After many years of waiting, people who publish blogs using custom domains can provide HTTPS connectivity, to their readers.
Right now, HTTPS Availability / Redirect can be enabled, for custom domain published blogs, using Draft Blogger.
Since Draft Blogger is used by Blogger for beta testing new features and problem fixes, you will do best using it selectively.
Use Draft Blogger only to enable HTTPS Availability / Redirect.
In this case, you use draft Blogger only for enabling HTTPS for your custom domain URL. This is a good time to use a second browser - either a different browser on this computer, any preferred browser on another computer, or this browser with an Incognito / Private window.
Start by logging into Draft Blogger - using a second browser.
The Settings - Basic dashboard page, in Draft Blogger, now has a new option.
Select "Yes" for "HTTPS Availabiity" - and wait while the domain is setup with SSL.
With "HTTPS Availability" enabled, Blogger has to obtain an SSL Certificate for your domain. This is not a casual formality. With many domain registrations, you might pay extra for a certificate.
Once "HTTPS Availability" is activated, you'll have the "HTTPS Redirect" option.
Allow half an hour after enabling "HTTPS Availability", then refresh the display. You should have "HTTPS Redirect" available - and if you wish, you can enable it.
Success!
Blogger is not the last Internet service to provide "HTTPS" connectivity.
If you enable "HTTPS Availability", and later "HTTPS Redirect", you'll probably have accessories and services that don't support HTTPS.
Be selective when you use Page / Post / Template Editor, and see suggestions to "Fix" all links that continue to reference "HTTP" connectivity. If you routinely select "Fix" you will end up with broken links, for accessories and services that have not been upgraded.
If you can deal with the details though, you'll have a secure domain - and you can now offer your readers SSL connectivity, to your custom domain published blog.
If your #Blogger custom domain is setup properly, you can now offer HTTPS connectivity for your custom domain published blog.
You should consider the redirects, and the different URLs involved, carefully.
https://productforums.google.com/d/topic/blogger/RtzWu4CglrY/discussion
https://productforums.google.com/d/msg/blogger/B5tBKvv1FoE/n2Zv61G6CAAJ
The disappearing scroll tab, in the latest Chrome browser version, is tres elegante - for some blog owners.
Personally, I'm not convinced.
Hover the cursor in the scroll tab area, to get the tab to pop out.
If you use the Chrome browser, and the display content is longer (or wider) than one physical screen, you may not realise that.
Some people may think that part of their blog - their post - or their template - has been lost.
But, look again.
Now, you see it.
Now, you don't.
If you use a "mouse" with a scroll wheel, this is not a problem. Start scrolling with the wheel, and the tab pops out.
For folks who are accustomed to "grabbing" the tab, and dragging it downwards (sideways) to scroll, this is not a step forwards. If you want to read text, that's above the bottom of the blog, how do you scroll left to right, while reading a long line of text?
Look at what our readers see.
Now, you see it.
Now, you don't.
Where did the rest of my main page go??
What our readers think, when using Chrome, is another question.
I think that the scroll tab is another "well enough".
Now, you see it.
Now, you don't.
Where is the rest of my post code? What the #@!!?
At any rate, if you - or your readers - think that blog, post, or template content has mysteriously vanished, try using the scroll tab (if you can find the tab). You may find the "missing" content, right in front of you.
The Chrome Engineers recently added an elegant enhancement to their browser. If you're not scrolling up and down (or right to left), you don't have to look at that nasty old scroll tab - even when using the #Blogger post editor.
I'm not convinced that this is a step forward.
Making a blog searchable is the first step in getting search traffic, and readers, for our blogs - when we want them visible to the public.
Not all blog owners want their blogs visible to everybody. Complementing the ability to publish a blog, and have it visible only to invited readers, Blogger gives us the ability to make the blog invisible, to the search engines.
If we want readers for a blog, and do not have a private reader audience in mind, we first make it visible to the search engines.
The Privacy wizard, on the Blogger dashboard, lets us choose whether to make a blog visible to the search engines.
Start with the dashboard Settings - Basic page, and Edit the Privacy setting.
Select "Yes" for both options - if you want the blog indexed.
Select "Yes" for both options, if you want the blog indexed. This is how you start getting search traffic, and readers, for your blog.
- Add your blog to our listings?
