Act Immediately, When Invited

Some moments come fleetingly, and never again.

One such moment may be, when you receive a blog membership invitation.

The purpose of this message is to inform you that xxxxxxx has invited you to join their private blog "xxxxx xxxxx". To accept this invitation, click on the button below.

or

The purpose of this message is to inform you that yyyyyyy has invited you to contribute to their blog "yyyyy yyyyy". To accept this invitation, click on the button below.

Unless you know the blog owner, this may be your one chance.

If you get an invitation to be a designated reader on a private blog - or an author on either a private or team blog - decide, and act as soon as possible.

Any invitation that you get will be temporary. Blog membership invitations expire, after a fixed amount of time.

Accept the invitation, to view and note the URL.

If the blog is private, and you accept the invitation as a reader, make a note of the URL too.

Long ago, you might get a "preview link" in the invitation - allowing you to view the blog, and bookmark / copy the URL for later. The "preview link" feature was abused by too many owners - and appears to be gone now.

No preview = no URL until after you accept the invitation.

Become an author, on a team blog!

Become a reader, on a private blog!



There's a limited amount of detail, in the invitation.

How useful is either invitation, if you don't accept, when viewed later? You can get the owner name (as provided by the owner), and the blog title - and that's it.

• Invitations contain only the author name, the blog title, and a membership token.
• A reader invitation, for a private blog, may not produce an entry in the dashboard "My blogs" list.
• Both author and reader invitations will expire.

Act promptly, for best result.

If you get an invitation, and you file it away so you can "think about it", don't think about it too long.

Once the token expires - and if you don't know the owner - you'll not be able to contact the owner. And until you accept the invitation - and actually view then bookmark the blog - you won't find out the URL.

Act quickly - or never.

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If you get an invitation to be an author on a private or team #Blogger blog, or a reader on a private blog, act promptly. Invitations expire too soon - they contain few details - and won't be very useful later.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/blogger/z-lKeqO-ssA

Share Posts, From Private Blogs, By Email

Owners of private blogs have, periodically, lamented the lack of options for distribution of comments and posts. We've seen a few queries, in Blogger Help Forum: Learn More About Blogger.

How do I let my readers subscribe to my private blog?

There's no good answer, to please everybody, here.

You can't use EMail, FeedBurner, or Reading List, for sharing private blog content. FeedBurner requires the blog comments / posts newsfeeds - and private blogs don't produce newsfeeds.

If you need to distribute content from a private blog, you'll have to use BlogSend.

Private blog post subscriptions require the dashboard "BlogSend" feature.

You'll have to use "BlogSend" to provide email subscriptions, for private blogs - and that limits you to 10 subscribers (1 who should be you). That's the "Email posts to" option in the dashboard Settings - Email page.

"BlogSend" aka "Email posts to" is the only option, for private blogs.



You can try to email specific posts, from a private blog.

You can try to use the Blogger post footer "Email Posts" feature.

Just enable the "Email Post Links" option in "Configure Blog Posts". You cannot enable "Show Share Buttons" - but you can enable "Show Email Post Links".

Use "Configure Blog Posts" from the dashboard Layout page.

Look under "Post Page Options" for "Show Email Post Links".



With the option enabled, and the icon visible, it's still a no go.

D'Ohh!



There's still no social sharing of private blog content.

Note the advice for "Show Share Buttons".

Sharing is available only for public blogs.

You can't share blog content, outside Blogger, if the blog is private. That protects private blog owners, from having their confidential posts distributed to the world.

We can't share content from private blogs, using EMail, FaceBook, Google+, Pinterest, or Twitter.

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If you publish a private #Blogger blog, you cannot email or share comments or posts. Your only option will be BlogSend aka the "Email posts to" dashboard option.

Dynamic Templates, And Improved "Follow by Email"

We see some concern about providing email subscriptions, from blog owners in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue.

How do I provide email subscriptions for my blog? Neither Follow by Email or Subscription Links works, for email!

The blog in question is using a dynamic template. In some cases, even "Subscription Links" does not provide a "Subscribe by Email" option - and it appears that the blog owner is really out of luck.

The "Subscribe by Email" gadget does not work, with dynamic templates - and some dynamic templates don't support the "Subscription Links" gadget with "Subscribe by Email" added.

Add "Subscription Links" to a blog with a dynamic template - for some blogs.

In some cases, you may not even want to use "Subscription Links". You can, however, use a LinkList gadget, to do the same thing - and to make an improved "Subscription Links" gadget.

In this case, add "Subscribe by Email" as a linklist gadget.

Just add the "Subscription Link Code", in a linklist gadget. Here is the code, from the FeedBurner Publicize dashboard page, for my blog, Chucks Musings.

The "Subscription Management" page, and "Subscription Link Code".



Add the link caption as "New Site Name", and the link code as "New Site URL".

<a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=ChucksMusings&loc=en_US">Subscribe to Chucks Musings by Email</a>

The "Subscription Link Code" caption, and link.



Just add a new LinkList gadget.

• New Site Name: Subscribe to Chucks Musings by Email
• New Site URL: https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=ChucksMusings&loc=en_US

Copy into a LinkList.



Click "Add Link" - then "Save" - and finally, "Save arrangement".

And we have a new sidebar accessory.

And if you click on the link, you get the FeedBurner "Email Subscription Request" verification form.



So, either add "Subscription Links" - or make a custom LinkList accessory. One, or the other, will give you "Subscribe by Email", in a dynamic template.

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Some #Blogger blogs, which use a dynamic template, won't display "Subscribe by Email" as an added option, in "Subscription Links". Or, in some cases, you may actually want a more robust "Subscribe by Email" - or "Subscribe" menu.

