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The death of Google Reader. As Google continues to phase out it’s less popular products, bloggers were scrambling to find a new reader platform to follow their favorite blogs. What have you switched to for a reader?
The big fear though is the loss of Google Friends Connect. How are you preparing if indeed GFC is discontinued? How many subscriber options are too many to offer your followers? What ones are the most popular on your blog?
I have been meaning to post something about this for a while so I'm glad I finally am now. The loss of Google Reader and GFC makes me extremely anxious, in a bad way. I know that numbers aren't everything and you shouldn't focus on that, blah blah blah. However, it's taken me a long time to get up to my 421 GFC followers. I love them all and want to hug every single one of them.
It's going to happen though. I can't stop it, unfortunately. I've been a little loss on what to do, but I did create another option: BlogLovin'.
The big fear though is the loss of Google Friends Connect. How are you preparing if indeed GFC is discontinued? How many subscriber options are too many to offer your followers? What ones are the most popular on your blog?
I have been meaning to post something about this for a while so I'm glad I finally am now. The loss of Google Reader and GFC makes me extremely anxious, in a bad way. I know that numbers aren't everything and you shouldn't focus on that, blah blah blah. However, it's taken me a long time to get up to my 421 GFC followers. I love them all and want to hug every single one of them.
It's going to happen though. I can't stop it, unfortunately. I've been a little loss on what to do, but I did create another option: BlogLovin'.
I'm still getting a hang of it and I despise that it uses my old design, but it does update, no worries! I also have email subscribers (on the right hand side) along with Google Plus. I'm considering Linky and Network Blogs, but I don't know if that would be TOO much.
Hopefully it will all work out and that Bloglovin will be as great as GFC. I'm not getting my hopes up though.
**If you follow me, it would be great if you do so on BlogLovin' so that you're safe when GFC disconnects. (If you sign up with BlogLovin' and already had GFC, you will automatically follow the same blogs I THINK.)**
What do you think about GFC disconnecting? What are you doing to prepare?
This also gives me a chance to ask everybody: if you have BlogLovin', how did you upload your "profile picture?" It will only allow me through Facebook and I don't have a Facebook for the blog.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you've already read this, but Lauren talked about her issues with Bloglovin'...
ReplyDeletehttp://losetimereading.com/book-blogger-confessions-7/#comment-3262
I don't really think they would kill GFC along with G Reader, but on the other hand, I'm considering other options, if only to offer my would-be readers more chances. Haven't gotten round to try any of them yet though :). I don't even seem to be able to update my blog as often as I'd like to - reviews-wise.
Sorry for the deleted post - spotted a mistake too late ;).
LOL, I linked to my own comment to Lauren's post instead of the post itself. Really clumsy today. But you only need to scroll up a little of course :).
DeleteIt's no problem and thanks for the link!
DeleteI am so mad that they are getting rid of google reader, bloglovin is missing the search feature within a specific list, and that is something I use... A lot. FOllowing you on bloglovin now :)
ReplyDeleteBrandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog
Ugh, they don't have that?! Man. And well, thank you!
DeleteI posted about this awhile ago. I didn't ever use google reader, mainly because I'm new to all this and didn't even know about it. I'm following so many blogs now that it's hard to keep up by just using the blogger dashboard. I've heard that most everyone is switching over to bloglovin'. If GFC does phase out eventually, which I'm hoping and praying won't be any time soon, I think bloglovin' will be everyone's best bet for follower count. I've been meaning to make an account but just haven't had the time to figure it all out. I will be making one, though, and will be sure to follow you that way! Some blogs seem to be going overboard with all the follower options. It's getting a bit crazy. At least with GFC, right now at least, it is the main way that all bloggers have for people to follow them. Hopefully we can all end up having that one, sure-fire way.
ReplyDeleteYes, I so agree! Some blogs really do overload on follower options that make their blog look a little crazy and I do hope that there will come a time where there will be one great following way. Thank you!
Delete*sobs and throws myself on pillow* I don't want GFC to go away. I like that little widget. I like to see how many people are there, even if they're not really there. And you're right, I feel like I earned/worked hard for each person that followed.
ReplyDeleteHaha! I do too! Exactly and I love your comment :)
DeleteI haven't even thought about working on this yet. I know i should do this but busy reading, doing other things lol
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm with ya.