- Let search engines find your blog?
And click "Save changes".
Having made the blog visible to the search engines, continue by publishing lots of informative, interesting, and unique content. Make it a blog that people will read - and that search engines will index.
If you prefer the blog to be invisible or private, on the other hand, select "No" for both options. Then continue by developing your private audience, as you like.
There are more settings - for owners who want to fine tune search engine access. Both the Blogger dashboard Settings - "Search preferences" page, and the "Google Search console" (previously known as "Webmaster Tools"), have a rich collection of settings, complementing "Privacy".
If you really want to fine tune these settings, look at the Settings - "Search preferences" page, and the "Crawlers and indexing" section - but read and heed the serious advice.
Warning! Use with caution. Incorrect use of these features can result in your blog being ignored by search engines.
You can read more advice in Blogger: Help people find your blog on search engines - and Webmasters: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide. And you'll find Webmaster Central: Crawling, Indexing, and Ranking and Webmaster Central: Search Console useful for personal advice, complementing Blogger Help Forum.
Since Webmaster Forums supports owners of static websites, as well as owners of Blogger blogs (and other blogs), not all Search Console / Webmaster advice and tools will be useful for Blogger blogs. Be selective when considering Webmaster instructions - and ask questions in Blogger Help Forum, any time you feel the need.
The "Privacy" wizard is where you start - and similarly where some blog owners should stop.
The Blogger "Privacy" wizard, on the "Basic" Settings page, provides the start to getting a blog indexed by the search engines - when we want a blog indexed. Not all blog owners want their blog indexed - and that need makes the "Privacy" settings relevant.
Several months ago, I took a leap into the future, and upgraded this blog to use a "Responsive" class template.
There are four "Responsive" templates - Contempo, Soho, Emporio, and Notable. The differences between the four include more than merely the visible design.
My serious opinion about template choice is that two people, each starting a blog about the same subject, and using the same source of content, will still have different perspectives - and each will probably choose a different template.
Anybody who asks me, bluntly
Which template is a better choice, for my blog?
Gets my facetious reply
Whatever template encourages you to write more original and quality content, in your blog, is best for your blog.
It's your blog. Your blog is valuable, because of the content.
Our clean, exciting new look.
Our boring previous look.
If you want more advice, I'll offer you my four "Responsive" class test templates - Contempo Test, Soho Test, Emporio Test, and Notable Test. You can examine this post, and compare the visible differences, on each of the four.
The navbar is gone.
Where's the navbar?
It's possible that the navbar contains details that are not compatible with hosting on the Google CDN. Is this why Blogger started providing a "Report this blog". gadget?
The sidebar is now hidden - unless you need to see it.
See the linklist "Responsive Templates Tests", in the pop out sidebar? You need to click on the "hamburger" icon, in the upper right corner of the screen, to see the sidebar.
The "pop out" sidebar is one majorly innovative design feature, that helps the "Responsive" class templates replace the "Layout" / "Designer" class templates, and their special "Mobile" template.
The pop out sidebar is only visible, when you want to access sidebar content, by clicking on the "hamburger" icon.
There are more, undocumented improvements, too.
Besides the "Mobile" template that is now redundant, there are significant differences between the four "Responsive" templates, that may encourage choice of one or the other. As I continue to upgrade the older posts in this blog, to look better using "Notable", I'll start discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
If this interests you, move your blog forward, by choosing an exciting "Responsive" class template, from the dashboard "Theme" page.
Pick one of the new and exciting "Responsive" class templates - Contempo, Soho, Emporio, Notable.
You can setup your own demo / test set, easily enough.
If necessary, setup your own test blog set, with your own test posts - and compare your content on the different templates, to see what your blog will look like. Or, you can use my sidebar menu "Responsive Templates Test" - and look at my four test blogs.
My personal choice of the "Notable" Responsive template, was not immediate - it took several days, and some experimentation using various tests - and my 4 test blogs. You can take your time - and change your template, as you feel the need.
The Real Blogger Status has moved into the future - and is now using a new #Blogger supplied "Responsive" class template. It's going to take some work, to make the blog truly look good under "Notable" - but progress always has a price.
Both the historically infamous "Another blog ..", and the currently infamous "Error 12", are part of the custom domain publishing process.
