut it.
Jeni Hill Ertmer’s last blog post..Getting Started
[...] just read a post on Lifecruiser where Blogger (which is owned by Google) is no longer allowing the external linking feature when [...]
If I find an interesting post on a blogger site, I will still read it. But I never leave comments. They have made it too unappealing to participate. There are so many other good blogs out there that I would rather not waste my time on blogger sites.
Hey LC!
I learned early in the blogging game it’s always good to have back-ups for services/features. I offer readers the ability to comment and trackback (linkback) via either Blogger or HaloScan.
DL
Dave Lucas’s last blog post..Advent: Look to the Stars
Like you, my captain, I’m very angry! So stupid and bad surprise! Just hope people leave this system now!
I understand your reaction because I had the same when I discovered the new way to post on their blogs!
claudie’s last blog post..My teenager’s world!
you are absolutely right about this … bad, bad blogger!!! will click on that link. thanks.
Toni’s last blog post..Christmas: Making a Wreath
excellent post! I don’t like blogger. For me is better to have my own domain + wordpress
cv’s last blog post..Lotus Esprit S1
[...] MORE UPDATE: And more it seems! SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Hey Blogger.com…BITE ME!”, url: [...]
At long last, I found what looks like an official explanation for what’s going on here. If this site is to be believed, Google’s working in a new means for WordPress etc. non-Google bloggers to comment, using the OpenID system. Which might actually work out for the good. Though one could wish they’d gone about this a little less ham-fistedly.
the amoeba’s last blog post..In The Jungle, The Concrete Jungle …
I noticed that the “other” option was gone, and that they substituted it with a “nickname” w/out a follow back link. I am SO glad that you brought this to everybody’s attention!! I wasn’t sure what was going on, so I reverted to using a blogger blog to comment on blogger blogs. NOT FAIR!
SwordGirl’s last blog post..Friday fill-in 27
Hi
It has got to a stage where a blogger has to have their own domain or they will get lost as the different free blog sites change the rules. A lot of bloggers are caught. They create really good content, are very popular but of course would have to start everything again from scratch. The free blog orgs know this.
What is needed is for Google to allow people to take their PR etc with them when they move to a self hosted blog. I am sure there must be a way to transfer all the content. If that were to happen, the free sites may think twice about changing the rules all the time.
cheers
les
the radical blogger
les’s last blog post..How to get quality traffic and improve your rank
Hmmm…do you think Blogger will feel the power of bloggers?
Just as an FYI, I’m beating this old horse to death, lol. I’m posting about this today in follow-up to my original question, and linking to you in my post…
i come late to this – but thanks, anyway, for posting about this, lifecruiser. i must say that i saw this coming, when they started implementing the “other” option that already made it a hassle to include your non-blogger blog.
i still have a blog at blogger which points to my wordpress blog but that’s really not a very elegant option.
i see that the amoeba says that they’re going to us openID which is OK i guess – it still smells fishy, though … if they really wanted to do that, why didn’t they directly switch over to openID?
isabella mori’s last blog post..the best of the lists
The OpenID won’t quite be the same as leaving a direct link to your blog.
If you can get your own hosting, do so. Using a freebie service leaves you vulnerable to the whims of the provider. Not a nice feeling if your blog is doing well.
Good web hosting can be got for $8 p.m. these days, if you do your research.
OKAY, maybe we’ve been a little too hasty here getting on Google’s case….PLEASE take a look at the following link, they are rolling out a new feature, and you will be able to login using any account you are with, WordPress, AOL, etc., or OPEN ID which will be the same as logging in with “Other” used to be. Here’s the link, you’ll probably have to copy and paste it, that explains everything:
http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-feature-openid-commenting.html
PS to my previous post, Lifecruiser, why do you think it won’t be quite the same…OpenID that is??
Hi! I think this is an excellent post. I already have my own domain in WP (http://mysoulfulthoughts.com/) but I have to admit, I’m still learning the ropes and have not moved my old blog yet. I’m thinking of keep both. Thanks for this comprehensive post. I shall go through them again especially that part about moving HaloScan comments to WP. I hope my low “techie” abilities can handle it.
Thanks for visiting.
Rach (Heart of Rachel)’s last blog post..Online Essays
While I understand the loss of linkylove bloggers feel, if you look at it from Google’s point of view, taking out the external link feature in comments is a good idea to generate more genuine conversation. I get comments on my blog like ‘good post’ and ‘I agree’. If someone really wants to post a comment, they’ll do it, regardless of url availability or not.
