Five Million Hits

I can't believe it! My little blog has finally reaches five million views. It's all thanks to you, my dear readers, who return each week for brunch, and drop by during the week to see what's new.

Thank you all.

Slava Ukraini
Glory to Ukraine

Farewell, Dear Friend

Another blog has bitten the dust. Our good friend and regular blogger Prefectdt has lost his blog. I thought Blogger was the only platform that unexplainedly wiped blogs from the interwebs. But no, it seems Wordpress does the same. His blog with links to all other spanking blogs is still operational here.

You can still visit the archive of Spankedhortic II -- 14 years in all, that's quite a record -- in the Wayback Machine. I hope that someday a new blog called Spankedhortic III will arise from the ashes. In the meantime, there's always a home for you here.

We'll miss you, Prefectdt. 

 

Slava Ukraini
Glory to Ukraine

Over the Desk is back

 

After a long hiatus. Over the Desk spanking stories is back. A few stories have been migrated from the old site, with more to come soon. There are some new stories as well, so be sure to drop by and say hello to Kenny.

Slava Ukraini
Glory to Ukraine

This is Strange

I received an email from Google telling me that my post of yesterday (the brunch recap) had been put behind a warning because it contained sensitive material. Well, yes. This is a blog about spanking so I suppose that's true. But the whole blog is behind an adult content warning, so why the double wall? 

At least they didn't unpublish the post, which is what happened last May when many of the brunch recaps were changed to draft because they violated Google's terms. So there's a silver lining:)

Slava Ukraini
Glory to Ukraine

Greased Lightning

The past few says have not been very conducive to blogging. The hard drive on our computer gave up completely, so the PC has been in the shop, having a new, bigger and faster hard drive installed. The difference is amazing. I used to dread opening Firefox. How long would it take this time? Would the mouse pointer disappear? Creating a new post took about ten minutes, with long waits for just adding one image.  

We lost all our bookmarks, so those are slowly being added as needed. Google Drive, which was supposed to back up all my documents and pictures, stopped doing so a year ago, so a lot was lost. Oh well, it could have been worse. Since the hard drive was no longer readable, the technician who fixed the machine couldn't tell that I'm a spanking blogger. 

Slava Ukraini
Glory to Ukraine

Spam? Are You Sure?

Last week I received three emails from Google. Each one warned me that a Blogger post had been unpublished because I had violated the Google terms of service. Specifically, the posts were spam. Now, the offending posts weren't in this blog. They were published on a very old test blog that I had created 10 years ago in order to experiment with the then-new dynamic template. The three ancient posts were:

test post april 15 #1

test post april 25 #1

test

Each of them contained only one word: "test".

How was that spam? How did these offensive posts fly under the radar for so long, only to be unearthed at last by an industrious bot?

The funny thing is, on the same day as those posts, I published these subsequent posts.

test post april 15 #2 with content "retest"

test post april 15 #3 with content "test again"

test post april 25 #2 with content "test 2"

test post april 25 #3 with content "test 3"

Obviously the bot was offended by the word "test" appearing by itself. Or did the bot think it had done enough work for one day and knocked off early?

By the way, I have the opportunity to appeal these unfair decisions and ask for a human to review my case and reconsider, but I think I'll leave it for now.

Glory to Ukraine

Blogger Woes

Yesterday's post was inspired by some trouble I was having with leaving comments on Blogger blogs. Since I am the resident techie, it's up to me to solve my own problems. I'm the help desk.

It was PK who first noticed the problem a few months ago and asked me for help. She told me she couldn't leave a comment on any Blogger blog as "PK", even though she was logged on to Google. I'm afraid I wasn't much help to her.

Then yesterday, after leaving a comment on Morningstar's blog, I noticed that my comment was by "Anonymous" and not "Hermione". Ronnie's comment was also left by "Anonymous" so something was definitely up. I tried again, and was told I wasn't signed in to Google, even though I knew I was. I clicked the Sign In choice but still couldn't connect. 