Similar to the mysterious "bX" codes being an enhanced version of "We're sorry, but we were unable to complete your request.", "Error 12" (and variants) is an enhanced version of the monolithic "Another blog or Google Site is already using this address.".
"Another blog" (which was generally seen during use of the Blogger Publishing wizard) is complemented by the equally annoying "Not found" (which is generally seen after Publishing is used).
The "Another blog ..." / "Not Found" condition is not desirable - for a working domain.
The condition, in general, appears to be an unavoidable result of the flexible Blogger custom domain design. A Blogger custom domain published blog can be one host in a domain cluster, that can also include a Tumblr blog, a WordPress blog, any number of third party hosted websites - and even an odd feature like a forum.
Blogger custom domain publishing is a powerful feature.
Blogger custom domains can be purchased from (almost) any registrar - and can use DNS provided by (virtually) any DNS host. It's more powerful than competing Internet services. Use of "CNAME" referral, to connect the blog and domain, is innovative, and smart.
Custom domain publishing does some of the domain processing from your computer - instead of solely from Google. Use of your computer, unfortunately, involves computers and networks uncontrolled by Google - and may lead to occasional database corruption, and to "Another blog". Custom domain publishing depends upon DNS - and DNS is an Internet service controlled by neither Google or any blog owner.
"Another blog" and "Not found" are two displays, caused by one problem.
The mysterious "Server Not Found", seen occasionally, is similar to the classic "Another blog ..." error.
In many cases, righteous DNS addressing is present - but broken links, in the Google database, leave the blog displayed as “Not found”. "Another blog" is seen by the blog owner, when publishing - and "Not found" is typically seen by would be blog readers, and search engines, after publishing.
An experienced blog owner would generally prefer the former, to the latter. The owner, when seeing "Another blog", can fix the problems - so prospective readers and search engines can view the blog, without seeing "Not Found".
"Error 12" is the best known, but not the only, "Error".
"Error 12" is the best known "Error" - but not the only one. There appear to actually be several dozen different variants of "Error 12", which refer to problems with the Publishing dashboard wizard. We've seen "Error 32", at least.
32 "Error" codes is nowhere as complex as 36^6 "bX" codes - but it's a start.
An example of the infamous "Error 12", seen long ago.
Earlier, "Error 12" was seen when domain ownership verification was needed, when publishing to newly setup domains. We have, during the past year, seen reports of Publishing problems labeled "Error 13", "Error 14", and "Error 32".
"Error 12", in reality, is not an actual error condition - it is simply a domain, requiring normal ownership verification. Recently, the "Error 12" label was removed from the "domain ownership verification is needed" display - and now, we simply see the label "Third party domain settings".
"Error 13", "Error 14", and "Error 32" appear to also involve domain ownership verification - but with slightly different circumstances. There may also be some "Error" numbers which involve features other than domain ownership verification. And some "bX" codes are caused by bogus DNS addressing, encountered during custom domain publishing - like various "Error" codes.
The "Error 12" seen now, with verification instructions re written - and without the "Error 12" label.
Ownership verification has become both more flexible - and less necessary.
Domains purchased through Google Domains don't need ownership verification, when purchased under the Blogger / Google account as the blog owner. The Google Domains service, originally available only to USA residents, is now (as of August 2018) available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, UK, USA, and Vietnam..
Also, Blogger now accepts domain ownership verification using options available through Google Webmaster Tools - the latter now itself known as Search Console. These options offer verification ability to blog owners who can't use simple "CNAME" referral.
Originally, addition of a new "CNAME" was necessary, for each use of Publishing - with a new BlogSpot URL involved. After Blogger tuned the verification process, we noted that the second "CNAME" is only required for a new, unverified domain - and not always that, either.
With the "Error 12" designation retired, the other Publishing "Error" labels reference actual error conditions - and may offer more diagnostic ability than the monolithic "Another blog".
For people fortunate to be able to use Google Domains, purchase and setup of a non BlogSpot address is slowly becoming a project more doable by blog owners, instead of by tech experts. And the "Error 12" variants will make diagnosis of common publishing errors more possible.
When Blogger added domain ownership verification to the custom domain publishing process in 2012, blog owners started seeing the mysterious "Error 12", suggesting that ownership verification was required. We've seen various other "Error" codes in the past 5 years, - some also referencing ownership verification, and others referencing other publishing problems.
