You may be aware that Google are shutting down their Google+ service for consumers. They rather poetically describe this as having decided 'to sunset the consumer version of Google+'. I've never heard this term before.
To be honest we only found out about this last week so either Google have been a bit quiet on the subject or we don't read the relevant techie publications.
I received an email from Google on Saturday telling me about the shutdown and stating that some services would shutdown on Monday - how's that for short notice? If you have a Google+ account then maybe you too will have had a letter. (If you haven't seen an email the contents are published here). I thought that I had better look into how this would affect our blogs and Google photos.
For those of you who are unaware Google photos is where the photos uploaded to a Blogger blog are stored.
For those of you who are unaware Google photos is where the photos uploaded to a Blogger blog are stored.
Fortunately the hundreds of photos that I have stored here will be unaffected - I hope. If that service was shutdown then all the photos on my blog would disappear.
Google have also published a list of FAQs here so if you use Google+ and haven't already visited this page, it may be worth a look.
As far as I can see the only ways Blogger blogs will be affected is if Google+ comments have been activated which fortunately I haven't done and Google+ followers will be disconnected.
The latter will affect my blog as 249 of my visitors use Google+ to follow my blog and I would hate to suddenly lose them all. I know that some of these followers may also follow me through other routes, but I thought that it may be a good idea to explain these other ways of following so that if anyone would like to use a different route they can.
On the sidebar to my blog there are various ways of following:
You can use the Blogger followers widget. Just click on the Follow button - it says unfollow on the photo which is how it will look if you become a follower. This way you will receive updates to a Blogger reading list.
You can use Bloglovin for which you would need to create an account. Posts will then appear in a Bloglovin reading list.
You can also follow by Email, Twitter or subscribing to the blog feed.
I post links to my posts on Twitter and also on my Facebook page - you should be able to access a follow option from the Friends button. I don't usually accept Friends requests from people that I don't actually know but if you have commented on my blog regularly for a while I sometimes make exceptions.
One way that I follow blogs that I am really interested in is to create a bloglist on the sidebar of my blog.
I have two lists, one for UK blogs, and the other for outside of the UK. As a blogger publishes a new post, that blog appears at the top of the list.
If you have any different favourite ways of following let me know in the comments. Whichever way you chose I hope that you stick with me. The trouble with the Internet is that we are at the mercy of developers pulling the plug. I've had to redo a website at least three times due to this happening. I do hope Google leave Blogger alone.
Update: At Jessica's suggestion I have added a follow using Feedly option
Posts
Hello, yes I saw this yesterday. I had been alerted to it by a Google+ follower last year. It's a shame as I enjoy the comments through Google+
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this, I think I should do something similar
I hadn’t realised until some time last week, Belinda. Still I don’’t think it will affect me too much - fingers crossed.
DeleteI remember Google+ being rolled out. Like most developments before and since (Facebook, Twitter) I opened up an account, decided it was all too complicated and threw up my hands in despair. I hope it will just be one less thing to worry about rather than the collapse of Blogger as we know it!
ReplyDeleteI only really used it to share blog posts, Mal as some of my visitors used it.
DeleteI received the letter from Google + too, Sue. I think it's not a problem to me. I've never loved Google +. I also think all your photos on blogger.com are save.
ReplyDeleteI think so too, Nadezda, for now at any rate. We seem to be at the mercy of developers.
DeleteHi Sue, I've been AWOL for nearly a year but that email on Saturday brought me barrelling back in to find out what is going on. I'm thinking about starting to blog again, but might just wait until the dust settles on this one before committing. I, too, am hoping my photos will remain in tact. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteHi Deborah - is it really a year, Wow. Good to see you back.
DeleteGoodness, I received that letter too, I have no idea how it will affect me. I subscribe to your blog so that is good.xxx
ReplyDeleteI don’t think it will affect blogs as such, Dina. It will just cut down a way visitors have of following you.
DeleteI'm a sidebar follower too - it's so convenient. Thankfully, I'm always behind when it comes to tech stuff so I didn't have any Google+ stuff on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI find that method of following convenient too, Margaret but not all followers have a blog which is why I offer alternatives. Some ways were specifically requested by visitors.
DeleteI have never really understood google plus either. Will it effect ease of commenting on fine blogs such as yours using my google identity?
ReplyDeleteIt shouldn’t affect commenting on blogs that don’t use Google+ comments, Roger. I’ve never used that method so the status quo will be maintained.
DeleteI never really got on with Google+ either, so now that’s one less thing to worry about. In terms of following options I’d just add the Feedly reader which operates in much the same way as Bloglovin’ I believe. That’s how I follow you.
ReplyDeleteI'll see what I can do about the Feedly reader, Jessica, thanks for that.
DeleteI am glad you addressed this issue. I don't know how it will effect my blog. I have never really done anything with Google+ that I am aware of. I am not very techy. I will just have to wait to see. I was happy to find the follow by email. I didn't ever see that before. I must not be as thorough reader as I thought.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing you will be the same as me Lisa - just the Google+ followers will be affected. I've already noticed the share to Google+ option has gone after publishing a new post.
DeleteI got the message too but I wasn't sure why since I didn't think I was using Google+. I do have a Blogger account though, so I guess that's why the sent me the notice.
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure, Dave but I think a Blogger account allows you to access a Google+ account, well at least I think you used to be able to.
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