Better Get Into The New Blogger GUI Soon - And Tell Blogger What Problems You Find

The New Blogger GUI (2011) was pushed out, during the past week, to a number of blog owners - and the complaints are showing up in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken. Some are polite.

Please, Blogger - allow us the option of staying with the old format.

and some less polite

Are you listening Google? Your new interface SUCKS!

Only one thing is obvious - many people, suddenly finding themselves using the New GUI, do not like the New GUI.

Unfortunately, there are real reasons why the New GUI has been developed - and those reasons are not going to go away. The New GUI is here - to stay. Right now, comprehensive and objective criticism is needed, to convince Blogger to make it better - before they remove the Classic GUI altogether.

Both major and minor features, developed recently by other groups in Blogger, and by other divisions of Google, are integrated into the New GUI.

• Blogger Dynamic Templates, and the supporting separation of the Layout and Template menu options.
• Google+.
• Better Post Editor.
• Better support for non BlogSpot (aka "custom domain") publishing.
• Blogs accessed under Country Code TLD Aliases.

We've seen evidence of all of these efforts, recently.

As long as Blogger has to maintain two GUI versions, they will have to move slower to keep both versions working. Staff has to be employed to both maintain both versions, and keep the various features in both versions working together. As long as there are two versions of the GUI, some staff, that should be improving the New GUI, is going to be busy supporting the Classic GUI.

One of the causes, of some New GUI problems, involves people switching back and forth between the two GUIs, to better use the features that they prefer. If you have observed problems with your blog recently

• Custom Domain Publishing.
• Post Editor paragraphing.
• Post Editor advance post scheduling.

you are possibly observing a problem caused by conflicting code in the two GUI versions. Until everybody is using the same GUI version, the conflicting code will continue to cause problems - and some Blogger Support staff will have to spend time identifying and patching the problems.

Yet, there are features that are present in the Classic GUI, that need to be added to the New GUI, before substantial numbers of people can start using the New GUI. In order to identify those features, enough people have to start using the New GUI - and let Blogger know what features are missing, that need to be provided, immediately.

We have a problem rollup discussion, currently hosted in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, where we am actively soliciting comments from people who have tried the New Blogger GUI. Please keep your comments brief, polite, and on topic.

Just try to make your comments before it's too late - when The New Blogger Interface becomes The Blogger Interface.

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Blogger Limits: Pages - Dynamic And Static

We see periodic evidence of the confusion about the differences between dynamic and static pages, expressed as limit uncertainties in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?.

How many pages can I have in my blog?

and

Why can't I have more than 20 tabs in my top menu bar?

The Pages editor manages dynamic and static pages so transparently, not everybody realises where the limits are.

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(Update 2014/11): This limit has been relaxed - but it does not appear to be gone, entirely.

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Blogger has limited the number of static pages - Pages entries created as "Blank page", by the Pages editor in the New GUI.

The limit on static pages is a resource issue. Static pages require specific resources, pre allocated to every blog - and increasing the number of static pages, like increasing the limit on number of labels, would have to be made to all blogs. Such resources are limited, just as everything is limited, in some way.

Learn the different possibilities for dynamic and static pages - and your blog has a virtually limitless potential for expansion.

Even if you can have only up to 20 static pages, you can index an unlimited amount of dynamic pages, using the Pages gadget, and adding "Web address" entries. You are limited only by the space used by the blog header tabs, or by the sidebar based gadget.

• Individual posts.
• Label searches.
• Archive indexes.
• Other blogs and websites.

There is no limit, for dynamic pages. Those items are dynamic, because once you add a dynamic entry, it links to content that is constantly changing, without the need to use the Pages editor.

So understand the differences between dynamic and static pages - and know where the limits are, and where they are not.

Post Editor Preview Mode, In The New Blogger GUI

We're seeing a few reports from blog owners having problems with Previewing their posts, using Post Editor in the New Blogger GUI.

I can't preview my blog post, while I am composing it!

It appears that Blogger has changed the New GUI Post Editor, to open the Preview window in a popup, instead of a new tab or window.

Almost all browsers, by default, block popup windows. If you want to use Preview Mode, in the New GUI, you'll have to check all relevant filters, and ensure that popup windows are allowed. It's possible that Blogger decided that a popup window was easier to provide than a separate tab / window, involving cross-site scripting, as the Template Designer Live Preview currently requires.