It appears that the various "Error" codes are used to identify problems encountered in the Publishing wizard, similar to how the bX codes are used to identify problems in Blogger, in general.
https://productforums.google.com/d/topic/blogger/3Rb3E08zHKk/discussion
https://productforums.google.com/d/topic/blogger/EBhTkj_gdnY/discussion
Earlier this year, Blogger upgraded their dashboard - and eliminated the opening "My blogs" / "Reading List" page.
They changed from a dashboard home page, listing all blogs owned by a given Blogger account - to a home page, showing the dashboard for the most recently updated blog.
To the dashboard menu for the blog displayed, they added a pulldown blog selector list. If you want the dashboard for a different blog, or need a different important "My blogs" function, you use the selector list.
Previously, to work on different blogs, I would repeatedly use the dashboard Home page.
The dashboard home page contained "My blogs" and "Reading List". Each "My blogs" entry had links to half a dozen different important dashboard pages, for each blog.
The "My blogs" menu has been replaced by a pull down blog selector list, which overlays the existing dashboard menu - giving the appearance of a single dashboard page, for all blogs. The list links to all blogs owned by the account (active, and deleted / locked) - and lets the owner access the dashboard for a different blog, when desired.
For blog owners with only one blog, the selector list is not important. The list becomes important, when the dashboard for a second blog - or the "Deleted Blogs" / "New Blog" dashboard wizard - is needed.
Some blog owners - unaware of this change - may see this as another variant of "missing blog".
Here's the new "My blogs" list.
"Your blogs live here" - behind the blog title and pulldown arrow.
It's all there - really!
There is now no dashboard home page, with "My blogs".
Previously, we had a dashboard Home page, with "My blogs" and "Reading List".
Each "My blogs" menu entry gave access to half a dozen different dashboard pages, for each blog.
Each "My blogs" menu entry had half a dozen different dashboard links, for each blog in the list. The links were both excessive, and insufficient.
- The menu entry links had a hodge podge of styles of buttons / captions / link display styles.
- The half a dozen links provided access to a small subset of useful dashboard menu pages.
- The "My blogs" list was long, and randomly sequenced.
Some blog owners would have enjoyed having different or more menu pages directly accessible from "My blogs". And we asked, many times, for an alphabetical "My blogs" list.
Instead of making "My blogs" more complicated, Blogger replaced the "My blogs" menu. We now have a "My blogs" list, accessed from any dashboard menu page.
Here's the options, on the new "My blogs" list.
The new dropdown list includes several important options.
- All active blogs ("My blogs").
- All inactive blogs ("Deleted blogs").
- The "New blog" link ("Create a blog").
"My blogs" and "Deleted blogs" are now part of the same alphabetical list, with each deleted / locked blog indicated.
You can now switch between any specific dashboard pages, for any blogs in "My blogs", using the selector list.
Now, the dashboard home page is the dashboard menu, for the blog most recently accessed.
With the list closed, the blog title will be plain text. See "The Real Blogger...", at the upper left of the dashboard?
From any dashboard page, click on the blog title or down arrow - and there is the "My blogs" menu. Then select any blog title, in the list.
With the list open, you'll see the blog title "The Real Blogger..." changes to a button.
Use "My blogs", and examine the same dashboard page for different blogs.
"My blogs" is now a blog selector list, for the dashboard page, being displayed. You can switch between different blogs, and stay on any specific dashboard page. And "My blogs" is now in alphabetical order.
From any dashboard menu page, you can open "My blogs".
Then select any blog, in the list.
And, you have the complementary dashboard page, for the blog just selected.
"Deleted blogs" and "New blog" is at the bottom of the "My blogs" list.
If you need to create a blog, you can find "New blog" at the bottom of the pulldown selector list.
See "New blog...", at the very bottom of "My blogs"?
If you want to find or recover a deleted blog, look above "New blog", for "Deleted blogs". The search for some missing blogs may end here.
See the "My blogs" sections - "Recent blogs", "All blogs", "Deleted blogs" - and "New blog"?
"Reading List" is at the bottom of the main dashboard menu.
"Reading List", previously the bottom half of the dashboard home page, is now a selection at the bottom of the main dashboard menu, below "Settings".