In this case, add a LinkList gadget - and add the subscription form as a FeedBurner hosted form, using "Subscription Link Code".

FeedBurner Feed Redirection, And "BrowserFriendly"

Some blog owners and readers ask about blog feed displays, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue.

I clicked on this text at the bottom of the blog page:

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

and I got a screen full of gibberish.

This is a known oddity, in Chrome.

The Chrome browser, unlike Firefox or Internet Explorer, lacks a built in newsfeed reader.

If you, the blog owner, want to see a useful display of blog content, when you click on "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)", you can do that. Just add a Chrome extension, such as "RSS Subscription Extension (by Google)".

With the right extension added to Chrome, you will see blog content - instead of a screen full of gibberish. But what about your readers?

Give your readers a consistent and useful newsfeed display page.

If you want your readers to see useful content - plus a toolbar that helps them subscribe, using email or a feed reader, you can setup a FeedBurner feed, and add the BrowserFriendly service.

Just activate BrowserFriendly, from the FeedBurner Optimize page. Then, select the BrowserFriendly options that interest you.

You can choose from a number of popular feed readers to support, or add your own.



If you have Email Subscriptions added, your readers will have a selection for that, in the BrowserFriendly display.

NOTE: Because you use FeedBurner Email Subscriptions, a link to subscribe via email will automatically appear with your subscription selections.

You can add the original blog feed, to BrowserFriendly.

For more consistent reader statistics and subscriptions, you can make sure that the BrowserFriendly display uses the original posts newsfeed.

If you have configured your web server to redirect from your old feed to your new one, you should tell subscribers to use your old, redirected address so that the redirect can work its magic and subscribers always use that address, but FeedBurner tracks 100% of your traffic. FeedBurner will always show that address to potential subscribers instead of the FeedBurner feed address in BrowserFriendly.

Click on "Use your redirected feed URL on your BrowserFriendly landing page", to open the "BrowserFriendly" Redirected Feed URL setting wizard.



Copy the "Original Feed" URL from "Edit Feed Details" into the "Redirected Feed URL".

BrowserFriendly gives all readers, ignoring the browser, a good subscription page.

Whether your readers use Chrome, Firefox, or Edge / Internet Explorer, you can have them using the FeedBurner BrowserFriendly newsfeed display, and subscription wizard. All of your readers will have a more consistent access to your blog feeds and subscription options - and you'll have a happier reader community.

Complementing BrowserFriendly, you may wish to look at SmartFeed and Format Burner, to provide the right feed format. And if any of these ideas create conflicting needs, you can use multiple FeedBurner feeds.

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With a #Blogger blog that uses email / newsfeed subscriptions to attract and encourage readers, you can provide a more consistent subscription display for your reader community, by using #FeedBurner and the BrowserFriendly service.

Blogger Magic - Check / Edit FeedBurner Feed Details

Whenever you have a problem with FeedBurner - or need to change details, the "Edit Feed Details" wizard is an essential tool.

It's a very simple display - just 3 data elements - but it's a pretty useful 3 elements, if you use FeedBurner with your blog..

The FeedBurner "Edit Feed Details" wizard is an essential tool, when researching a FeedBurner problem.

Start from the FeedBurner "My feeds" display - and select a feed in the list.

"Edit Feed Details" is at the top of the feed dashboard.

Start from the feed dashboard.

Click on "Edit Feed Details".

And there is the "Edit Feed Details" display.



Here, you can view, and edit:

• Feed Title.
• Original Feed URL.
• FeedBurner Feed URL.

Feed Title.

You can change the feed title here - or in the service settings.

Optimize - Title/Description Burner lets you change to title used in the feed itself. Publicize - Email Subscriptions - Email Branding lets you change the title used in the email based feed service.

You may want to check the blog title, also.

Original Feed URL.

If you change the URL of your blog, or want to use a different blog, you can use the FeedBurner Feed URL ("Original Feed") to make the change transparent, to everybody who Follows your blog using a FeedBurner service. The original feed URL may change - but the FeedBurner Feed URL does not have to change.

If you're using FeedBurner to redistribute your blog feed by email, use the Post Feed Redirect setting, in the Blogger dashboard, to redirect to this FeedBurner feed. Then, this FeedBurner "Original Feed" should be sourced from the original blog feed.

FeedBurner Feed URL.

Besides changing the title, you can change the feed URL ("Feed Address"), if you need.

Simple changes / powerful results.

These are simple changes - that can have powerful results.

An example, using this blog.

Here is how this blog, using a Post Feed Redirect, is setup to publish to a FeedBurner redirected feed.

Blogger blog URL:
http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/

Blogger blog feed URL:
http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/feeds/posts/default

FeedBurner "Original Feed":
http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/feeds/posts/default

Blogger "Post Feed Redirect URL":
http://feeds.feedburner.com/Nitecruzr-Blogging

FeedBurner "Feed Address":
http://feeds.feedburner.com/Nitecruzr-Blogging

The Post Feed Redirect.

FeedBurner Feed Details.

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Any #Blogger blog owner who uses #FeedBurner to distribute / modify content of a newsfeed, or an email subscription, needs to know and use the "Edit Feed Details" dashboard wizard. The ability to change the feed title, the blog feed URL, and / or the FeedBurner feed URL, at will, makes this a useful wizard.

https://productforums.google.com/d/topic/blogger/oUYseDHCerU/discussion

Blogger Magic - FeedBurner Email For Your Blog

Some people who will enjoy your blog may prefer to follow it using their email.

It's not difficult to setup email delivery of the comments or posts - from various source selections. FeedBurner offers a wide assortment of delivery options, for the many sources.