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The New Blogger GUI, Comments, And Word Verification

Recently, we're seeing a few frustrated blog owners, in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?, who have decided that the recently provided CAPTCHA ("word verification") screening puzzle is simply too much for their readers to handle. Some blog owners have discovered that removing the CAPTCHA, from their blog comment wizard, is not all that easy, either.

Everytime I click on "Save settings", to disable word verification on my blog, as soon as I return to the settings, it is enabled again. How do I get rid of the CAPTCHA?

Some blog owners have not yet learned that the New Blogger GUI (2011) just is not ready for public use.

Until recently, disabling CAPTCHA (word verification") screening in our comments was not simple. The New GUI "Posts and comments" wizard did not always have a setting "Show word verification", and our advice used to be

Go back to the Classic GUI, if you want to disable the CAPTCHA, so your readers can comment with ease.

Now, there is a setting in the New GUI wizard.

Unfortunately, it looks like switching back and forth, between the Classic and New GUI, causes the CAPTCHA to be enabled, for some blogs. Until the exact cause and effect is identified, we are simply advising people to not switch back and forth, unless absolutely necessary.

Given the other known problems with the New GUI, it's (currently) easier to remain in the Classic GUI - at least, if you don't intend to use any of the new Blogger features that have been recently released. If you do switch back and forth, and don't want your readers to suffer "CAPTCHA Anguish", you'll want to check the setting, periodically.

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The New Blogger GUI, And The Disappearing Drafts List

Right now, a few blog owners who depend upon using the Draft status on posts, and who move posts in and out of Draft status regularly, are noting an oddity in the New GUI Posts menu.

I can't find my Draft posts - there's no menu selection!

Looking at the menu, one sees only "All".

So how do I identify and update my Draft posts?

There are no imported or scheduled posts, in the blog.



Fortunately, this is not hard to remedy. Just pick any one post, currently displayed as "Published".

• Edit that one post, and hit "Revert to draft".
• Edit that one post again, and hit "Update".

And there is that one post, with the others, again published - and the menu now will now have selections for "Draft" and "Published".

This is, unfortunately, a temporary fix - the next time you reload your dashboard, you'll see only "All" again. But, it's easy enough to repeat.

You may see the same behaviour with the "Imported" and "Scheduled" lists.

Also, if there are no "Draft", "Imported" or "Scheduled" posts, the relevant link won't be seen.

What would be the benefit of viewing an empty page, after all?

The New GUI Template Editor, And Removing The "Blog Posts" Gadget

Since the most important part of almost all Blogger blogs is the posts, the "Blog Posts" gadget is an essential element in the template. Sometimes we have to remove the gadget though - maybe the gadget is corrupt - or in odd cases, we may have a duplicate "Blog Posts" gadget.

In either case, the solution is known, and is quite simple.

Remove (the / one) "Blog Posts" gadget.

Unfortunately, not everybody, needing such advice, is able to do this. People using the Template Editor in the New Blogger GUI (2011) may find, to their frustration, that removal of a "Blog Posts" gadget isn't permitted.

Sometimes, when we advise someone to remove a "Blog Posts" gadget, we find the advice not well received.

It won't let me do that!

or

I get a bX code, when I try to save the change!

Apparently, somebody who designed the New GUI Template Editor decided that removing "Blog Posts" just isn't a necessary option.

Right now, if you're going to remove "Blog Posts", you have to switch back to the Classic GUI.

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Identifying An Available URL - #2

The issue of URL availability has been a subject of intense debate, in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?, for several years.

Many would be blog owners URLs learn that neither "dormant" blogs, nor deleted blogs, nor spam locked blogs, are automatically available for the curious nor desperate.

Those denied the URL of their choice ask

How do I find an available URL? All of the good ones are taken - and picking one that's available is way too much work! I'm moving my blog to WordPress!

And that complaint is somewhat valid.

Under the Classic GUI, picking an available URL was a pretty painful process.

Here is the first really helpful and innovative improvement, in the New Blogger GUI.

When you use the "Create a new blog" wizard under the New Blogger GUI (2011), you paste or type the blog name or URL into the "Address" window, as usual. What's different about this wizard is that the "Address" is verified, for URL availability and validity, in real time.

Check it out! Enter a Title, and select a Template, first. Then, get started.