Look at the bottom of the menu.
And, there is "Reading List".
The #Blogger dashboard home page was redesigned - and the "Deleted blogs" / "My blogs" / "New blog" wizards are now accessed from a pulldown selector list, that's available from any dashboard menu. This makes it possible to switch between any two blogs, while staying on a specific dashboard page.
With the pre 2016 Followers gadget, the Followers population for a blog was managed through an Options link on the Followers gadget.
This required the blog owner to sign into the Followers gadget, to access the Options link. Authentication - and an owner specific Options menu - is no longer a pert of the Followers gadget.
It is possible to Block Followers, from a blog - the option is just not part of the Followers gadget, any more.
Previously, the option to Block a Follower was part of the Options menu, in the Followers gadget.
To ensure that only a blog administrator was able to Block a Follower - or do various other blog to viewer functions - the Block option was part of a complex wizard, accessed by a blog administrator.
This required the ability to authenticate a viewer - separately from the Blogger / Google login. This, in turn, made the Followers gadget complicated - and lead to occasional malfunctions.
To simplify the Followers gadget, there is no need to login to the gadget, any more.
Now, the ability to Block unwanted Followers is part of a blog administrator Stats page. On the Stats Overview page, look for the Followers count.
The number which displays the Followers count is now a link. Clicking on the number, one can access the "Manage followers" wizard.
This blog has 4,954 Followers. Click on "4,954" (right now).
And there is the "Manage followers for The Real Blogger Status" wizard. Each Follower now has a "Block" button, plainly visible.
Since only a blog administrator has access to the Stats dashboard page, there is no need for a separate Followers login. Just click on the Followers count, on the Overview page.
And the Followers gadget has only one option - the button, immediately visible to each blog viewer.
- Follow (if not currently Following).
- Unfollow (if currently Following).
The Follow / Unfollow button applies to administrators, authors, and readers alike. Now, there is no need to identify a person as related to a blog - except as whether this person is currently Following the blog.
Simplicity - for blog administrators, blog viewers, and Blogger developers.
When the #Blogger Followers gadget was re written in 2016, the "Options" menu - and the need to login to Following separately - was removed from the gadget.
The ability to Block selected Followers, previously part of the Options wizard, is now part of the Stats dashboard page.
Some blog owners, who publish multiple blogs with different subjects, may decide that some subjects would be better discussed in a different blog.
With various posts published in one blog, the owner may decide that those posts should be published in a different blog, to continue discussion. The question now is how to move posts, from one blog to another?
The dashboard "Export / Import" feature, which is now labeled "Import & back up", lets us copy pages and posts from one blog to another. Just copying all pages and posts, though, will create problems with duplicated content.
If you are going to move specific posts from one blog to another - and continue to publish both blogs - you have to add extra steps to the process.
Use "Import & back up", on the Settings - Other dashboard page.
- Export all content from the first blog.
- Import all exported content, to the second blog, as "Imported".
- Publish imported content, selectively, in the second blog.
- Delete content re published, from the first blog.
- Setup custom 404 or custom redirects, from the first blog.
- Remove imported yet un published content, from the second blog.
Export all content from the first blog.
Using the "Import & back up" wizard, on the dashboard Settings - Other page for the first blog, click "Back up Content". This will export all pages and posts, in the blog, to the file which you select.
To make it easier, label the posts that you want to "move" to the other blog, before you start "Back up Content".
I labeled my posts "Move".
Now, "Back up Content", from the first blog.
Use the file manager provided by your operating system, to create or select a file / folder, and actually save the file.
Import all exported content, to the second blog, as "Imported".
Using the "Import & back up" wizard, on the dashboard Settings - Other page for the second blog, click "Import Content" - then find and select the file just created. This will import all pages and posts, as exported from the first blog - and place the imported pages and posts in the special "Imported" status, on the Pages and the Posts dashboard pages.
Continue with "Import Content", to the second blog.
Select the file that you just created, above.
And having Imported everything, there are the posts - including those labeled "Move".
Publish imported content, selectively, in the second blog.
Using the "Pages" and "Posts" dashboard pages, select the newly activated "Imported" menu, as you wish. This will list all imported pages and posts, in turn.
Find the pages and posts that you want moved, select them, and click "Publish". If you labeled the posts to be "moved", simply display, and Publish, all posts with the designated label.