Blogger offers the "Subscribe by Email" gadget and service, which delivers the posts newsfeed. That's one feed possibility - and you can have many more, with very little work.

Using the many options provided by FeedBurner, combined with the many feed possibilities, you can produce a generous set of email subscription options.

1. Setup a FeedBurner feed.
2. Activate the "Subscribe by Email" service, for the feed.
3. Add a FeedBurner form, to the blog.
4. Setup the Post Feed Redirect, to connect the blog and the FeedBurner feed.

Setup a FeedBurner feed.

To add a standard blog posts subscription, add a "Subscribe by Email" gadget (for blogs with non dynamic Blogger templates) - or a "Subscription Links" gadget (for all blogs, including those with dynamic templates).

The standard blog posts subscription is not the only possibility. You can setup a FeedBurner feed for any blog published feed - including various label based feeds.

Blogger now publishes a pages feed, which complements the posts feed. And FeedBurner will distribute the pages feed, as it does the posts feed.

Start with the URL of any blog native feed.

Give the feed an Address and a Title.

The feed is setup. Proceed to the dashboard, to Activate the feed.



Activate the "Subscribe by Email" service, for the feed.

Activate "Email Subscriptions", for the FeedBurner feed that you setup.



From the FeedBurner dashboard Publicize - "Email Subscriptions" - "Subscription Management" page, Activate the "Email Subscriptions" service, for the feed.

The service is active - now check out other options.



With the "Email Subscriptions" service activated, look at the various formatting and distribution options available.

Add a FeedBurner form, to the blog.

You can use the form provided with "Subscribe by Email", if you are setting up the standard blog posts feed. For any other feed, you can use either form provided on the "Subscription Management" page, installed as an HTML / JavaScript gadget.

Using the "Subscription Link Code", you can add a fixed location ("floating") subscription icon.

Setup the Post Feed Redirect, to connect the blog and the FeedBurner feed.

FeedBurner "Edit Feed Details" is used to link the FeedBurner feed, to the blog. Similarly, you use the Blogger "Post Feed Redirect" to link the blog to the FeedBurner redirected feed.

Just use your imagination.

FeedBurner presents you with endless choices, for letting your readers enjoy your blog from their Email inboxes. Think about what will look good on your blog - and what will interest your readers.

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Not all #Blogger blog owners know how easy it is to use #FeedBurner email delivery, to provide your readers the option to view your blog - in many content options - using their email inboxes.

Add A Fixed Location "Subscribe" Button To Your Blog

To encourage email subscriptions, and other social connections, some blog owners provide gadget toolbars, with useful links.

Some blog owners would like to position their gadgets in fixed screen positions.

I want to have a subscribe button hover at the top of the page, while people read my blog.

This blog has a hovering AddThis toolbar, which provides selected social sharing options. And, it has a hovering "Top of Page" button.

Adding a custom subscription gadget, in a fixed screen location, is not complicated.

AddThis has a large library of social sharing gadgets, with their icons - but they don't have any email subscription selections. But you can add an icon based "subscribe" button, "hovering" at the top of the page.

An occasional request suggests using a popup window, containing a subscription form. We don't recommend using a popup window - but a subscription form, on a FeedBurner hosted page, will provide the same function.

1. Add FeedBurner "Subscribe by Email".
2. Add a "Subscribe by Email" FeedBurner hosted form, and a link.
3. Add a suitable icon, containing the FeedBurner subscription link.
4. Try It.

See below "See the code asssembled.", for the detailed procedure.

Add FeedBurner "Subscribe by Email".

Using the dashboard Layout page, and "Add a Gadget", add a "Subscribe by Email" gadget. This creates a blog posts FeedBurner hosted feed.

FeedBurner provides the "Subscribe by Email" gadget, with the choice to display either an on screen form - or a simple link to a FeedBurner hosted form page.

Add a "Subscribe by Email" FeedBurner hosted form, and a link.

Once a "Subscribe by Email" gadget has been added, get the gadget link from the FeedBurner dashboard, at Publicize - "Email Subscriptions" - "Subscription Management" - "Preview Subscription Link…".

Start from the dashboard, at Publicize - "Email Subscriptions" - "Subscription Management".

The "Preview Subscription Link…" window contains the code, that we need.



Add a suitable icon, containing the FeedBurner subscription link.

Choose an attractive icon to contain the FeedBurner supplied link. Add an HTML gadget using "Add a Gadget", containing the icon with the link to the FeedBurner form - and displayed in a fixed location.


Try It.

I added a button, and a new subscription, to my test blog, "Chucks Tech World".

See the icon, in the top right margin?

See how the new icon floats?

See how it floats from the top - and from the right?





See the code, assembled.

A floating subscription button is simply an "HTML / Javascript" gadget, containing button code, linking to a FeedBurner subscription form. I position my gadget, in the footer, out of sight. The code "top:40px;right:60px;" positions the button to display relative to the top right corner - regardless of where the HTML gadget is positioned.

