Bloggy Help:

 photo socialmedia_zps413c1040.png  photo helpdeskbutton_zpsb16b6c42.png  photo instagram_zps73b3c07a.png  photo header_zps97df3d3e.png  photo needamakeover_zps6d19d8a9.png

Blogger Outages and Staying Calm

Last week some of us faced unfamiliar territory...Blogger was not functioning. Our readers wouldn't know it because they could still see our blog and interact. But we knew it, didn't we? It is so frustrating trying to work behind the scenes on your blog and not being able to. Apparently it was only a small percentage of users affected, but I happened to be one of them. And I have been known to boast about Blogger's exceptional track record when it comes to down time. Blogger was number one when it came to zero down time people! Now, not so much. This "down time" gave me time to go look at Wordpress blogs....(traitor!).  But still, jumping ship right before Blogger makes its big reveal seems like a silly thing to do...I want to see what the new Blogger has to offer me. Will there be more features that are amazing? There better be! You can stay on top of known issues for Blogger by going here. Blogger also posts when problems have been fixed. It might be a good idea to bookmark Known Issues.

Were you affected by Blogger's down time? Did you even notice it wasn't working? If you didn't, then I'm happy for you!

Photobucket has had a few hiccups lately too...Photobucket hosts images, and when they are down, the images are down too...you can literally have a blank slate to look at for as long as 3 days (and longer). Read an article from a fellow blogger here.
Now, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. These are guidelines you might want to follow simply as preventative measures...back it up! Even if you're not on Blogger, these tips will be good for you.

Prior to an outage - we might get a warning or notice of "updates" to be performed

  • Back Up Your Blog:
     Yes, you should back it up on a regular basis. Especially if you’re thinking of starting a  site redesign or moving to a different blogging platform.
  • Keep A Copy Of Your Posts - OFFLINE:
    Think about keeping an offline copy of your posts, in case something happens to your host (ie. Blogger) and they revert to an earlier version of your blog.This may take some time, you'll have to copy and paste all your posts into a text file, but it will be well worth it!

During an Outage - stay calm and carry on

  • Keep Your Readers in the know:
    Let your readers know via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc that your site is down and you are unable to make changes, write posts etc. Ask them to check back soon, be patient, and send you feedback about their experiences with possible outages.
  • Use Social Media to Run Anything on Deadline:
    If you have a sponsorship deadline, a contest to run, or just about anything else that needs to happen while your site is down, try taking it to social media. Get your followers active and still participating with your site, even if it’s down.

After an Outage - jump up and down in delight

  • Read Your Blog:
    If anything looks different, or the layout has changed, go in and repair the damages.
  • Inform Your Readership:
    Tell your readers you're back up and running. You are back in the captain's seat!
  • Get back to blogging:
    Start back to your regularly scheduled programming, I mean posting. This way your readers will know you are cool and calm in the face of blogging dangers. Then back up your blog - again!
Some blogs have been known to disappear into the Bermuda Triangle too. Read this Google page to find out what you can do if you're one of the Lost. And, did you know that Blogger can delete your blog without informing you? Google hates spam, so don't have a blog about spam (canned ham?). Another good reason to back up your blog, right?

Termination; Suspension. Google may, in its sole discretion, at any time and for any reason, terminate the Service, terminate this Agreement, or suspend or terminate your account. In the event of termination, your account will be disabled and you may not be granted access to your account or any files or other content contained in your account although residual copies of information may remain in our system for some time for back-up purposes. Sections 2, 3, 5 - 8, and 10 - 15 of the Agreement, along with applicable provisions of the general Terms of Service (including the section regarding limitation of liability), shall survive expiration or termination.

Remember to Keep Blogging and Backing Up!



15 comments:

  1. I can post, but I can't stay signed in. Any ideas?
    -- michele
    calicodaisy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Michele,
    Oh dear, that is a biggie. I personally, couldn't log OUT for several days, so couldn't work on any one else's blog.
    I will try to find an answer for you.
    Keep your chin up!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I found this answer in a Blogger forum:
    Blogger Addict
    5/12/11
    The most common cause of this is your browser's cookie settings. Make sure you have first and third party cookies enabled for both your blog's URL and blogger.com, clear your browser's cache, and try again.

    Let me know if this helps.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A few more possibilities:

    I solved this by clearing absolutely ALL cookies (including Favourites) and my browsing history. Since then it's been fine and I only have IE8.

    Official Blog*Star
    5/16/11
    The problem has been reported and will be investigated. Another blogger said he resolved the problem by reinstalling his browser.

    I would not reinstall your browser unless it's a last resort.

    ReplyDelete
  5. An easier option might be to install a different browser, such as Chrome or Firefox and see if that works for you. It is a good idea to have a second or third browser to try.

    This will not affect your computer usage.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I had issues, too...missing posts...delayed stuff...not being able to login...Oi.

    Everything seems to be working ok now, though!

    One question: What do you recommend using to back-up your blog? I'm fairly new...so any suggestions would be helpful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Here's a great post about how to back up:
    http://www.thriftcore.com/2011/05/how-to-back-up-your-blogger-blog-dont.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. Still having issues with my little picture posting comments on blogger.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good reminders!!!....Even if somewhat scary to think about!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Desert Rocks, what are your problems with the picture? Do you want to change it? To do that you have to go into your blogger profile and change the photo there. This will affect all blogs that show your profile. Hope this helps.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I switched to wordpress a while ago. I didn't really want to, but I wanted the freedom it would offer me.
    Traffic has improved greatly and there are alot more tools and layout functions!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ok, this may be a dumb ? but what are my cookies & how do I get to them to clear them off. {I need a step by step instructions, thanks!} I am having trouble logging out of my acct. it keeps me signed in so I can't access my other blog. HELP!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Well, since the 24th many of us can log in and post on our oewn blogs,but cannot comment. Blogger Ststus says they are working on a fix. I just checked, and no new news yet :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow! It let me comment. Maybe all is fixed :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have noticed that there are some blogs that I can comment on without any problem, but others keep refusing to let me. I have avoided that by using name/url option to comment after the first denial and it has been fine...

    Back up... gonna have to figure out that one!

    ReplyDelete

Comments are how we stay connected as bloggers. Let us know how you feel and we'll return the favor...stay calm and blog on!!! And guess what? You'll never find Word Verification on our blog...it gets kind of annoying when you can't read what WV wants you to verify right?

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Outbrain