DeleteI don't worry about the number of followers per se but it take me years of work to build my blog and I'm not sure what happens if they were to get rid of GFC. I know Feedly and Bloglovin will transfer your blogs but what if people aren't' doing that?
ReplyDeleteI use Feedly and Bloglovin but how many new ways are we supposed to ask people to follow us?? Just to have them go away and start over for the next new trend?
It make amy head hurt because I just can't wrap my brain around it all sometimes. I'm not all that tech savvy and I just want something simple.
That's what I'm wondering!
DeleteI know, gosh, I love this comment because I keep nodding my head and pumping my fist.
Agreed.
I really hope GFC doesn't disappear! I agree it's taken a lot of hard work getting followers and that's also one of the ways publishers know how popular your blog is. I haven't started thinking about another option but I've seen many are using bloglovin maybe that will be the first one I try!
ReplyDeleteJasmine
I like that wordpress's follower system in integrated into the blog itself so you don't have to worry about it changing..that sounds like it stinks to me!
ReplyDeleteUgh, I knew there was a reason I should've signed up with wordpress ;)
DeleteAs you said numbers aren't everything but I can help but feel annoyed that it's being shut down just when I've reached 119. I''m also on bloglovin. Following u on BL too
ReplyDeleteI hate all the Google changes! Why?!! *grumbles* :)
ReplyDeleteLet's have a grumbling party!
DeleteApparently Google's been trying to push GOOGLE + more than anything, so they might somehow integrate those two features somehow in the future or just tell people to follow via that instead >.< I'm not really scared, since it really is just a number and I hope that most of the people who will want to refollow me will lol. But I do see your concerns!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, hopefully Google keeps its GFC feature as it's a big deal to a lot of bloggers.
Ugh, I definitely don't like Google+ as much.
DeleteI'm still in denial about Google Reader being phased out, but will eventually look for a replacement. In the meantime, I'll just quietly sob in the corner. ;)
ReplyDeleteTerri @ Alexia's Books and Such...
I'll be there with you ;)
DeleteI'm so disappointed that Google Reader is ending. I really like the GFC feature, and I hope that they continue to keep that. I do love Bloglovin, though. I think the format is really cool! Also, I'm now following you via Bloglovin :)
ReplyDeleteI think GFC is so simple and Bloglovin is over my head :)
DeleteI'm going to miss Google Reader :( - I'm not a huge fan of Blog Lovin', and Feedly is a bit hit and miss with it's feeds and apps, so I've actually switched to following by email, but I think I'm missing people - gah!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same!
DeletePersonally I hate bloglovin - my thoughts are that its more so people can easily track their stats and "see" who is following them. I use feedly because it has a reader too and i can use it on my ipad, phone and PC. You may not be able to see your followers but you'd still get a number count. Feedly has guaranteed to be ready for when google reader dies also. I love it and found I've been commenting around more on blogs even more than i used to when I used google reader or feed demon.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check out Feedly some more, but I'm really confused by it! Thanks for letting me know :)
DeleteI don't understand Google plus at all, but I have a bloglovin' account, and really like it so far. I honestly never used Google reader, so I like seeing everything in one place. Also I love this meme, but I always forget about it.
ReplyDeleteI have to remember to put it on some sort of calendar :) Thanks, Lauren!
DeleteI haven't really started using Google+ but I'm rather disgusted with all of the other changes Google is making. I fear they'll yank away GFC, too, so when I started seeing people switch to Bloglovin', I became a sheep and followed suit. But honestly, I really like it. I never used Google Reader...like ever. But I actually use Bloglovin' and find a whole lot of posts I'd been missing out on from blogs I follow but hadn't stopped by in awhile. Honestly, I think I get more traffic from email subscriptions and readers than those GFC followers, so despite not having that stat anymore, I don't think this will impact me that much. But I know what you mean...you worked hard for those followers, and it will hurt to see that number go away. Oh, and I kind of dislike seeing ten different follow methods in a sidebar -- the Linky & GFC type, I mean -- and I rarely use those to follow any blogs.
ReplyDeleteI am too! And I never used Google Reader either, but I do use GFC a lot! Okay, thanks for your input!
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