Paste (or type) the name which you have chosen (only the "xxxxxxx" portion of "xxxxxxx.blogspot.com") into the window, and see what it displays. If you see a yellow exclamation mark, and

Sorry, this blog address is not available.

Try a variation on the URL - add a letter or number - or some very specific characters. See what happens, as you type.

• "a" - "z" (lowercase alphabetic characters).
• "0" - "9" (numeric characters).
• "-" (dash character, which may not be the first or last character in the name!)).

This is a limited character set - but you want a reliable name, not a showy one. Your Blogger blog has to depend upon directory services from thousands of DNS servers, all over the Internet - so try and pick a name that will work everywhere. See Blogger Help: About URLs for additional advice.

As soon as you see a blue check mark, and

This blog address is available.

Hit the "Create blog!" button, now - and create your new blog.

Note that with the "Create a blog" sequence made simpler, you'll take less time choosing an address. Unfortunately, as long as you take longer than 0.00 seconds choosing a given address, there's always some slight chance that another person can choose the same address, simultaneously.

If you hit the "Create blog!" button after somebody else, and both of you have entered the same blog name - even with "This blog address is available." visible - one of you will still get an error message, with the bad news.

Sorry, this blog address is not available.

or

The subdomain name is not available.

The chance that someone else could "steal" your chosen address, while you are choosing it, will never be zero. It will simply be lower with the New GUI, then with the Classic GUI.

Only one person - the person who hits the "Create blog!" button first - gets the URL. If you're creating a blog based on some recent new trend or news story, there will probably be other people doing the same. You'll have to move quickly - grab an available URL immediately, when you see one. Wait .050 seconds, instead of .025 seconds, and you may miss your chance.

As with renaming your blog, please note that addresses previously taken will not be reissued to you by Blogger - a 10 year old blog remains valid, whether published once daily for 10 years, or once 10 years ago and never again.

If you're setting up a new blog, and you pick a popular subject for your new blog, you're still going to have to do some experimentation, to find an available URL. With the New Blogger GUI, you'll simply have a slightly easier time finding one.

Incorrect Orientation Of Photos Uploaded In Post Editor

We see occasional reports of problems with photo orientation, from various blog owners posting in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.

Why are my photos displayed horizontal, when they should be vertical?

Presumably, if someone's photo was taken with her standing, the blog owner does not want the photo showing her lying on her side.

Modern cameras store meta data with each photo, recording information about how the photo was taken.

This information is called "Exchangeable Image File format", or EXIF, data. Along with the information about date / time / exposure ("aperture" / "F stop" / "shutter speed"), some cameras store whether the photo was taken, with the camera held horizontal or vertical.

Some cameras store the "horizontal" / "vertical" information - then, the Blogger post editor "Upload image" wizard picks up on the orientation, and re orients the photo, depending upon it having been taken "horizontal" or "vertical". If the photo was intentionally rotated, the blog owner does not want the photo rotated again.

There are several possible resolutions for this problem.

• Use a different camera. Some cameras do not contribute to this problem.
• Per the comment below, see if the camera has a setting to disable autorotation.
• Use a photo editor such as IrfanView, and strip out the EXIF data, before uploading. Without the EXIF data, the "Add image" wizard won't reorient the photos.
• Use a photo editor such as IrfanView, and rotate the photo again, before uploading.
• Log in to http://www.picasaweb.com, using your Blogger username and password. Find the album, then the picture, that is rotated and open it. Edit the picture - rotate the image, then save it.

Custom Domain Publishing - Moving Back To BlogSpot, Using The New GUI, Isn't Obvious

The New Blogger GUI (2011) has been available for just over 6 months - and we see new confusion about using it, daily, in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?.

How do I cancel my custom domain redirect, in the New GUI?

This is one specific question, that's been asked, recently.

The answer to that specific question is actually right there, in front of us - we just don't see it.

Blogger, like Google, likes to use overlay panels for some displays, such as how you see the picture below - when you click on it.

In the new GUI, if I look at the Blog Address settings for this blog, in Settings - Basic - Publishing, I see

See the "X"?
(Click on the picture, to better see the details.)



"Edit" is a link, that lets me "Edit" my custom domain settings. The "Edit" wizard (which simply pops up in the same display, when I click on "Edit") does not let me change the URL of the blog back to BlogSpot - and this is the start of some confusion.

