Howdee all,
A few days ago I had a blog scare. I went to log onto my blog and the browser said that Dawns bloggy blog does not exist. I had Jeff try to get to my blog and he had the same message..
Ugh…my heart started racing..My travelogue gone?
I quickly wrote an email to Blogspot and Google. I noticed Google has been going thru some changes lately and thought it could be related to that.
I tried signing into Google and got a message about suspicious activity. I then had to go thru a sign in process which included them calling my phone number and giving me a code in order to get back to Google. Long story short. My blog magically appeared again.
Lesson learned~Back up my blog weekly
Then I started toying with keeping another back-up of my blog at Wordpress.com
I imported my blog there and played around with templates.
I wanted to keep my birdie and the brown background..make it similar but a different look than what I have now.
I also played around with Blogspot templates on my Template testing blog to see what I could come up with.
I don’t know if I want to switch to Wordpress…
I know those who use it love it. In order to have better control over themes etc. you really need to have a Wordpress.org account. From what I understand that means having the blog hosted and other yearly fees…something I didn’t want to do for my little blog.
I am not sure about Wordpress.com, I think there is a limited amount of storage for photos etc. then you pay for extra storage. I am paying 5 dollars a year storage for my current blog.
I also think that there is advertising inserted in Wordpress.com accounts.
Any wordpress lovers out there please chime in.
Anyway..
I have come up with two other templates.
They are not finished.
I will have more in the sidebars~similar to what I have here at this blog.
Let me know what you like the best.
Click on the Links to get a better feel for each template and let me know what you think.
1-Current blog
I have started to add link pages up top to get rid of some of my sidebar clutter.
Not sure why I am getting a white square around the pictures on the sidebar and on the photos in the blog post.
I like the fonts..and you can change them for no cost at anytime.
Kind of like that I can insert a photo..
Not sure if I like the text without a background color.
Cant change fonts at Wordpress.com unless you pay a fee.
Ok..let me have it!
Hi Dawn - I heard you calling me...
ReplyDeleteI work on a Google blog, a self-hosted Wordpress blog and a free Wordpress blog. Of the three, the FREE Wordpress blog is the best. Your photo limit is 3GB, and after two years of posting lots of large photos and viddys, we're only at 1 GB. The free version includes a lot of extras I have to upload myself on the self hosted one, and you have a choice of themes as well.
The fonts on Wordpress.com are different with each theme, and many themes allow header and/or background pictures.You just need to play around with them to find one you like.
Shoot me an email for more details. Wordpress does nothing but blogs, while Google is busy trying to take over everything else!
And it's a million times easier to leave a comment on a Wordpress blog post.
Wordpress.org Bird Canada
Wordpress.com http://birdscalgary.wordpress.com
I like the look of the new Blogspot blog. I've also thought about switching to Wordpress but I'm not willing to take the time to figure it out.
ReplyDeleteI read blogs from folks with both, and since I have the el cheapo, er free, version with blogspot, it's easier for me to get stuff and comment on blogspot than the wordpress ones.
ReplyDeleteSo does this mean my pics will disappear off my blog over time since I don't pay them anything? Hmmm... I should go look up some old stuff...
btw, I loved seeing your homey being built... way cool.
I believe I'm partial to your current blogspot blog but the new one is nice too. Gosh, I'm glad your blog didn't disappear for good. I worry about that at times being on blogger.
ReplyDeleteOK Dawn Fine, you did ask.{:)0
ReplyDeleteReference the layout, I like both the new Blogspot and the Wordpress. I think the font of the main body text is much better in Wordpress as its much clearer and you can read it easy. I have a 21.5 inch iMac, I bet its quite difficult to read the new Blogspot text on a 15 inch Laptop. My one dislike is the colour scheme in both, which is the same as the current and I know it looks like Homey's colours as well.
If you don't mind me saying so the colour scheme is its quite dull (two tone brown).
Its owner/author is bright, vivacious and beautiful and it just doesn't match up to her at all.
You have actually added a splash of green in the Wordpress one. So either the new Blogspot or the Wordpress, but please brighten it up a lot.
Guess you wont communicate with me any more. {:((
Pat Bumstead
ReplyDeleteThanks for answering my call~Thanks for your input too. I am thinking of staying with Blogspot..Its the move over to Wordpress and whats involved that worries me...I dont want to lose the search capability for my blog. Now if you were to google Dawns Bloggy Blog tons of stuff related to my blog come up on google..Dont know what would happen if I changed to Wordpress. I dont know enough about it to feel comfortable.
I do love the way Wordpress comment system is set up.
Jim and Gayle .
Thanks for your input..i think I may switch to the new Blogspot after some tweaking.
Marianne, aka Ranger Anna
Glad you liked looking at my Homey pics. when i filled up blogger to the max with the free pics, i had to pay for more storage..only five dollars a year..
Blogger Julie G.
Thanks Julie..I am sooooooooooooooo...happy my blog didnt disapear either! I do love my old template..just wanted to update it a bit with a fresher look.
Roy
Roy Roy Roy...ha..I do appreciate your feed back. Thanks for your kind compliments about me..I really am an earthy crunchy girl at heart...and I suppose you dont know that I only wear browns and shades of browns..True! hee hee..I have started wearing a few pinks and greens ..but they must have some brown in the design..Yeah..wierd huh?
So with that background on my brown fetish..You see..I must have brown..I crave brown...it completes me..ha ha
I apprecate what you had to say about the post font and will change that.
Maybe I will add a bit of color some other way..but will not change my Precious and Lovely brown background..hee hee..Doesnt my Birdie have enough color?