1. Upload a suitable icon.
2. Add the FeedBurner Subscription link code.
3. Add the button code.

Start with an icon, uploaded:

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2fCZTJEcS0rg0NliF0abn3LvuRvBFczagaR3aJo66JQ2X2VzNScrxHothiYOgP83ZrrLHN7fFcFeA5ihXLTdIHu8oO7kaxaILeNXcICvNkVNwj2pVG86bXn2qyvJd13-luA-hoijps09/s1600/Subscribe+Icon.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2fCZTJEcS0rg0NliF0abn3LvuRvBFczagaR3aJo66JQ2X2VzNScrxHothiYOgP83ZrrLHN7fFcFeA5ihXLTdIHu8oO7kaxaILeNXcICvNkVNwj2pVG86bXn2qyvJd13-luA-hoijps09/s320/Subscribe+Icon.png" /></a>

Here's the FeedBurner Subscription Link:

<a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=ChucksTechWorld&loc=en_US">Subscribe to Chucks Tech World by Email</a>

Here's the Floating Top Of Page Button:

<a style="display:scroll;position:fixed;bottom:20px;right:60px;" href="#" title="Top"><img border="0" height="60" width="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eOcCRS3N1_JwNrk6zva82CQybo8TWCvgMs6lUtZhyl_6XrkbjWP8Ayf2eQLtg3KEaUMruYNMT3uHK7llf3gltPNd6PMaMEjSWXuTpPzCX-fAebzTg5xQTb9kdRRiRhVVm347DAyfZzdk/s320/Up+Arrow+4.jpg" /></a>

And put them all together:

<a style="display:scroll;position:fixed;top:40px;right:60px;" href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=ChucksTechWorld&loc=en_US" title="Subscribe by Email" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="60" width="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2fCZTJEcS0rg0NliF0abn3LvuRvBFczagaR3aJo66JQ2X2VzNScrxHothiYOgP83ZrrLHN7fFcFeA5ihXLTdIHu8oO7kaxaILeNXcICvNkVNwj2pVG86bXn2qyvJd13-luA-hoijps09/s320/Subscribe+Icon.png" /></a>

And that's it.

I now have a hovering subscription icon, in this blog. Given a collection of icons, carefully arranged, you can have a hovering toolbar - to maybe complement a social media button toolbar.

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Some #Blogger blog owners would like a hovering button or toolbar, to provide an email subscription form. This is an accessory that is not difficult to add.

Dynamic Templates, And "Follow by Email"

We see occasional concern about providing email subscriptions, from blog owners in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue.

How do I provide email subscriptions for my blog? Follow by Email does not work!

The blog in question is using a dynamic template - and it appears that the blog owner is out of luck.

The "Subscribe by Email" gadget does not work, with dynamic templates.

Add "Subscription Links" to a blog with a dynamic template.

For email subscriptions, and a blog with a dynamic template, you use the "Subscription Links" gadget. Here is my blog, Chucks Musings.

Use "Subscription Links" with a blog that has a dynamic template.



When you add "Follow by Email" to a blog with a non dynamic template, it sets up the "Email Subscriptions" service, in FeedBurner. "Subscription Links" is a collection of various subscription services - and won't activate "Email Subscriptions".

You may need to activate "Email Subscriptions".

You will probably need to activate the "Email Subscriptions" service, to use "Subscription Links" instead of "Follow by Email".



To use "Subscribe by Email" as a selection in "Subscription Links", be sure that the "Email Subscriptions" service is activated, from the FeedBurner dashboard.

Alternately, add "Subscribe by Email" in a linklist gadget.

Sometimes, you may not want to use "Subscription Links". So, just add the "Subscription Link Code", in a linklist gadget.

Here, we have a new sidebar accessory.

And when you click on the link, you get the familiar FeedBurner "Email Subscription Request" verification form.



So, either add "Subscription Links" - or make a custom LinkList accessory. One, or the other, will give you "Subscribe by Email", in a dynamic template.

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Owners of #Blogger blogs, wishing to provide email subscriptions, find that "Follow by Email" won't work with a dynamic template. Fortunately, "Subscription Links" will provide email subscription - though the necessary FeedBurner service has to be activated.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/blogger/lsAVQuj_FOw

Private Google Groups Email Distribution Is Broken

Some blog owners have reported in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue, about broken email distribution.

There are various ways to distribute Blogger blog content, to email. For those unable or unwilling to use FeedBurner Email Distribution, one popular alternative is Google Groups.

One drawback of FeedBurner based distribution is that FeedBurner uses the blog newsfeed - and is unusable for private blogs.

Google Groups is the best content distribution medium, for private blogs.

The only scalable distribution medium, for private blogs, is Google Groups. Right now, Google Groups, for some owners, is not accepting incoming email.

This problem may not be unique to Blogger blogs. There are other reports of this problem, in the Google Groups Support Forum.

We are asking for details, in a previously posted forum Problem Rollup topic.

We have a previously discussed article, and a Problem Rollup topic, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue - where we are requesting details, as phrased above, about the problems. If you have details to contribute, solution to this problem may result from your contribution.

Please help Blogger Engineering to help you - and make your responses polite, relevant, and responsive. If this problem is to be identified, and you are affected, resolution depends upon you. And also report your problem in Google Groups Support.

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Some #Blogger blog owners are reporting that distribution of private blog content, using Google Groups, is not operational. This problem may not be unique to Blogger blogs, as there is some discussion in Google Groups Support.

Confusion About GMail Vs Non GMail Based Email

Long ago, when diagnosing a problem thought to involve email, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue, we would ask a very simple question

Is your Blogger account based on a GMail - or non GMail - email address?

And we would carefully add

Please, do not state your email address, here!

The latter request was to prevent theft of peoples Blogger accounts.

Now, in many cases, we must qualify the question of email address. We also ask.

Is your email provided by your employer, ISP, or school network?

and even

Do you read your email in a browser window, or a local email client?

Modern email distribution is not always homogeneous.

Both questions reflect the complex nature of email delivery, that is a part of Internet reality.

Few people can accurately diagnose their problems, based only on the simple question

Is your Blogger account based on a GMail - or non GMail - email address?

The lines between GMail, and non GMail email accounts - and addresses - are not absolute, any more.

Both GMail and non GMail addresses may be used in a local network.

GMail, and non GMail addresses, alike, may use GMail browser based email, in delivery and display. And GMail accounts may use non GMail email systems, for addressing, delivery, and / or display.