To remove the custom domain redirect, and re publish the blog to the domain - or publish back to BlogSpot - one must click on the "X" in the top right. With the publishing shown as

blogging.nitecruzr.net                Edit               X
bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com     redirects

clicking on the "X" lets me remove the custom domain redirect. Clicking on "Edit" only lets me change specific custom domain settings, such as selecting the "naked domain" redirect option.

When you click on the "X", you will get a verification popup.

Are you sure? This will remove the current custom domain.

And you'll want to hit "Yes".

So, click on the "X" (it's actually in black - I show it in red, above, to make it more obvious), to clear the custom domain redirect and publish back to the original BlogSpot URL. If you don't see the "X", click in the upper right corner of that window - to the right of "Edit" and just left of the window border. Apparently, not all browsers display the "X" properly.

The Problem, With Publishing Our Blog Posts To FaceBook, Does Not Apparently Have A Simple Cause

The problem of publishing our blog posts to FaceBook, initially observed several days ago, has generated some controversy - and much confusion, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken. Suggestions about its base cause are numerous - and variant.

• Initially and at first glance, it appeared to involved posts containing lots of pictures.
• Some folks have suggested that it involves use of the New GUI Post Editor.
• Other folks insist that it's the result of a FaceBook decision, that may have targeted Blogger as a spam host.
• Still others insist that it results from use of the Share button in the blog, vs the "Update Status" wizard in FaceBook itself.
• One blog owner gave a very interesting explanation involving FaceBook, and Open Graph.

The problem has been reported to Blogger Support - though no response, to my report, has yet been seen. My asking, a few times, whether anybody has successfully reported the problem to FaceBook Support, has either been ignored or vigourously rejected, by all involved in the arguments.

The one sure thing, that I've observed so far about this problem, is that there is not apparently one sure thing causing this problem. I've done several tests, and published a few posts into my FaceBook Wall, successfully - using both the Share button, and "Update Status". Perversely, I was able to reproduce the problem reported by one blog owner.

My immediately previous post - Choose Your Registrar, When Buying A Domain - was composed using the New GUI Post Editor, contains pictures, and was published to my Wall using "Share to Facebook", with no problem. I just published this post, using The New Blogger GUI Post Editor and "Update Status", onto my Wall. If you examine my Wall, you'll see earlier posts, composed using the Classic GUI Post Editor, also.

I will continue to keep my rollup discussion open, for reporting diagnostic details - and respectfully request that only diagnostic details be posted there. Until either Blogger Support and / or FaceBook Support take ownership of the problem, and promise a resolution, no objectively provided diagnostic detail is unnecessary. Your observations, whenever provided, could provide the final, necessary clues, and lead to the diagnosis of the problem.

If anybody would like to discuss my diagnostic efforts to date - and especially if there are any FaceBook Support personnel reading this, I have a second discussion in progress, with one helpful blog owner.

Please, be objective. Observe both the etiology of Blogger problems, and the epidemiology of forum discussions.

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(Update 2012/01/94): It appears that most people are now able to post to FaceBook. Some people are now reporting a new annoyance

You are attempting to post a link that has been marked as abusive and/or spammy.

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(Update 2012/01/02): Blogger Support was aware of the problem last week, tried to contact FaceBook then, and has heard nothing in return. Their analysis of the problem, made last week, is that the problem is outside their control.

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Switching Back To The Classic Blogger GUI, And "400 Bad Request"

Those Blogger blog owners who continue to use an older browser, and who have decided to check out the New Blogger GUI (2011), may be familiar with the ominous advice

Your browser is no longer supported by Blogger. Some parts of Blogger will not work and you may experience problems.

If you are having problems, try Google Chrome.

Some of you have opted to check out the New GUI, even when faced with the warning - and have been faced with a cold reality.

I mistakenly clicked on the "Try the updated Blogger interface" link and now I just have a blank screen because my computer is outdated.

Having seen a steady flood of the latter complaint, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, Blogger recently released a non GUI Recovery process.

www.blogger.com/opt-in-new-ui.g?useNewUi=false

The latter URL, and its mirror image

www.blogger.com/opt-in-new-ui.g?useNewUi=true

can be used by anybody, as a non GUI procedure to move back and forth between the Classic and New Blogger GUIs. Unfortunately, not everybody can do this.