And, I Published the posts labeled to be "moved".
Note that, once Published, the "Imported" status is cleared.
Delete or revert content re published, from the first blog.
To prevent problems with search engines detecting duplicate content, you can delete or revert to draft status, each post in the first blog, the you just re published in the second blog. If you revert to draft status, you will have backed up content and a recoverable page / post URL.
Again, if you labeled the posts, you can delete or revert posts using the label.
Setup custom 404 or custom redirects, from the first blog.
You cannot use a custom redirect to automatically redirect from the first blog to the second. You can, however, setup a custom 404 page, in the first blog - or make custom redirects to a custom 404 page, in the first blog - advising the reader that the post just requested is now part of the second blog.
The reader will still have to intentionally click to jump into the second blog - but until Blogger blogs are not used as spam hosts, this will be necessary to avoid making your blog look like a spam host.
And as noted, please don't use this technique to re use a single blog. Duplication prevention will generate suffixed URLs, for pages and posts exported then imported to the same blog.
Remove imported yet un published content, from the second blog.
As a type of basic hygiene, once all of the posts are moved ("published"), remove all imported content that isn't published. If you ever repeat the exercise, you won't enjoy the duplicated content, that you will have to identify, from having Exported then Imported, twice.
The "Import & back up" #Blogger dashboard wizard can be used to copy pages and posts, from one blog to another. Actually moving content requires more than just exporting from one blog, and importing to a second blog.
http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2016/06/blogger-magic-export-from-blogger-blog.html
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/blogger/hJ-WrGwnIFo
For a long time, blog owners have been requiring the ability to delete their blogs.
In the beginning, people would delete a blog - whether intentionally or mistakenly - then change their mind, or realise their mistake.I did not really want to delete my blog.
And the inevitable question.How do I get my very important blog back? Surely, it's in your computer somewhere??
But this question was not always answered, with encouragement.
Too often, Blogger Support would be forced to give the bad news.You deleted it, and it's gone.
Blogger added the "Deleted blogs" dashboard list.
Eventually, Blogger Support tired of providing negative answers - and Blogger Engineers added the "Deleted blogs" display, to the dashboard.
A blog, deleted by the owner, and listed under "Deleted blogs", can be recovered by the owner, when desired - up to 90 days from deletion. Unfortunately, the dashboard "Deleted blogs" list was not the final solution.
Some blog owners did not want a deleted blog listed, under "Deleted blogs".
Some people would delete a blog - then sometime later, learn that the blog was not really deleted.I deleted my blog - but now I see it listed, under "Deleted blogs". How do I delete my blog, so it does not exist?
And the answer.Wait 90 days - and it will be removed.
But that answer did not always satisfy.I can't wait 90 days - I want it deleted, now!
And for that requirement, there was no answer.
Some blog owners might report deleted blogs, resurrected - but not by them.
Occasionally, we used to see a report in the forum, mentioning a blog that had been deleted - and was now online, with a new owner. Some resurrected blogs might have hacking, malware, or spam added by the owner - others might be part of an identity theft campaign.
Regardless of the nature of each attack, a few former owners were not happy with their personal situation.
Blogger recently added the "Remove permanently" option.
Recently, Blogger added the "Delete permanently" option, to the dashboard "Deleted blogs" list. Now, a deleted blog can be removed immediately, at the discretion of the blog owner.
- A blog, when deleted, goes offline - and is moved to the "Deleted blogs" list.
- If the owner wants the blog restored, he can use "Restore blog".
- If the owner wants the blog gone, he can use "Delete permanently".
- With "Delete permanently" used, the blog disappears from "My blogs".
- With the blog removed from "My blogs", there is no way for the former owner, or a would be new owner (impersonator / spammer), to request un deletion.
And, as noted in Blogger Help: Back up, import, or delete your blog
- When you delete a blog: you have a short period of time to restore it if you change your mind.
- When you permanently delete a blog: all of your blog information, posts, and pages will be deleted, and you won’t be able to restore them.
The "Delete permanently" option can't be reversed.
When used, the option "Delete permanently" has immediate and permanent results.
- The blog is removed from "Deleted blogs".
- The blog contents cannot be restored.
- The URL can never be re used.
