The "My blogs" Dashboard Page Has Been Replaced

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The "My blogs" menu has been replaced by a pull down blog selector list, which overlays the existing dashboard menu - giving the appearance of a single dashboard page, for all blogs.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".

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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.

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"Delete permanently" Means Delete, Permanently

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.

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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.