The New GUI Does Not Support PodCasting

As the New Blogger GUI (2011 Improvements) continues to gain support, there are still features missing, being identified occasionally.

One interesting group of blog owners, who seem to feel overlooked, includes people who publish podcasts - and who use the Link field in their posts.

How do I link my PodCasts, using the New GUI?

This setting is not apparent, in the New GUI menus and wizards.

It's possible that alternate solutions are available, for this audience.

FeedBurner includes a podcast option, SmartCast.

FeedBurner, in the Optimize - SmartCast section, includes a selection to "Create podcast enclosures from links".

Makes podcasting easy in feeds that normally cannot support it. Link to MP3s, videos, images, and other digital media in your site content and SmartCast creates enclosures for them automatically. Optionally adds elements required for a richer, more detailed listing in iTunes Podcast Directory and sites using Yahoo Media RSS.

When SmartCast is examined, we see a useful array of choices for links.

• any rich media file
• audio files only
• video files only
• images only
• do not create enclosures

Maybe the links are not needed, in Blogger?

It's possible that the Links feature is not needed in Blogger, to support PodCasting - because it is available, in a much richer functionality, in FeedBurner.

That said, we now note a new feature, "Enclosure Links", available in the "Post settings" menu in post editor, after being enabled using the "Enable Enclosure Links" option in Settings - Other - "Site feed".

Automatic Sharing Of Blogger Posts, To Google+

Today, we see, in Blogger Buzz: Connect to Google+, a long awaited announcement, from Blogger.

Starting today, if you have linked your blog to your Google+ account you will be presented with a prefilled Google+ share box immediately after publishing a post. The share box will contain a +snippet of your post that you can share with your circles on Google+.

So, this is my test of the new feature.

This was first a live test, using my main Blogger account. I spent the better part of one hour migrating my Blogger account to use my Google+ profile. Having done that, I now compose my first Blogger blog post, while using my Google+ profile - and now, I will see how well Blogger and Google+ are integrated.

From looking closely at the picture in the Buzz post, it looks like the promised popup window, "Share on Google+", is a feature that's built into The New GUI. Since I remain underwhelmed by the New GUI, this Blogger account remains under the Classic GUI. And, having hit "Publish Post", I saw no new "Share on Google+" popup window.

To use the Blogger to Google+ Automatic Sharing, you must do three things.

1. From your Classic GUI Dashboard, or Settings wizard, select "Try the updated Blogger interface".
2. From the gear icon, select "Connect to Google+".
3. In Settings - Posts and comments, set "Share to Google+" to "Yes".

Fortunately, it's possible to use the Share option in the Posts list, for the post in question, and share this post from another Blogger account that is in my main Google+ account's circles. Using the "Extended Circles" target, from my test Blogger account, got the job done. Looking in my Stream, I see the new post snippet, shared as promised.

You'll note that "Share to Google+" will, by default, share to the main Google+ profile name. If you have created Google+ Pages (alternate identities) attached to your Google+ Profile, you can share to a Google+ Page.

This process is not truly automatic. If completely automatic, there should be some mapping of a Label in the post, to select one or more pre chosen Circles. When this post was published, FeedBurner redirected this post, from the posts feed, to my Twitter account. Surely, Google+ could provide the same possibility.

But, what we have today is an excellent start.

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The New GUI (2011) Is Now The Current GUI

When the New Blogger GUI (2011) was first introduced, it was optional. New Blogger blog owners, and other Blogger account holders, would get the (currently available) Classic GUI by default, with the offer

Try the updated Blogger interface

at the top of the dashboard. When in the "updated Blogger interface", we would see the reassuring link to

Switch back

at the top of the blog list or dashboard.

Blogger has now taken the next step, to making the New GUI (2011) simply The GUI. The "Switch back" link, at the top, is now gone. If you want to go back to the (former) Classic GUI, you find the gear icon at the top right of the blog list or dashboard display. Clicking on the gear, you'll see a more robust pulldown menu, with the selection "Old Blogger interface".