In the words of the philosopher,He's dead, Jim.
End of story.
Let's examine the deletion sequence.
Here's my dashboard - showing my test blog, awaiting deletion. Compare this display, with my test blog, deleted.
Go to the dashboard Settings - Other page, and click on "Delete blog".
There is the "Delete blog" wizard - and a chance to "Download Blog".
So, click on "Delete This Blog".
And, it's deleted. But what does that really mean?
Here's my dashboard - showing my test blog, deleted. Compare this display, with my test blog, awaiting deletion.
Here's my deleted blog, in the "Deleted blogs" list.
Here, I can click on "Undelete" - because I did not choose to Delete permanently. Or, I can click on "Permanently Delete", and end this, immediately.
We do get an on screen warning, before permanent deletion.
Deleting Nitecruzr Delete Blog Test is permanent and you won't be able to undo it
And again, end of story.
A #Blogger blog, once deleted, can be restored within 90 days - if "Delete permanently" is not used. Once "Delete permanently" is used, the blog and all content is gone - and the URL can never be used, again.
Long ago, when Blogger blog owners were given the option to associate their Blogger account with Google+, some would try out their new identities - then change their minds.
Some blog owners would upgrade to a dynamic, exciting Google+ profile - then regret their decision. Not everybody appreciated the features offered by Google+, as applied to a Blogger blog.
Blogger gave us the ability to revert to a Blogger profile - within 30 days. This did not help people who took over 30 days to observe problems.
Recently, Blogger Engineering improved our ability to choose a Blogger or Google+ profile, for our Blogger accounts.
You can choose either your Blogger or Google+ profile, as desired.
You can select either a Blogger or Google+ profile, when it's convenient.
You use the "User settings" dashboard page, to select your Blogger or Google+ profile - when you have both profiles associated with your Blogger account.
Use the dashboard menu - or bookmark a shortcut.
Just use "User settings", from the dashboard Settings page.
Start from the dashboard menu, and select Settings - "User settings".
Now, you can select either a Blogger or Google+ profile, as convenient.
If your Blogger account has both a Blogger and Google+ profile, you can simply select one or the other, as convenient. Some Blogger features are based on the profile used by the blog owner, so consider the selection carefully - but the selection is at least available.
#Blogger blog owners, who have Blogger accounts associated with both Blogger and Google+ profiles, can now switch between one and the other, as convenient. Consider the change, carefully - but make the change, when necessary.
SSL has been an option, for BlogSpot published blogs, since late last year - and we still see occasional questions, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue, about its use.
When I saved my post, I saw the error messageThis page contains HTTP resources which may cause mixed content affecting security and user experience if blog is viewed over HTTPS.
I clicked "Fix" - and the error message went away. Should I have to go back and "fix" all my old blog posts, this way?
This blog owner will be better off, with "HTTPS Redirect" disabled.
Until HTTPS availability, for all Internet content and services, becomes a consistent reality, there will be problems with Blogger blogs - and confusion, as in the example.
Custom domain publishing is the most vulnerable Blogger feature, with blogs using "HTTPS Redirect". It's not the only possible complication, though.
Some blog owners will be better off, not enabling "HTTPS Redirect" - or if enabled, they will need to disable it.
HTTPS Redirect can be easily disabled.
"HTTPS Redirect" is not difficult, to disable. Go to the dashboard Settings - Basic page.
Click on "Yes".
Select "No".
And, the option is disabled.
And the owner won't see the confusing "Fix" / "Dismiss" options.
Now, you can publish the blog, to a custom domain. With "HTTPS Availability" not optional, blogs, with essential features that don't provide SSL, will still have unsatisfied readers who will demand HTTPS.
Some blogs would be better off with "HTTPS Availability" as an option.
You cannot eliminate all confusion, until SSL is uniformly available.
I will note, however, that disabling the redirection will not eliminate reader concern, from "Mixed Content" alerts - nor will it prevent owner confusion, from Post Editor warnings. As long as SSL is (may be) involved - automatic redirect or not - and until every Internet feature and service uses SSL consistently - there is going to be some confusion.
Some #Blogger blog owners will need to disable the "HTTPS Redirect" option, to publish their blogs as they need. Right now, "HTTPS Redirect" is an option - and "HTTPS Availability" needs to be an option also.
