A Sense of Doubt blog post #1928 - new BLOGGER interface - I don't like it
Change is not always a good thing. Sometimes an "upgrade" is not better; it's just different. And sometimes it's more of a downgrade because the supposed improved version loses features that existed in the previous version and are useful.
It may be cliché, but if it "ain't broke, don't fix it."
Blogger announced a new interface last week (May 20th). By June, old schoolers like myself can continue to cling to the "legacy" interface, but by July, we will all be forced to switch. So, try it now, they say. Get ahead of the curve. I did try it. I don't like it. I switched back, hoping that "legacy" would be supported for more than a month. Thanks a lot, Google.
I could probably get behind most of the changes, except for two: the new graphic-based list for the all-posts dashboard. And yes, that is TWO things.
First, the graphics. I do not want to see graphics in my list. I do not want students to see those graphics when I share that page for instruction, but mainly, I don't need to look at them every day. I have some GIFs in those draft entries, and I don't want to see them GIFfing at me every day as I work on my list. Sure, I can move some of these entries to work around this new problem. After all, I cheat the system by switching dates for some entries three and four years in advance to keep them at the top of my list and at the fore front of my mind. I can work around that issue, but I shouldn't have to.
The second thing is related to the first thing. The graphical list takes up more space, and so I cannot see as many of the draft blog entries (or published blog entries) in my list as I could with the "legacy" system. That's not helpful.
It would be helpful to be able to turn off the graphics like with any viewer. But you can't. At least, not that I can find.
ALSO, I just discovered another problem, so there's a THIRD THING, you cannot easily jump around in time. In the legacy interface, I can only see 100 posts per page in the dashboard. But there's a tool to jump around to say page 10 of 25 as I currently have 25 pages of blog posts at 100 per page since I have published 1900+ some posts but have a total of almost 2500 posts with all draft posts counted. Yes, that many, really.
So, in the old system, if I want to jump to posts from 2016 or narrow in on posts from October 2016, I can find them pretty quickly by going page to page. This navigation is different than the filter by category to look at all my book reviews. I use the time-based navigation all the time to find old draft posts quickly an efficiently as well as to find a post from a particular date.
I am not resistant to change. I am not against the world moving onward. If I was then I would not have a 5G capable smart phone. However, I am strongly opposed to changes that affect the way I work for the negative with fewer (if any) compensatory benefits.
This was not going to be my blog post for today, but it is now because I am seriously annoyed.
I am sure the interface has many nicer features an upgrades for mobile users, but I am not a mobile composer. Who can be? I interact with the blog in mobile form, sometimes. I view blog entries via mobile. But I make the entries and do most of the management on the PC via CHROME.
I love Blogger. I am a big fan of Google. I have been a user of both for a very long time. I have been blogging for over ten years, and I have been steadily posting daily in this iteration for five years with another year prior to the start of this run for a total of six years of continuous daily blogging.
I am hopeful that Blogger will simply adjust the new interface with the option to turn off the graphics in the list and the return of some view function based on the timeline of post publication, especially the time-based view option for ease of navigation.
Here's the official word on the change from the Blogger blog:
https://blogger.googleblog.com/2020/05/a-better-blogger-experience-on-web.html
A better Blogger experience on the web
May 20, 2020
Since 1999, millions of people have expressed themselves on Blogger. From detailed posts
about almost every apple variety you could ever imagine to a blog dedicated to
the art of blogging itself, the ability to easily share, publish and express oneself on the web
is at the core of Blogger’s mission. As the web constantly evolves, we want to ensure anyone
using Blogger has an easy and intuitive experience publishing their content to the web.
about almost every apple variety you could ever imagine to a blog dedicated to
the art of blogging itself, the ability to easily share, publish and express oneself on the web
is at the core of Blogger’s mission. As the web constantly evolves, we want to ensure anyone
using Blogger has an easy and intuitive experience publishing their content to the web.
That’s why we’ve been slowly introducing an improved web experience for Blogger.
Give the fresh interface a spin by clicking “Try the New Blogger” in the left-hand
navigation pane.
Give the fresh interface a spin by clicking “Try the New Blogger” in the left-hand
navigation pane.
Click the “Try the New Blogger” button to see Blogger’s refreshed look and feel.
In addition to a fresh feel, Blogger is now responsive on the web, making it easier to
use on mobile devices. By investing in an improved web platform, it allows the
potential for new features in the future.
use on mobile devices. By investing in an improved web platform, it allows the
potential for new features in the future.
Blogger’s new responsive design makes it easy to manage your blog on-the-go.
Learn more about the page-specific updates we’ve released to make your Blogger
experience even better:
experience even better:
Stats
The redesigned Stats page helps you focus on the most important data from your blog
by highlighting your most recent post.
by highlighting your most recent post.
Comments
A fresh Comments page helps you connect with readers more easily by surfacing areas
that need your attention, like comment moderation.
that need your attention, like comment moderation.
Posts
We’ve improved support for Search Operators on the Posts page to help you filter your
Blogger posts and page search results more easily.
Blogger posts and page search results more easily.
Editor
The newly enhanced Editor page introduces table support, enables better transliteration,
and includes an improved image/video upload experience.
and includes an improved image/video upload experience.
Reading List
Even if you don’t create from your phone, it’s now easier than ever to read blogs from
other creators while you’re on the go.
other creators while you’re on the go.
Settings
We’ve streamlined the Settings page to help you manage all your controls from one place.
We’ll be moving everyone to the new interface over the coming months. Starting in late
June, many Blogger creators will see the new interface become their default, though they
can revert to the old interface by clicking “Revert to legacy Blogger” in the left-hand
navigation. By late July, creators will no longer be able to revert to the legacy Blogger
interface.
June, many Blogger creators will see the new interface become their default, though they
can revert to the old interface by clicking “Revert to legacy Blogger” in the left-hand
navigation. By late July, creators will no longer be able to revert to the legacy Blogger
interface.
We recommend getting ahead of the transition by opting into the experience today. Be sure
to let us know what you think about the new design by tapping the Help icon in the top
navigation bar. We can’t wait to see how Blogger creators use the latest updates to share
their voice with the world.
to let us know what you think about the new design by tapping the Help icon in the top
navigation bar. We can’t wait to see how Blogger creators use the latest updates to share
their voice with the world.
Posted by Fontaine on behalf of the Blogger team
And so...
While Minneapolis burns and justifiably angry people cry out for justice for the lives
of innocent black men, I have to write and post about this Blogger nonsense.
Please give back to us Bloggers the control of our interface and the features we have
relied on for years.
When you change an interface, it MUST retain all the features of the previous interface
while including new features in a new design.
It's not evidence of "intelligent design" to do away with useful features in a
supposedly "improved" new interface. That's not improvement.
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2005.29 - 10:10
- Days ago = 1792 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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