These variations can lead to interesting scenarios such as mysterious loss of blog membership invitations, and of email subscriptions. And options for Blogger account recovery become more complicated - with password synchronisation issues, between the email account and the Blogger account.

Thanks to Google Apps based domains, and the ability to provide non GMail addresses which use GMail, anybody can use a non GMail address with GMail based delivery and display. Some people have even setup Blogger accounts, based on Google Apps based email addresses (again, appearing to be non GMail based) - though this is not recommended.

Managed domains may use GMail delivery, and a non GMail email address.

Corporate email systems, ISP provided email, and schools (of all grades, elementary through university) may use Google Apps based email. Many large local network based email systems have been "upgraded" to use cloud based email, such as GMail, for delivery and display. The results are not always beneficial.

And, thanks to "push / pull" GMail options, where an individual GMail account can be configured by a knowlegeable account owner, even individual account owners can use a GMail address, with non GMail delivery and display - or can use GMail display, for non GMail based address / delivery.

With computer owners who do not care or know about what email system they use, with where the individual messages may be filed, and with security filters that update without notice, loss of email messages is common.

Bounced email does not get dropped into the "Bulk" / "Spam" folder.

Note that "bounced" email may not be treated as spam. Some "bounced" email never gets as far as a spam filter - it may simply be rejected. You will look, in vain, in the "Bulk", "Inbox", and "Spam" folders.

This will interfere with account recovery - if you can't find the password reset email, how do you recover control of the account?

The simple question

Is your Blogger account based on a GMail - or non GMail - email address?

just is not accurate, when diagnosing all Blogger problems.

Comments Posted Use "noreply" Email Addresses

Recently, we've noted a number of complaints about Blogger commenting, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken

.My comments all use a "noreply" email address, instead of my actual email address. How do I have people email their replies to my comments?

This appears to be one more way which Blogger is trying to safeguard our Blogger accounts and blogs, from malicious, technically astute blog thieves.

Some time ago, we observed that this precaution appeared to be unique to Blogger accounts which used Google and Google+ profiles - and did not involve Blogger profiles.

It appears that this is now universal, and includes Blogger profiles, as well as Google / Google+ profiles. It's likely that the noreply email addresses are being offered to keep more blog readers from, inadvertently, exposing their email addresses to email mining techniques.

In remembering the long ago discovered "nice blog" spam, it's possible that "nice blog" spam was originally developed to help the spammers gather email addresses, using very innovative technique.

All that a spammer has to do is to post a "nice blog" comment, select "Email follow-up comments to me" - then watch as the Inbox fills up with follow up comments from bloggers, willingly giving up their email addresses to every stranger also selecting "Email follow-up comments to me", in that comment thread.

The people willingly providing their email addresses, to the world in general, are perfect targets for hackers later trying to brute force access to the Blogger accounts, starting from the provided email addresses. Use of the "no-reply" email address prevents this type of mischief - and reduces the workload of Google Security, as they would otherwise have to verify account / blog integrity, for hacked accounts and blogs.

For even more protection (which is not a bad idea, in any case), consider using Google 2-Step Verification, to protect your Blogger / Google account from hacking.

>> Top

Private / Team Blog Owners, Using Non GMail EMail

For some time, we've known about a problem with non GMail based Blogger accounts, and comment moderation / notification email.

That problem, though mildly annoying to the blog owners affected, has an easy workaround - use a GMail based email address, for comment moderation / notification. That's a quick 15 minute fix.

1. Setup a GMail account, if necessary.
2. Change the comment moderation / notification email addresses, for the blog(s) affected, to use the GMail email account.

GMail email accounts are, after all, free.

Besides the ease of putting a workaround in place, that problem is not all that severe. The problem with comment moderation / notification email, being filtered, only affects blog owners who moderate before publishing. Owners who moderate after publishing can always use the Blogger dashboard Comments wizard, at their convenience, to moderate.

This week, we realised that the base problem - rejected email because of non GMail based Blogger accounts - may also affect owners of private / team blogs, who have prospective non GMail members. This specific problem probably affects less blogs - but it won't have as easy a workaround.

Owners of private / team blogs, who use non GMail based Blogger accounts, may not find an easy workaround for the problem of Blogger blog membership invitations being rejected by a non GMail email system.

The base problem, as it affects comment moderation / notification, is obvious. The owner of an affected blog will see all comment moderation / notification email, sent to him, rejected by his own non GMail email system. Anybody who owns a blog that's affected will be sending all comment moderation / notification email to the non GMail email system.

The base problem, as it affects private / team blog membership invitations, is more subtle. This problem will affect blogs owned under non GMail based Blogger accounts - and / or when sending invitations to prospective members who use non GMail email systems. Email within Google - Blogger to GMail - should not be subject to the same filtering, since the email will actually originate from a Google server.

With all that, this problem will be more annoying, in that it will involve email rejected by the prospective member email system - not by the blog owner email system. Prospective blog members won't likely be receptive to changing their email addresses, just to receive a membership invitation. Also, the blog owner may not always see the email rejection - and may not know that the invitations are being dropped - and may not be found in the "Bulk" / "Spam" folders.

To avoid this problem, membership invitations, from any affected blogs, will have to have be sent from a GMail based Blogger account. This will require a GMail based Blogger account, added as an additional administrator - and it will involve the known risks of having an extra administrator account. Only administrators can send membership invitations.

This problem will probably have less exposure than the one with comment moderation / notification email - but to the blog owners affected, it will seem more severe. It will actually prevent prospective members, using non GMail based email systems, from joining the blogs affected. And, it will require a blog owner to add a GMail based Blogger account, as a blog member.