I’m sorry, I’m not agreeing with you there, Torrey Pines. I do think it’s good to prevent spam, but this is not spam.
Bloggers have the right to leave what ever comments they like to give (except from real rude comments). We live in a free world. If the blog owner does not want that sort of comments, he/she have the freedom to delete them in that case, since it’s his/hers blog. Do you tell persons in real life to shut up like this to? No, I shouldn’t think so
Or do you? 
Besides that, as I’ve stated here also, we are many that doesn’t have this opinion because of the linky love (I have enough of links anyway), but for:
1) The matter of making comments and visiting the right blog EASILY. This is making it an extra step and for Bloggers, they’re directed to the Blogger profile and not the actual blog itself. That means extra click to get to the blog and if the Blogger blogger has more than one blog, which many have, it becomes even more complicated because then we don’t know which one to visit.
2) This is just one step of many that Google-Blogger has done without even informing their users properly, BEFORE the change which use to be the normal case if you’re acting professional.
It might come out good in the end, but I really think that they shouldn’t have implemented such system the way they have done it now. The OpenID was thrown out too early and without proper information and all wished functionality.
Of course we can, but the thing is: it’s not a smooth solution.
We bloggers are a lazy bunch
We don’t want to have to copy and paste all the time, since the hyperlink code is much longer to write than the actual link… Especially when you want to point them to one of your posts, not only to the blog. I do that pretty often myself, when I have an old post that relates to their post.
We don’t want the technique to take one step backwards instead of developing to something real smooth that makes everybody happy
I’m sure we could go on for ever with this discussion, since we’re on opposite sides…. *giggles*
Thanks for the link, going to make my view known now…
They have taken a big step backwards here…
Lady Banana’s last blog post..Scary [Flickr]
I am glad I left blogger when I did although now if I log in to comment on blogger with my gmail address people get diverted to my old blog.
This move by Blogger really annoys me – it is harming those using Blogger by putting people off making comments and those on other platforms too. How can you create relationships with other bloggers if you do not know where to find them.
Blogger are trialling the use of OpenID for logging in to make comments but this involves some fiddling for non blogger users to set up their blogs so that a link to their blog is created.
I have been posted some suggestions on my blog on how to get round the problem. The best solution of course is for Blogger to listen to us and reverse the change.
Sueblimely’s last blog post..Style changes
Wow, this is my first time here. jWow, You’ve got a very very beautiful blog here.
btw I’m on blogger ,this concerns me very much. I haven’t still read what others have send up but I wish blogger would implement a commenting system like in wordpress.com etc. The existing one discourage commenting.
Planet Apex’s last blog post..State of the Blog: November 2007 Recap
this issue has been corrected !!! now u can use any links there with OPEN ID
dinsan’s last blog post..Are you still boycotting blogger ?
Yea, blogger said… fixed.
Any one can now leave their url on blogger comment.
mriza’s last blog post..Animated Favicon for blogger
[...] I am a double major, with my other interest in Broadcast and Cinema Arts. (Visit the link for a short video about the program featuring the well-known and widely respected Hollywood Director and Producer, Christopher Coppola.) Adjunct professor at Madonna University, Christopher Coppola has recently worked with film production students via Skype. Without the use of Skype as a tool for communication, only a phone call could take the place of the video-chat students had with Coppola last week. Skype allowed students and Coppola to meet and pitch ideas for this year’s film. (Every year the Capstone in Film Production class makes a film, and I am excited to be in the class this year.) As Broadcast and Cinema Arts students, we use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogger, Blackboard, Instant Messaging, Video Chat programs, and basic e-mail, such as Google Mail to update the world on what we are doing as well as publish our own work. Without all of these social media sites, our work would go unnoticed. It is not a coincidence that our professor from last weekend, Shannon Paul, majored in journalism and writes about Social Media for a living. We discussed the importance of Social Media and how it can truly bring you out of your ‘offline shell’, into the online world, and even further into a career, especially a dream job that can happen right out of college. We talked about all of the Social Media sites listed above as well as WordPress because it’s a more professional blogging platform than Blogger. [...]
@Mriza does that mean they’ve fixed the problem now? Does OpenID fix it?
[...] that I agree.The situation: Google disabling commentsWhat Google through Blogger.com is doing is not allowing readers to leave their external website addresses in the comments they are leaving. . That means you can only leave a comment if you are either a Google/Blogger.com user, or if you [...]