I don’t know if you’ve heard, or seen in my sidebar, but Google Friend Connect will be going away for all non-Blogger blogs in March. I was pretty upset when I first heard about it. I’ve spent a lot of unnecessary time worrying about those numbers. I guess in a way I should be relieved that I won’t have to worry about them anymore.
After calming down, thinking about it, and talking about it with some other bloggers I’ve come to realize that the real problem is that we don’t really know what this means. Will we lose the followers that we have now? What about the blogs that we are following? Will we no longer be able to access that data? The fact is that no one really knows.
In an effort to ensure that we don’t lose any of our “followers” a group of us decided to dedicate a day to “Save Our Subscribers.”
I decided for my post I would give you some different ways to subscribe to my blog so that you don’t lose me come March 1. I hope you will take the few minutes to update your subscription, and if my directions seem complicated please, please, please ask me anything you want in the comments.
The first thing you need to know is that there is more than one way to “follow” a blog. Google Friend Connect is probably one of the easiest because it adds the blog not only to your Blogger dashboard, but also to your Google reader. The next easiest way is to “like” the page on Facebook. That doesn’t work as well for me because I lose the posts in my timeline. If that works for you then by all means, click that little ole “like” button up there and be done with it.
The next way is to add my blog to your Google Reader. To do that find the “RSS Feed” icon above and click on it.
It will take you to a new page where you can select where you want the feed to appear. The best one, in my opinion, is Google.
Select that and then the next page will ask if you want the post to be added to your Google homepage or your Google Reader. Select the reader.
Another option is to add my blog directly in your reader. Select the “Subscribe” button, type in my blog URL (or paste it), and select add. That’s it. You’re done.
If you don’t like Google Reader or just don’t use it you can also add my blog manually to your Blogger Dashboard. Just go to your Dashboard and scroll down until you see the “Add” button. Click on that.
A new box will open where you can type or paste my URL. Then select “Next.”
Then decide if you want to follow publicly or privately and select “Follow.” That’s it. I’m now added to your dashboard.
For other bloggers participating you can search Twitter for the hashtag #SOSubcribers. They are also posting tips that may be more helpful.
Any questions? Were you aware that Google Friend Connect was going away?
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
You had mentioned it a few weeks ago, and I was panicking a little in the back of my mind, because I didn’t know the solution.
Now, I do.
Given time later, I will search out more posts on this.
March 1 is pretty close.
(Comment Luv is givvin me none…it is showing an error message. I am not having trouble at other sites.)
Yeah, it is giving me an error message too. I’m not sure how to fix it. I guess I’ll have to disable it.
I just read that it was going away on DumbMom’s blog. I don’t “think” it will affect my blog reading since I don’t use Google Reader, I use my dashboard and “add” everything I want to read. As for followers- I don’t know. I have never understood how to access, read and analyze “numbers” so I have no idea who connects to me through Google Friend Connect. In all reality, I don’t have that many followers anyway, so I am hoping the ones that really follow me either have me in their dashboard or see me on Facebook.
If you add everything manually then it should still work. Hopefully.
Good job with the post. I like that you went into detail on how to add to a reader. I didn’t go that far.
I think we all did something a little different. I forgot to put Twitter and email subscriptions in mine.
Hell, I did away with mine about 2 weeks ago but only because I was cleaning up my sidebar. I never really knew what it was for, so figured what the heck.
Nothing quite like doing something right when you don’t even realize it.
I LIVE by my Google Reader. Every morning, all day, every evening. LIVE BY IT.
It’s the ONLY way I know how to keep up with blogs…I would seriously have big time issues if they EVER did away with my Reader.
I live by my Google reader too. I hope they are never stupid enough to do away with it.
Your post is so informative and stuff. I think I will link to yours in mine now. Because I didn’t even know how to do this until you showed me!
Yep. Added your link to my post. Thanks for this info. I think I will Stumble It!
Thanks. You’re awesome! But you knew that already.
All of these wonderful tutorials..by the time I get to writing one, everybody will know what to do. Great job.
I’m just hoping that those that I follow (and follow me) continue to stay in my reader and I stay subscribed.
Now you can just do a post that says “go here” and then link to everyone else! Waiting seems pretty smart when you think about it like that.
You’re on my sidebar, so it’s all good. You can’t get rid of me that easy…
Good tips though. This is gonna be interesting, for all of us!!
Just as long as you know how to find me.
Great information. I shared it with Twitter. I think there are a lot of people who have no idea how to handle this GFC situation. Thanks for shedding some light on it for those people.
Thanks for sharing.
All blogs that you ‘follow’ can be seen in a Google Reader and I think that is not going away… right?!
Well that’s what I was thinking, but some people seem to think that those will go away. Like if my GFC is gone, is it still possible to “follow” me. I honestly don’t know what is going to happen. I went and subscribed to your feed.
Well this makes me wonder if I have to go back and actually subscribe to all the blogs that I ‘follow’. I guess at the very least I should make a list of them so I can remember which is which. I just read everything through my reader.
This is so confusing.
I know. What I’m hoping is that since I still have my Blogger username, and technically it is all still there that it won’t be a problem. I’m thinking that as long as people are still on Blogger it won’t be an issue, but I’m not sure about the others. I tried just moving them in my reader, but that didn’t work.
There have been soooo many changes recently that I feel a bit lost and out-of-the-loop. And, of course, I had just changed over to my own domain (through Blogger) when I started noticing all these differences in formatting and designing and profiles and subscribing . . . I haven’t known exactly what’s been Google or what’s been Blogger or if they’re the same thing or if I’m just an idiot.
Google is the name, and Blogger is the platform. If that makes sense. Like I bought my domain name from Go Daddy while I was still on Blogger. Blogger is what your blog runs off of, and Google owns that by the way, but that is a whole ‘nother kettle of fish.
Thanks for the detailed information. I do not have a link between my blog page and my facebook page, for privacy reasons. I never started a facebook page for “Viridian61″ – would this be a good idea?
Also I still have my blog on blogger as http://viridian61.blogspot.com/: will my blog be affected by the change in GFC?
Confused, Viridian
You should be fine with all of your followers. The only thing that may happen (because no one really knows) is that if you are following someone that has a Wordpress blog (like me) and the widget goes away then I may go away from your Reader/Dashboard as well. That’s where the fear is coming from.
And yes. Get a Facebook page for your blog. Some people only like to follow through Facebook. You need a variety of ways for people to follow/like/subscribe.
Thank you Jennifer! I did add you to my google reader following your instructions. Off to facebook soon.
Oh heck. I knew this was coming but I didn’t know what we were supposed to do about it.
Great information! This whole GFC is so painful!