Please, Do Not Publicise Your Email Address

We've seen a few reports, recently, about stolen blogs, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.

Why is my blog not on my dashboard - and why is somebody else publishing, and using my name?

There are so many reports from people who are not using Google "One Account" login properly, that the significance of this problem report was initially overlooked.

More than a few such reports started with the blog owner email address being openly disclosed - generally on the blog, or in comments. Too many blog owners want to be contacted - and they innocently provide their email addresses as a contact point.

We've known, for years, about disclosed email addresses, and brute force password guessing. That is not the only way your email address can be used, to gain access to your Blogger account, however.

Google recently had to deal with a very carefully executed hacking project, where Blogger and Google account owners received some well phrased advice, in their email.

Google treats policy violations and invalid activity very seriously in order to protect the users, publishers, and advertisers who make up our advertising ecosystem. While we usually notify publishers and take action for policy and invalid activity at the site level, there may be times when we will need to suspend or disable accounts due to policy violations or invalid activity.

Our hope is that you will be able to resolve your policy issues during the suspension period using This Link

I'm betting that the above message was written, very carefully, by hackers who studied the phrasing and wording of the many abuse / spam / TOS violation notices, sent out by Blogger Support constantly.

Many of the recipients of the email are the same crowd that I encountered, several years ago, when we saw similar numbers of reports about the same type of stolen blogs. The owners typically

• Post their email address, or provide it for contact, visibly.
• Participate in comment based networking, on their blog, and openly state their email address.
• Participate in comment based networking, on similar blogs, and openly state their email address.

Each of these activities can be used, by the bad guys, to build lists of email addresses, of people who can be easily persuaded by an email message, to resolve their policy issues using the link provided. And this led to a number of reports, in the forums, about stolen blogs - and mentioning email, offering to sell the stolen blogs back, to the rightful owners.

If you want contact from your readers, there are more safe ways to allow this.

• The Blogger "Contact Me" form.
• Blogger based comments, with email address concealed (and not stated openly).
• Google+ based comments / networking, with email address never involved (and not stated openly).
• Setup a second email account. Use one email account for contact - and a second for blog ownership.

All of the above contact options give you a possibility of hearing from and / or networking with, your readers - and none of these options require you to disclose your ownership email address.

Just don't disclose your email address, to the world at large. Your email address is one half of the security measure, as designed by Google - that prevents unknown individuals, from taking control of your Blogger account and your blogs.

Finally, if you are not yet using Google 2-Step Verification, this is the time. If you were one of the victims of the recent attack, you know the despair. If not, you truly don't want to be. In either case, you should really want to protect your account, and your blogs.

Confusion From Email Spam Detection, And Non GMail Email

We're seeing a few reports in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken about problems with email, sent by Blogger, when the destination is a non GMail email system.

Some email systems verify the sending email address, against IP address. With these systems, email which originates from a Blogger account that's based on a non GMail email address, and comes from a Blogger / Google IP address, is going to present a problem, to the account owners.

If your Blogger account (your readers Blogger account) is based on a non GMail email address - and your blog provides any of various "notification" / "subscription" services, this can be a problem.

• "BlogSend" (aka "Email posts to") based subscriptions.
• Comment moderation or notification email.
• FeedBurner feed distribution, such as "Subscribe by Email"
• Your readers like to comment authenticated, and select the "Email follow-up comments ..." option.
• The Blogger supplied "Contact Me" accessory gadget.

You're going to have email "bounced" by some (non GMail) email clients. This will be a similar problem, if a reader sends you email - or Blogger relays you email based on your reader request, as in comment notification or contact form entries.

Note that "bounced" email may not be treated as spam. Some "bounced" email never gets as far as a spam filter - it may simply be rejected. You will look, in vain, in "Bulk", "Inbox", and "Spam" folders.

Blogger originated email, to certain email clients, will be bounced, because Blogger sends the notification / subscription email with your Blogger account (your readers account) mentioned, as the sender.

With Blogger comment moderation / notification email coming from a non GMail based Blogger account, and sent from a Google IP address, an email client such as AOL, HotMail, or Yahoo, which verifies email address against IP address, is going to reject the incoming email message. This is because "Sender Policy Framework", which AOL, HotMail, Yahoo, and other email systems use, detects the originating address as "spoofed".

Spoofing is a common technique used by spammers, in hiding their email identity. Most email based spam is spoofed - so email systems, which use DKIM or SPF filters to identify spam, will bounce any messages which do not verify properly - when IP address and originating email address are compared.

The problem may also involve comment subscription email. This may result in bounce messages being sent to the person attempting to publish a comment. This causes more confusion.

The solution, to the problem with moderation / notification email, is simple - but unlikely to satisfy many Blogger account owners. You will have to use a GMail email address, for comment moderation or notification. Until Blogger Engineering figure a better way to send the moderation / notification email, email clients such as AOL, HotMail, and Yahoo will have this problem.

If the blog owner changes ownership of a blog, from a non GMail based Blogger account to a GMail based account, and neglects to change the comment moderation / notification email address, the bounce messages will likely continue. What might happen with comment subscription email is yet to be determined.

This problem, as discussed above, affects the comment moderation process. While annoying to some blog owners (as noted, those using non GMail based Blogger accounts / email addresses), the problem is not all that severe. Affected blog owners can use the Blogger dashboard Comments wizard, to moderate comments. Also, blog owners, who moderate comments after they are published, may not even notice this problem.

This problem may also affect membership invitations to private / team blogs This will be a more severe issue, in that this problem will affect all blogs with owners using non GMail email addresses, and with prospective blog members on large non GMail email systems - because there will be no dashboard based wizard - and no possibility of moderation after publishing.

