Thursday, July 18, 2013

Blog comment.. template... crazyness!




It's 2 in the morning as I write this. Blog template DRAMA. 


So lately my comments haven't really been working. I would hit reply to the comments you all leave and nothing happens. It's been happening for about a week now. So tonight I decided to do something about it. See... I had already been thinking about comments lately anyways. Who really comes back and reads what I say to them? I comment back on every comment people leave here. I have been thinking about Disqus lately because I know that when I comment on a blog and I see that little icon that says I have 8 Disqus comments back I actually click on it and go and look at them.  See in the photo below I have 6 comments to look at.


I just couldn't decide.  I have heard of some people not really liking it because everyone has to set up some sort of account to use it.  You can't just by anonymous.  Anyways... so I just stuck with Blogger's comment system.  Tonight I decided to take care of this little issue.  I did all kinds of research on the internet for this odd thing with the reply business.  I found several things to do.. I cleared my cookies, my cache, my history, logged in and out of Blogger, posted on their message board.  Then I found some information about messing with my HTML.  Now my template is not done by me.  I am not someone who knows a lot of HTML.  But I have really learned a lot.. and I don't think I am an idiot.  So... I followed what this says:  I went into the widget templates.. I reset the post templates.  And then my template was like.. oh no you didn't! The right side bar on my blog was so odd... it had a huge space and made the widgets on that side go far far far down the page.  I went over and over the HTML and couldn't see any thing that would cause a space.

I kept trying to put back the template I had saved just prior to switching everything.  Didn't change.  I simply went back in and changed the words in the HTML back to what they were.  Didn't change.  I also have been very careful to back up my blog once a week because we all know everyone has been talking about how the Google Gods will delete your blog for no reason! (Well on Blogger at least).  I then go to look at this file I have been so careful to take care to save every week.  It looks legit to me... like an HTML file.  Mind you there are no spaces like the other ones I was working with... but I think, of course it's going to work.  This is what everyone says will save your blog if you are hacked or God forbid the Google gods delete me. So I copy and paste what I see... No says Blogger. NO.. this is not HTML or some such thing.  I am like WHA??   I look at what I have saved all these weeks and think about it... do I really want to sit there and try to figure out where the spaces should be in the super huge paragraph?  No way.



Now I really start thinking... is this the time to finally switch out of Blogger.  I had been thinking about that too since everyone is talking about it all over the blogospere. So then I turn to my husband.  Now he has a "blog" that he has had for many years.  I don't think he's used it in two years but yet we pay $10 a month for it.  I say to him... can't that webpage host several webpages (I have no idea if I worded that right?).  He says yes.. but it would have to have the name of that blog at the end.  So it would be Angelasanxiouslife.blah blah blah.com  Whatever I don't even care anymore.  I say.. is it wordpress.  He says no.. I'm like well what is it.  He tells me it's Joomla.  OK I'm like whatever that is.  So I say can I just switch my blog over?  He's tells me no and so I say why and he tells me this about CMS and that about such and such.  Something about an RSS feed. Then I do Google it... well apparently I can't move it without writing script.  So I am back to square one. Joomla = waste of money. Edit:  He told me that he actually has a site he uses Joomla on not the other way around.  Oops!

I then go on the hunt for the original template for this blog.  Mind you the company that provides it no longer offers free templates.  So it's no where to be found.  I tweet them and email them.  Of course it's late so I really didn't expect them to answer.  And who knows if they will... this is a free template and so they may not even want to provide service for it.  I am just lucky they still host it.  Then I Google and and finally WALLA I find the HTML.  I upload it and the sidebar corrects itself even though all my widgets are gone.  POOF. 


I sat down and thought about it.  It was late (just like it is now) and I thought.. whatever.  At least this will make me clean up my sidebars.  I went in.. put the bad template in so I could at least copy my widget codes into word.  Went back to the original template that erased everything and now will slowly add the widgets back in.  Don't let anyone tell you that you don't work hard on your blog!  I mean ... WOWSERS.  I don't know what the moral of this story is.. but now I'll go to bed!



OH PS.. After all this drama... this did cause the comments to CORRECT themselves.  I can reply now!!!

PSS:  Update:  What happens after all this?  Malicious Site!

32 comments:

  1. *Offers a big big hug*

    I'm too scared to touch anything with the CSS of my blog cause I'm afraid that I'd end up with a fiasco like that. Kudos on you figuring out what's wrong (sorta). I probably would of freaked out and spam emailed my CSS savvy buddies.

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  2. Err....I know HTML, but the CSS scares me. That's what I was trying to say...I think.

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    1. LOL! This stuff is so confusing!! It's crazy. I am still thinking about that crazy space that ended up on my side bar!! WHAT!

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  3. If you're still thinking about moving to another format, Shannon @ Twilight Sleep is doing blog hosting! She can move your blog over from Blogger and save all your posts and everything - and she will do all the work for you. Her prices are also the best I've run across and I would be hosting with her myself if I didn't already have a plan before she went live with hers.