An alternate way to move forward would be to use the New GUI Use URL

www.blogger.com/opt-in-new-ui.g?useNewUi=true

If you are trying the "updated Blogger interface" from an out of date browser, you may not be able to access the gear icon. In this case, you may find the Classic GUI Recovery URL useful.

www.blogger.com/opt-in-new-ui.g?useNewUi=false

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External Links On Pages Gadget Point To Blog Home Page

Today, we're getting a few reports in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, from blog owners who setup blog clusters, with the cluster members linked using tabs in the Pages gadget - who suddenly found their clusters unlinked.

The different page tabs on my blog redirect to my same blog!

You can see the problem, in my demonstration blog. The tab marked "Indra" should redirect to "officialcommunities.blogspot.com" - instead, it redirects to the home page of that same blog "nitecruzrtestnew.blogspot.com".

When I look at the Pages editor, I see New Page › Web Address.

• Indra.
• http://officialcommunities.blogspot.com/

When you look at my blog, you see

• Indra
• Linking to nitecruzrtestnew.blogspot.com

We have almost a dozen forum discussions, all reporting this same problem. We now have a rollup discussion, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, where details are requested.

• What is the URL of the blog?
• Taking any non working link in your Pages gadget as an example, what is the label, and the correct link target?
• Using Pages editor, what target do you see, for that link?
• Are you using Classic GUI Pages editor, or New GUI Pages editor?
• When did you first observe this problem?
• When did you, previously, not notice this problem?
• What did you change, between #4 and #5?
• What browser do you use, when using Pages editor?

I was able to contact Blogger Support, so they are aware of the problem, and are working on it.

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(Update 2011/12/04): We are receiving reports that the problem has been resolved. Thanks to the Blogger Engineers who worked long hours to fix this one.

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Blog Owners With Old Browsers May Want To Avoid Trying The New GUI

In general, it's good to be adventurous - but not always. Sometimes, listening to our friends, to be adventurous, gets us into trouble. We're being urged to "Try the updated Blogger interface", by our "friends" - aka Blogger - in our Classic GUI dashboard. Blog owners who are still using an older browser, that's admittedly unsupported by Blogger, may find themselves with a problem, when they "Try the updated Blogger interface".

Clicking on the link, to "Try the updated Blogger interface", you'll find yourself viewing a rather monolithic and ominous warning.

Your browser is no longer supported by Blogger. Some parts of Blogger will not work and you may experience problems.
If you are having problems, try Google Chrome. | Dismiss

Now, you're at a point of no return. If your browser is current, you can always take a look at the New GUI, then click "Old Blogger interface", behind the gear icon - and you'll be none the worse. If your browser is out of date, when you get to The New GUI, you may not see the gear icon (or anything else).

If you cannot use the "Old Blogger interface" menu item, you can use the Blogger Classic GUI Recovery URL.

www.blogger.com/opt-in-new-ui.g?useNewUi=false

One day, though, you will need to move forward.

• Install Chrome, or a different browser at current version, then switch back.
• Upgrade the current browser.

You have to move forward, eventually. Don't wait, forever.

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Comments Settings In The New Blogger GUI

Ever since the New Blogger GUI (2011) was offered to us several months ago, we've been seeing odd questions about options for Comments in our blogs, in the New GUI.

How do I select the "Full page" or "Pop-up window" comment form, for my blog?

and

How do I select CAPTCHA verification?

and occasionally

Can I still have notification of comments, as published?

The latter question is easy enough to answer - it's just not as obvious as the other settings, in the New GUI. The first two questions represent genuine concerns, for some blog owners.

The first question - comment form placement - was recently made available, under Settings - "Posts and comments" - Comment Location.

The choice of whether to use CAPTCHA ("word verification") screening is a uniquely personal choice. Some blog owners are certain that CAPTCHA screening is necessary, while others are equally as certain that it's absolutely unnecessary. The absence of the choice causes some questions.

Finally, the comment notification option, while not actually omitted, is not obvious to everybody. Tucked away in the "Mobile and email" page, it's easy to miss, without a careful search.

Just as the several other known deficiencies, some Commenting options remain to be resolved, before every blog owner will willingly use the New GUI.

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One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Earlier today, I observed one new feature in New Blogger GUI (2011) - the Post Editor "Add or remove link" wizard now offers the option to

Open this link in a new window.

This, in my opinion, is a major improvement in the New GUI (in general), and in Post Editor (in particular). A few minutes later, to my disappointment, I discovered a major design deficiency, in Post Editor.