And dont worry ..I will communicate with you still ...now i am going over to your blog and see where you might need to add a splash of BROWN..;)
Like others, I've just been with Blogger for so long, I really hate the idea of switching over (I'm at 700+ entries). Please keep us up to date on if you decide to switch.
ReplyDeleteI like the current and the wordpress look. I've been with blogger for over 3 years and am OK with it. Heaven forbid it should disappear. I'd freak out too. Never been asked to pay for photo storage. Nothing wrong with brown. I'd follow you anywhere. ;)
ReplyDeleteJust a quick note ... The trouble with the Wordpress blogs is they don't zoom on a mobile device. ...
ReplyDeleteAt least, 'I' can't figure out how to Do it. With the Blogspot blogs, I can put two fingers on my iPad screen, move them apart, and everything on the page gets bigger ... I am getting pretty dependent on that feature, as my eyesight gets worse. I find myself skipping the text on un-zoomable pages, I am afraid to say. Thanks for all your posts!
If I had it to do over I would host mylifeoutdoors on a self hosted Wordpress...I like the freedom. But I'm not interested in switching now...Plus I like the simplicity of blogger.
ReplyDeleteScary thought...I'm going to back up my blog and give google my phone number...I keep telling them no everytime they ask for it.
How much storage is the blogger max? That is before you have to pay?
Dawn, you'll make your blog great wherever you go! My CabinGirl blog is via blogger, for work we use Wordpress.org for the WRC Pulse.
ReplyDeleteHaving used both (and w/years of desktop publishing exp), I can honestly say that I MUCH prefer Blogger over WP. More intuitive, easier to quickly post something and more templates that you can still personalize to have your own look. (you can insert a pic on your header like you did in option 3 - changed mine last night to have an image)
Looking forward to seeing your blog's new design!
I am a blogspot sort of girl...
ReplyDeleteI do pay now since I have lots of blogs and lots of photographs and I have been doing this for six years...
As long as I can find you I am happy...
love your browns...I also crunch.
Sherry
Hi Lovely Dawn,
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I like the look of the self-hosted WordPress blog best. I'm sure it's because I do self hosted Wordpress blogs--I'm up to 7 now--and I like the way they look. I've just had my first experience in using Blogger as a guest poster in Birding Is Fun, and I think the WordPress format is much easier to deal with.
All that being said, you do what works for you. Dawn's Bloggy Blog is EVERYONE'S favorite blog. We'll follow you anywhere.
xoxox,
Linda
Hi Dawn
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this is said in all the previous comments (I scanned what I could) but my concern is if you moved you might lose 'follower' (readers) in the move. I don't know how smooth a transition would be.
One thought, since you love bloggy blogging as much as you do, I wonder if you should try to look into your own domain, and then see if you can map that to the blogspot site. Then, in the future, you might be better able to migrate.
Note: Neither of these two thoughts are complete or researched (I've not had to deal with it myself) but if it is of interest I could look into it with you.
regards
Adam
Hi Dawn, I think your current blog style works best - in its free-wheeling design I think it reflects your personality best, better than the new style. The only thing I would change is to darken the font to make it easier to read. My favorite color too is all shades of brown, also olive green - anything that makes me fade into the background when birding.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, my blog seems to have dropped off your list for Birds and Bees & Twitter. I really appreciated your previous attention! although I never actually expressed my gratitude. My fault! :-(
Hi Dawn.. total amateur compared to you (& most everybody) but I do have a free wordpress blog..for botany themes & like it better..templates etc. But like following blogs better on blogspot. I like either of the first two versions of the templates you're contemplating..not the third at all..
ReplyDeleteKate
ReplyDeleteI dont think I will switch to wordpress~though, it is very easy to import all the posts. I just dont know enough about what will happen to all the google search links...they seem to know me now.
Gaelyn
Thanks Gaelyn, I think I am going to stay with blogger..and keep the brown. :) who knows..maybe I will just work on what I have and clean it up a bit.
Dianne C., Humano-gaian
Thanks for that input about the wordpress not zooming on portable devices..I think I will stay with blogger.
My Life Outdoors
I dont think I will switch either..I am not sure about the storage on blogger. I forget. You may be able to write them and ask.
CabinGirl said...
Thanks for your input...the more I think about what to do and play around with templates. I am thinking of sticking with what I have and cleaning it up a bit...or reworking the same elements on a new template.
Q said...
Ha..we are both crunchy..and yes you have many photos too..so I can see why you would have reached your free max. like me. I think I am going to stick with blogger.
Linda Rockwell
Aww..thanks Lovely Linda...I think I will stick with blogger.. I do love your Wordpress blogs ...why not one more?
Adam Jack
Howdee Adam~that concerned me in the move also..would it be easy for people to reconnect? Would I still be able to be searched easily? Now if you google Dawns Bloggy blog I have lots of links in google.
Hilke Breder
Hilke~thanks for your input~I think I will either keep my blog and rework it the best I can ..or use the elements from the blog in a new template. Some viewers who have Internet Explorer are getting script errors and I dont know how to fix that..I need a blog doctor.
I will work on adding you back to my Twitter feed ASAP..you are quite welcome :)
Cindy
Thanks Cindy for your input..I think I will either stick with my current design and rework it or make a new template using the same elements..
Stay tuned everyone! :)))
I sometimes have a hard time posting comments on wordpress-I have to remeber new passwords etc. so I like blogger. Mainly because I'm used to it.
ReplyDeleteVery significant article for us and I think the representation of this article is actually a superb one. This is my first time to visit your site.
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Wordpress Customization Service
To direct to the point, blogger is a simple platform for someone who just loves to blog and don't want any technical troubles, blogger allows social sharing and gets connected to google+ for content exposure.
ReplyDelete