Google has done some changing. Earlier this week I noticed that I'd lost around 50 followers of my blog. It made me wonder if people were just cleaning up their list of blogs they follow or if followers were no longer interested in my posts.
I asked a question in a Facebook group to other bloggers to see if they'd noticed a change in followers and this was posted:
An update on Google Friend Connect
December 21, 2015
In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.
As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.
We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.
We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.
Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer
Reading this did make me feel a little better. I was concerned that my not posting every day had caused followers to lose interest.
This time of the year I'm working as an income tax preparer for a tax franchise office. We work long hours and sometimes seven days a week. By the time I make it home, I pretty much just have dinner and call it a night. Once tax season is over I'll get back into the swing of things and start making more cards to post.
I certainly hope the decrease in the number of followers of this blog is just the result of Google's changes!
I asked a question in a Facebook group to other bloggers to see if they'd noticed a change in followers and this was posted:
An update on Google Friend Connect
December 21, 2015
In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.
As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.
We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.
We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.
Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer
Reading this did make me feel a little better. I was concerned that my not posting every day had caused followers to lose interest.
This time of the year I'm working as an income tax preparer for a tax franchise office. We work long hours and sometimes seven days a week. By the time I make it home, I pretty much just have dinner and call it a night. Once tax season is over I'll get back into the swing of things and start making more cards to post.
I certainly hope the decrease in the number of followers of this blog is just the result of Google's changes!
4 comments:
I am not an official follower but do check your blog every day. I love your posts and look forward to seeing all the cards you make. Please continue blogging whenever you can.
Thanks for all your hard work.
Thanks! I plan to get back to card making as soon as I can!
I'm still on your following list Linda because I do have an Google account. Thank goodness! I don't comment very much though, but I always look! Hugs, Brenda
I'm always a little sad when there's no new post and will be happy when tax season is over (for more than one reason). Thanks for sharing your ideas.
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