The involvement of Google Apps based (non "gmail.com" Google email) Blogger accounts, and Blogger originated email, is yet to be studied. Also please note that Blogger account email addresses, and comment moderation / notification email addresses, do not have to be the same - and this may cause still more confusion.

Confusion About EMail Addresses Based On Google Apps Provided Email Domains

Since 2009, I've been explaining the intricate relationships between Blogger accounts, email addresses, and Google accounts.

One of the challenges of logging in to Blogger or Google involves account names and passwords, that may be shared with an email account that is the basis for the Blogger / Google account name.

Non GMail based Blogger / Google accounts initially share an account name / email address with the source non GMail email account. If you change a non GMail email address, the Blogger account name will not change. If you delete a non GMail account, the Blogger account is not deleted. Finally, even with shared account names, the passwords between the email account, and the Blogger / Google account, are not automatically shared.

With a GMail / Google based Blogger account, on the other hand, both the account name and password will be shared - since it's the same account. If you delete a GMail / Google Blogger account, the Blogger account - and all owned blogs - are also deleted.

Besides the account name / password confusion, use of the Google login wizard is complicated by use of Google Apps based email accounts.

Use of the new Google login wizard is a challenge because of the blind login process - and the lack of detailed diagnostics, when an incorrect account name or password is entered. The lack of detailed diagnostics helps prevent hacking of our Google accounts, when our email address and various personal details become known to the public. Any mistakes result in one monolithic error.

The email or password you entered is incorrect.

Google Apps based email accounts are a frequent concern, when frustrated custom domain owners need to access their Google Apps accounts, to either update domain registration payment details, or to access the registrars domain management dashboard.

Google Apps access, which uses the Google multi-account login wizard, is complicated by domain owners who do not realise (or remember) the non GMail based Google Apps account name - or the password.

Before Google Apps based email domains became an issue, it was possible to easily identify non GMail based Blogger / Google accounts, as opposed to GMail based accounts, based on one significant detail - the absence of "gmail.com" / "googlemail.com" in the account name.

Observing that a given Blogger account name did not include "gmail.com" / "googlemail.com", we could advise a Blogger account owner of the issues involving account name / password sharing, between the source email account, and the Blogger / Google account.

Thanks to the existence of Google Apps based email domains, it is now possible to have GMail / Google accounts which lack the "gmail.com" / "googlemail.com" in the account name - and we see the confusion.

• Some blog owners may delete an unused "non GMail" Google account, not realising that they are deleting the necessary Blogger / Google account that owns a given blog.
• Other blog owners may be unable to use the Google login wizard effectively, since they don't understand that a non "GMail.com" account may be a Google account.
• And, in truly unfortunate scenarios, we have blog owners who lose control of their blogs when their employer, Internet Service Provider, or school converts their domain to use Google apps management

Just as it's impossible to canonically identify "legacy" accounts, it's a challenge to adequately describe the issues specific to Google Apps based non "GMail.com" Blogger / Google accounts. Control and synchronisation issues, relevant to both the account names and passwords, will always cause confusion, to Blogger blog owners.

Articles about regaining account control - and proper use of the new Google One Login wizard - will be referenced frequently, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.

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Confusion Over Domain Expiration Dates Caused By "Buy a domain" Renewal

We're seeing some reports of panic, from a few Blogger blog owners who recently renewed registration of their "Buy a domain" purchased custom domains, with Google Apps informing them that their domain registration is now renewed - but with a back dated expiry. This appears to be a known Google Apps issue.

Roberto of "robertosblogs.net", in Another Google Stuff-up, shows us the confirmation letter, that he recently received from Google Apps.

This message confirms we have renewed your domain registration for robertosblogs.net with GoDaddy.com . Your credit card has been charged $10 and your domain registration is valid until April 5, 2011 .

Some people, reporting this scenario in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken have been rather panicked, and fearful either that they had just wasted $10 - or that their domain now needs an additional payment (for 2 years?).

Fortunately, an online lookup service such as the Name.com Who.Is display can provide the necessary detail, and help set the concerned owner straight.

REGISTRY WHOIS FOR ROBERTOSBLOGS.NET
Domain Name: robertosblogs.net
Updated: 2 seconds ago - Refresh

Registrar: GODADDY.COM, LLC
Whois Server: whois.godaddy.com
Referral URL: http://registrar.godaddy.com
Status: clientDeleteProhibited, clientRenewProhibited, clientTransferProhibited, clientUpdateProhibited

Expiration Date: 2013-04-06
Creation Date: 2008-04-06
Last Update Date: 2012-03-15

Relax a bit, Bob, and enjoy a cuppa.

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Recovering Your Account Information - Improved

Blogger has long promised us that our blogs will be ours, forever, and that we are free to publish our blogs in privacy, if we so desire. Based on those promises, not all Blogger blog owners have made the right decisions, in retaining access to their Blogger / Google accounts.

Many problem reports. from frustrated owners, are seen, daily, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.

My email address changed some time ago, and now, I can't login to Blogger and update my blog!

Last year, Blogger made several changes to their account recovery policies and procedures, which made this subject, for many blog owners, a critical and painful issue. Now, Google is making an organised effort to reduce the pain, by improving their account recovery tool.

There are two tools which you may wish to try, when you cannot login directly, to your Blogger account.

• Blogger: Forgot your username or password?
• Google: Having trouble signing in?

Google re designed account recovery, in 2012.

Recognising the frustration caused by some recent changes to the Blogger / Google login, and to various account recovery procedures, Google recently improved the design of their account recovery tool. Formerly labeled

• Account Recovery: Forgot your password?

We now have

• Google: Having trouble signing in?