Having acknowledged the new option, in the update of another post, I hit "Update" - and found myself back in the Posts list, positioned at the top of the list (with the recently added post The First Compelling Reason To Use The New Blogger GUI (2011)) at the top of the display. My recently updated post Make Links Open In A New Window, written long ago, was nowhere to be found.

The ability to return directly to Post Editor mode, for a given post just updated, was an option given to us, some time ago, after much pleading. It appears that option is now gone - and once again, we have to start from "Posts" and re locate any given post, just updated. Any old post, just updated, is somewhat unlikely to be found on the home page of "Posts", in any blog of any significant size.

My personal publishing strategy (shared with a few people) is to publish a post, then re publish it, repeatedly, with one simple goal.

Make each post as well written as possible.

Some time ago, I observed that I generally re publish any given post an average of maybe 6 times the number of paragraphs in the post. That means that I will, possibly, re publish this post 42 times, in an effort to make this post as clearly written, and as complete, as absolutely possible.

Having hit Publish above, I will now be returning to the Classic GUI. My morning of experimenting with the New GUI (2011) Post Editor, and the option to "Open this link in a new window.", is now ended. Having to re locate any given re updated post, in "Posts", is distracting - and interferes with my re publishing efforts.

One step forward, followed by two steps back. This is an experience not unknown, in the world of Blogger blogging.

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The First Compelling Reason To Use The New Blogger GUI (2011)

For many years, I have consistently used "Edit HTML" mode when creating and editing my posts, because I need to make some links, embedded in the post content, open in a new tab / window (subject to choice of the reader). Up to this month, this could only be done by manually editing the links, and inserting the link modifier

target="_blank"

. Today, in creating this post, in "Compose" mode, and adding the above link, I see the option

Open this link in a new window.

in the "Add link " wizard.

If Blogger is able to resolve the many design issues with the New Blogger GUI (2011) in general, this change in the New GUI (2011) Post Editor will go a long way towards removing our need to use "Edit HTML" Mode. This will remove a significant amount of problems of using Post Editor in dual modes, and will allow them to stabilise Post Editor in general.

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The New Blogger GUI Is Not Quite Ready For Prime Time

This week, we're seeing signs that Blogger is about to push the New Blogger GUI (2011) a step closer to reality.

In about two weeks from today, all Blogger accounts that haven’t yet made the switch will be upgraded to the new user interface. You will be able to opt-out at any time by clicking the “Switch back” link; however, all accounts will eventually be permanently upgraded.

For all the optimism, the New Blogger GUI (2011) just is not ready.


Collapsed BlogList
There does not seem to be any way to selectively designate blogs to be displayed, nor is the Classic GUI link to "Show all" or "View all blogs" visible - though there is now a link to show "Deleted blogs". The latter is an essential function, for people trying to un delete a previously deleted blog, or to locate a blog locked (righteously, or spuriously) as a suspected spam host.

Comment Settings
People who need to enable / disable the CAPTCHA, for commenting on their blogs, have to switch back to the Classic GUI, as there is no setting for commenting "word verification" in the New GUI.

Older Browsers
Recently, we see reports that older browsers will have a major problem, leaving some blog owners unable to use Blogger, at all.

Removal Of Blog Posts Gadget From Template Code
Occasionally, we may have a valid reason for removing the Blog Posts gadget from the template. In some cases, we need to reset the post template, and in other cases, we may have a duplicate Blog Posts gadget. Both cases have been reported as a problem, by people trying to use the Template editor, in the New Blogger GUI.

Fortunately, Switching Back Is Not Difficult
Right now, the process of switching back is (somewhat) painless. At the top right of the BlogList, and of each Dashboard page, you'll see the familiar gear icon. Selecting that, you get a dropdown menu, with "Old Blogger interface". Selecting that, you'll land directly on the Dashboard home display (losing your position in the settings for one selected blog), which is a bit annoying.

If you do not see a menu selection for "Old Blogger interface", you are probably using Draft Blogger. Click on the pulldown menu at the very top of the screen, next to your name, and select "Blogger profile". From the Profile Editor, un check "Make Draft Blogger my default".

Alternately, you may be able to use the Blogger Classic GUI Recovery URL.

www.blogger.com/opt-in-new-ui.g?useNewUi=false

We'll hope that Blogger at least resolves these setting deficiencies, before pushing this to everybody, by default.

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