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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Google removes follow button from navbar- The bloggers reactions!

If you have looked on my blog recently, you may have found that in the top left hand corner, there's no follow button! Google has recently removed it as part of an "update"
Here is what Brett from blogger said:
"We’re continually looking for ways to improve the Blogger experience for users, and eliminating a rarely-used feature like the navbar follow button is right in line with that philosophy. But make no mistake, we have and will continue to feature social options on Blogger so that users can connect with each other and share content with speed and ease.

-brett"
So, instead of going into an all-caps-rage, I am going to quote peoples comments on this subject:
"I would like a proper reason as to why the follow button has been removed, and not just a copy/paste of the above answers. If this is what you resorted to, then perhaps Wordpress is now calling."- ehalitehanv


"A 'a rarely-used feature'?? Where do you get that idea from Brett? 
The whole point of having a Blog is to follow and have followers! 
Apparently I now have to copy the URL and then paste it to something on the dashboard at www.blogger.com, or add it to something called an RSS Feed Reader (whatever the h*ll that is?!).  Please can you enlighten us - what are these things and where can we find and use them without having to have masters degrees in computer technology? 
Or maybe it will be easier for me to move to another blogging site?"- zimzamzim

" This seems like more of the garbage from google. Brett, you and the rest of the google techs seem to be the most clueless bunch of idiots ever to screw up a working system. I and everyone I know used the follow button. When you bunch of peter principled numbskulls do away with the old interface I wonder how many blogs are going to be left high and dry. "-HatetheInterface


"I really fail to see how removing the Follow button is even slightly an improvement. I personally used it all the time, and as a result of my forum search about this issue I can see that a lot of other people did too. You've just gone and made it much more fiddly and difficult to follow other people's blogs. Why??"-kateemoon

 "this was not a rarely used feature, apparently. i know it wasn't for me. everytime i found a blog i liked, i hit that convenient little button and boom - i was following. now i have to copy their address from address bar, go to my dashboard, down to where the blogs i follow are, and manually add each blog. it's not like it was in the way of anything. i really don't understand. it seems to me this is more about google trying to make everyone use the features they want them to use.:"-BohemianMamaw


As you can see, the overall reaction is negative, mainly because this update is negative.
Because of this update, its harder for me to follow other blogs, and harder for other blogs
to follow me!, that directly links back to my blog popularity and blog views.
I am now getting less followers, and "press" because of this new update.
 But after all this outcry why does google refuse to resolve this issue?

8 comments:

  1. I hate this button not being there. But you know you get to follow by pressing Google Friend Connect, Join this Site thing? It does the same thing as follow
    The only problem with that is a lot of blogs don't have that gadget. I really prefer the follow button

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IKR! (I know right!)"The join this site" button keeps logging me in on my gmail account instead of my blogger account.
      The follow button was so much simpler!

      Delete
  2. It is harder to follow people without GFC since that was the main way people would follow each other and lots of blogs lost many of their hard earned followers from that app.

    Love the post

    New Follower

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is it just removed from the top and not the sdie bar?

    ReplyDelete
  4. No, its only removed from the top. Not the sidebar.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey, Eddie. I'm the Jack that you responded to over on the Book Blog discussion that feeds into this. You know what my solution was, and I'm lovin' my Weebly site. I only wish that had popped up first 20 months ago when I set up my Blogger account in the first place. There are too many alternatives out here for those dill-holes to treat their customers like they do... Or maybe they're tired of supporting us altogether, and are trying to run us all off. Hey, worked for me...

    ReplyDelete