The newly designed wizard covers both Google account un deletion, and account recovery, transparently. It won't provide recovery of all Google services lost when the account was deleted, however.

The wizard has three initial selections.

• I forgot my password
• I forgot my username
• I'm having other problems signing in

I forgot my password

Immediately when selecting "I forgot my password", you'll be asked to provide the username of your Google account, labeled "Email address". As noted, this may be either a GMail address - or any non GMail email address.

To reset your password, enter the username you use to sign in to Google. This can be your Gmail address, or it may be another email address you associated with your account.

Having hit "Continue", expect to see a CAPTCHA. Successfully solving the CAPTCHA, you'll be presented with three options. Each of these options requires proper advance registration, by the blog owner.

Choose how to get back into your account.

• Get a verification code on my phone.
• Answer my security question
• Get a password reset link at my recovery email

I forgot my username

Immediately when selecting "I forgot my username", you'll need to provide the account recovery email.

Please enter the recovery email address you provided when creating your account.

Having entered the right email address, you'll next (surprise!) get to solve a CAPTCHA, and then receive the welcome news.

An email has been sent to xxxxxxx@yyyyy.zzz containing all Gmail usernames associated with that address.

Please make sure xxxxxxx@yyy.zzz is your recovery email address. If it is not, you will not receive an email containing your username.

Here, once again, we see the advantage of not remaining completely anonymous.

I'm having other problems signing in
Immediately when selecting "I'm having other problems signing in", you'll be asked for your Email address.

Enter the username you use to sign in to Google. This can be your Gmail address, or it may be another email address you associated with your account.

Having provided an email address (big surprise!!), you'll be asked to solve a CAPTCHA. Finally, you'll be provided the Google Accounts: Problems signing in to your account article, with additional selections.

Please select your issue:

• I forgot my password
• I think someone else is using my account
• I forgot my username
• I know my username and password, but I can't sign in
• I can't reset my password via SMS
• I use a Google Apps account
• I'm having trouble with 2-step verification

Here we see a wide assortment of options, all carefully provided to allow genuine Blogger blog owners to recover access to their Blogger / Google accounts, while preventing malicious hijacking. This should complement the separate Blogger blog access recovery wizard. You'd be wise to try at least some of these options, before asking for assistance, in a public forum.

The automated tools are necessary, to protect our accounts and blogs from people seeking to misuse the recovery process, and steal control of our accounts and our blogs.

Recovery works best with "lost access" accounts - "stolen" accounts will differ.

Now, you'll want to note that these wizards help you recover control of a Blogger / Google account that you simply have lost access. If your GMail / Google account has been successfully hijacked, you're going to need different corrective measures, for recovery and future protection.

Please note that both tools provided by Blogger / Google will work more reliably, with a blog that was not transferred improperly, from one Blogger account to another. And plan the recovery process, don't be caught unaware of the new recovery verification procedures.

A Hint Will Not Always Recover Your Access To Your Blogger Account

Some Blogger blog owners, trying to regain access to their blogs after a long absence, attribute their problem to over indulgent security measures.

I have too many email accounts, and no way can I remember all of them!

and maybe even

I have too many GMail accounts, and no way can I remember all of them!

Our suggestion will be, that they should carefully check all email (GMail) accounts. Their next request seems like a final solution.

Can Blogger just give me a hint, so I can remember which account I need to check?

Here they are asking for a last ditch effort, which is not guaranteed to bring success.

There are several reasons why requesting a hint - just a few characters of the email (GMail) account address - is not guaranteed to produce beneficial results.

• The hint request may be made by either a would be hijacker - or the possible later victim of a hijacker. The hint request invites focused brute force password guessing, which involves
  • Increased load on Google network resources.
  • Later problem reports about another stolen Blogger account / blog.
• A hint will not be given immediately. Blogger Support has several long queues of essential tasks. Helping somebody regain access to their Blogger account, after the would be owner has rejected the offered several automated tools, is not going to be at the top of anybody's task queue.
• A hint may not provide the right clue. Blogger Support will provide a limited number of characters in any hint - and cannot guarantee that the characters provided will be meaningful to the would be blog owner (or possibly, would be blog hijacker).
• Only one hint can be provided. Blogger Support won't provide an online game of "Hangman", by providing a new hint, until you guess your account name. One hint, only!

With all of these details in mind, and if at all possible, please do everybody a favour and make some effort to remember your account name and password. Don't count on Blogger to tell you your account name. Try the improved Google account recovery wizard, and check every email account which you may have possibly used, before asking for special attention.

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Setup An Audit Trail For Your Team Blog

Ever since Blogger gave us the ability to have team blogs, blog owners have been asking

How do I track what my authors are posting?

as if Blogger blogs have an audit trail option. The unfortunate truth is that Blogger is a website publishing platform - it is (or was, at one time) called

Blogger One Button Publishing

Blogger, quite simply, is not a Content Management System.

However, even if Blogger does not provide a packaged audit trail, which would be a standard feature in any CMS, this does not mean that we cannot set one up, with very little work. If you publish a team blog (or a single owner blog), you already have this option.

The display medium, for a Blogger blog audit trail, is quite simple - your email Inbox. Both Comments and Posts, when published, can post to your Inbox. How to generate the audit trail depends upon whether the blog is public, or private.

Any blog, public or private, can provide an audit trail using email from comments (aka "Comment Notification"), and from posts (aka "BlogSend").

A public blog, which publishes a blog feed, can alternately provide an audit trail using FeedBurner email distribution. Formatting options for FeedBurner email distribution are much more flexible.

Whether your audit trail starts from BlogSend / Comment Notification, or FeedBurner email, just setup a few email filters, and store all Blogger audit trail email in a properly named folder. And there's your audit trail.

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