Thursday, April 25, 2013

Google+ Comments on Blogger




It's time for another snippet of technical information for those of you who use Blogger, but this will also be of interest to users of WordPress as well as those of you who don't have a blog.

Google+ has been around for a while now. It's a way to keep your friends and relatives up to date on your activitites, and to share specific information, like photos, blog posts and messages, with specific groups of people who are in your "circles". You can share some things with the people in your work circle, for example, and other things with people in your spanko circle, and the two groups never need know about each other.

Last week Blogger implemented a new system of commenting available to Google+ users. Instead of the usual Blogger comments, you can choose to activate Google+ comments. Perhaps some of you have already done so. While the new comment system has some advantages, there are significant disadvantages as well.

  • People without Google+ accounts won't be able to leave comments, or even read them, since comments are dependent on being in a circle. That will prevent a large number of readers from commenting on your blog.
  • Previously made comments won't be visible on the blog, although the comments still exist.
  • The comment count will show "0 comments" even with comments actually present, and after clicking on "0 comments".
  • If you are blocking third party cookies in your browser, you won't be able to see the comments, even if you do have Google+. 
  • You won't be notified of new comments by mail, only from inside Google+ if the comment is shared with you.
  • You cannot moderate comments from your dashboard. Moderation is done under each post, one post at a time.
  • There may be some comments that you may not be able to moderate - for example, if you have blocked a person - but will show up to others in the blocked person's circle.
  • The Comments section in your dashboard will disappear, because none of these settings are relevant to Google+ Comments. "Comment Location" will be defaulted to "Embedded".
  • If you change your blog address - either a blogspot address change or to a custom domain - existing Google+ comments may not remain visible.

Doesn't that sound like fun? Fortunately, there is a way to go back to the old style of comments. Just go to the dashboard Google+ menu selection, and uncheck the option "Use Google+ Comments on this blog".

And regular programming will resume.

From Hermione's Heart

18 comments:

Michael M said...

Thanks for this tip.
I really want to stay away from Google+ altogether as there is too much linkage going on.
Is it going to be possible to remain as a vanilla google blogger without engaging in Google+

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Thank you Hermione. I will avoid Google+ Comments.

Hug,
joey

SirQsmlb said...

Thanks. As usuall you are clear and concise and really helpful to us bloggers!!

Thank you,
fiona

Roz said...

Thank you Hermione,

I didn't know about this and personally find google+ confusing to navigate.

Hugs,
Roz

bob said...

thank you Hermione for keeping track of this stuff for us you're great.

Bob

Meg said...

I always enjoy your tech tips ... thank you so much for this info! I agree with Michael M about wanting to avoid the linkage. Having said that when I signed up for a Google account so that I could leave messages I ended up with Google+. I'm aloof and uncertain, so haven't participated much with that. An ad for my alma mater was displayed ... how did they know that connection?! I want to maintain my privacy so don't sign into gmail at work. Clearly, I need to read more about Google+ and Blogger.

abby said...

Thanks so much, as a totally non-techno person, you always help me understand!
hugs abby

Aimless Rambling said...

Thank you so much. Hermione

It's very confusing to us non-technical persons trying to figure out the new technology and the jargon that goes along with it.

I will avoid google+comments. I really have pretty much avoided Google+ period. My newphew keeps talking about putting things in the cloud and I have no idea what he is talking about.

ronnie said...

I was wondering the same as Michael, will it be possible to carry on as we are?

Really appreciate the tip Hermione. Thank you.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a royal pain and blogger is enough of that as is lol

Sarah said...

Thanks. You make so much more sense than Google!

Hermione said...

Michael - I stay away from it too. Sounds dangerous! Yes, it's possible to keep your Blogger profile for your blog, even if you choose to use Google+ for other reasons.

Joey - A wise decision.

SirQsmlb - How kind of you to say that.

Roz - So do I. It has some disadvantages.

Bob - It's my pleasure.

Meg - That;s scary, seeing your alma mater ad associated with your name.

Abby - I'm glad I can be some help to you.

Sunny - It certainly is. New buzzwords are invented every week or so.

Ronnie - Yes, we can certainly carry on as is. No one is forcing Google+ upon us.

Tiffany - Very true:)

Sarah - Well, That's a real compliment!

Hugs,
Hermione



Erica said...

I have avoided joining Google+, even though I've gotten a few invitations. Now I see I have a good reason not to! What a pain. Thanks, Hermione.

Anonymous said...

I am simply too uncertain that I will make a mistake, and one group would find out about the other. Also, a hacker might do something that links the groups before Google can stop it.I even take the precaution of logging out of yahoo and blogger, before ever using facebook. The twitter hacking by someone of Associated Press sending out a false tweet...
Be safe, keep things as separate as you can
bottoms up
Red

Our Bottoms Burn said...

Thanks for the explanation. I had already decided it was not for me, but only because it was so confusing. Now I have reasons to ignore it.

Bonnie said...

Thank you, Hermione! I thought it was just me who didn't get it.

I did join G+, but I haven't done anything with it. Good thing!

Hugs,
Bonnie

Hermione said...

Erica - I have had invitations too, but I'm steering clear too.

Red - I agree totally. Separate is best. You could try using a different browser for Facebook and vanilla activities, ie Safari, and another browser like Firefox for all your spanking-related products like Blogger and Yahoo email.

Bogey - I'm glad you had already made the right decision.

Bonnie - You and 500,000+ others!

Best to keep it that way.

Hugs,
Hermione

Anonymous said...

I am fairly new to blogging and I have Google+. It has already begun causing me issues with people commenting. If I uncheck the using Google+ comments though I will lose all the comments already posted on my blog and there are a lot! Is there an easy way to remedy this? I don't get it at all and I need step by step instructions like kindergarten style to even navigate changes. (Roz from Roz in His Hands) sent me)