    Give it a look around: http://twilightsleep.net/2013/07/introducing-hosting/

    I would still be scared of Google deleting my account if I were on Blogger, even if I was backing it up. -_- You wouldn't have to worry about that (or commenting problems) on WordPress.org.

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    1. Thank you for all this information I appreciate it! Looking into it now!

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  4. Yikes! I'm having the same problem with the comments, but I don't know if I have the patience to go through all this.

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    1. Good to know someone else is having problems (though not good for you). I think the easiest way to fix this, which I didn't know, is to just reload your template back to the original. Who knew?

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  5. Good for you, I think I would have given up by then. I tried disquss and didn't care for it very much.

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    1. I remember you saying that. You are actually one of the reasons I haven't switched to Disqus yet!

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  6. Scary!!! I just saw a great post on Parajunkee's blog about moving to WordPress. It was so easy! Like you, I didn't do my design though, so not sure how to do it, or when/if I will. So glad you got it fixed, but still, whoa!

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    1. It was total whoa! I don't like having two sidebars so I kinda wish I could've made one disappear by accident.

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  7. Wow, you went through quite an ordeal! Glad that things worked out in the end! :) I'm not excatly an HTML/CSS wizard (made my template with Artisteer) and for now I'm fine with staying on Blogger but you should definitely move to Wordpress if think you'd feel more "safe" there.

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    1. re: Disqus - it's not the best commenting system out there, but it's much better than blogger's, imo. And you don't have to have an account to comment.

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    2. Oh wow! That is good to know. I thought you couldn't comment if you don't have an account. That changes my opinion big time!

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    3. Yes, you can comment with your Twitter, Facebook, Google+ account as well, or if someone wants to stay anonymous they could leave just a nick name.

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  8. If you are on blogger, discus offers the best option. I am moving to self-host next week and am both nervous and excited. Not to freak you out, but when I came to your site McAfee says its dangerous, so somewhere on your blog you have some bad code, or link to someone with malicious content. You can self-host for around 35.00 a year on WP.

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    1. OH NO! sigh... Thank you for telling me. I'll check back with you and see if it goes away after I try to fix it.

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    2. Now this is going to be a nightmare to fix!

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  9. I'm pretty satisfied with Blogger. I never heard of blogs being removed, though. I know Wordpress i better but I don't have the time to learn a new platform.
    Was it you who I recommended Nancy for your blog design before? I can't remember, but here is the link again just in case http://www.nancysblogdesigns.com/

    Comment Luv is pretty good with blogger. People can subscribe to the replies too.

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    1. Yes.. you did just tell me about this yesterday right before I had all the drama!! Thank you!!!

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  10. I often think about switching to Wordpress - but I'm used to Blogger, and it has worked out fine for me so far. The thought of the process of transferring readers to a new URL is probably what keeps me with Blogger, but if it starts getting all buggy and weird, I'd want to make the change. I'm glad you worked out some of the issues! Maybe a new template with updated CSS codes or something will keep the blog from getting buggy?

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    1. That is a good idea. I have had this same template for a long time. A few years actually and the codes are probably out of date.

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  11. I moved to self host WP and paid 2.99 a month, 32$ a year. I am so happy with it. I feel comfortable with hosted and don't regret it a moment.
    The SAME thing happened to me on blogger awhile ago and it was the night I was featured blog on Follow Friday! Thanksgiving too. Everyone saw my blog had a malicious something in it. I found the issue about 6 hours later. It was horrible !
    Glad ur ok 😄

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    1. OH MY GOD! Worst night for that to EVER happen. YEESH. What a nightmare. $32 a year is a deal! Going to check that out now.

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  12. Haha, and while you were doing all that in the WEEE hours of the morning, the rest of us were cozy in bed, dreaming sweet things!

    Good job, I'm not sure how I would have handled that! (:

    Lisa
    Become Blogger of the Week!
    http://turningpages94.blogspot.com/p/blogger-of-week.html

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    1. It was awful but I was determined to fix it THAT NIGHT. Luckily I could sleep in the next day.

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  13. I've just found this very interesting information. How would you know if your blog has malicious content or something?

    I am also facing the same dilemma that you have Angie. I'm still learning things about self hosted WP so the switch wouldn't alienate me that much.

    Thoughts and Pens

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    1. There is no way I would've known if my blog was malicious if a follower hadn't have told me. It's crazy and unfair. I think you should be notified.

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  14. Hmm. I was very great on Blogger before I moved to Wordpress via cheap hosting and migration from Shannon (http://twilightsleep.net/2013/07/introducing-hosting/). It has definitely been the best decision I have made in my blogging life. I know Blogger is so comfortable, but I could never be at ease knowing my blog could be deleted by Blogger. I backed up my template and content too often. Lol.

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    1. I am always backing up... it's sad how paranoid you get when you are on blogger. Like .. HURRY BACK UP!!!! Anytime you write a really good review/post you panic and back it up. I am going to work on moving to wordpress soon. Do you know I haven't been following you for two months? I just realized it the other day. My blogger feed kept your domain name at .blogspot.com and never moved over to your new feed!!! So now I am following you again.

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  15. oh, it right.. i agree for it af comment to my blog

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  16. Yea i think this info is important info, CPNS

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