What to do? We techies have a saying: when in doubt, read the manual. There was no manual, but there was a Learn More link in my failed sign in attempt. So I clicked it and learned that the problem was caused because my browser did not allow third-party cookies. That was news to me.

Then I remembered that I had updated Firefox recently. I checked the settings and lo and behold, my browser was protecting me from all invading third-party cookies. I unchecked the offending box and that resolved the problem.

If anyone else is having the same problem, check your browser settings, or try a different browser. Good luck!

Glory to Ukraine

KDPierre has left the building

Another blogger has silently departed the blogosphere. KDPierre, a regular brunch guest and prolific blogger, has closed his blog, Collected Submissions. 

I'm very sorry to see him go. KDPierre's blog posts were thought-provoking, and he encouraged lively dialogue which, I'm afraid, didn't happen as much as he would have hoped. He often expressed frustration at this, which might be the reason for his departure.

But all is not lost. You can still enjoy KDPierre's stories at the Library of Spanking Fiction.

Farewell, my friend.

Glory to Ukraine

Looking for Consensual Spanking?

My dear friend Red Often's blog Consensual Spanking has been taken offline by Google after a virus was discovered. Needless to say, Red is working hard to get his blog reinstated. I will keep you updated on his progress. But don't worry. His spankings are continuing.

We miss you, Red!

Why Can't I Read my Blog?

Are you having trouble reading other Blogger blogs? Are you even having trouble reading your own? If so, it's because of a not-so-recent change by Blogger that all blogs must be "secure". If you look at the URL of my blog you will see that it begins with https:// instead of http://. I didn't do that; Blogger did. But my link still contains http:// wherever it has been saved before that change went into effect. Therein lies the problem and here's what to do about it.

Say you have clicked on a link to a blog, and now you are stuck at the Mature Content page. Here's how to get past it. At the top of your browser, where you see the blog URL, simply type https:// in front of the URL.

For example, you see spankingblog.blogspot.com
Add https://
You now see https://spankingblog.blogspot.com

Press Enter
You will now be able to see the blog once you click on the Mature Content  warning.

To fix your own blog, if it's one of the blogs you are unable to read:

In Blogger, go to Settings, Basic.

Set the HTTPS Redirect to YES.

Save. Problem solved for you and all your readers!

Feel free to pass this post along to anyone you find having the same difficulty.

She can dish it out, but can she take it?

Strict Julie disciplines her husband on a regular basis, but what if the tables were turned?

Well, it seems that very soon, Julie will find herself on the receiving end.  Read all about it here.

I'm not a robot!

You have probably noticed that when you leave a comment on my blog, you need to prove you aren't a robot. Why would I think you are? Well, I don't. That message has nothing to do with me. It's something that Blogger has implemented without my permission. I don't want it there, and there is nothing I can do about it. But it's not so bad.

When you see the box you are supposed to check to prove you are human, you don't always need to check it. As you can see in the above image, I am logged on to Blogger as Hermione. So all I have to do is click on Publish Your Comment, without clicking on the robot box, and my comment will be published.

But, for those of you who prefer to remain anonymous (and that's perfectly okay with me), you will have to pass the robot test.

In this case, I have chosen not to use my Hermione identity, but want to leave an anonymous comment. I can't publish my comment without proving I'm not made of metal. So the next step is to read the instructions and choose the appropriate pictures of a sandwich.

The same applies to anyone who chooses OpenID (WordPress, for example). You can't escape the robot test.

So, if you are logged on to Blogger or to your Google account, you don't need to prove you aren't a robot. Otherwise, there's an extra hoop to jump through. Sorry about that! At least it's better to the mostly unreadable word and number Captchas they previously insisted on.

Google has reversed decision on porn

Google has changed its mind regarding porn and sexually explicit images on blogs.

Read it here: https://productforums.google.com/forum/?hl=en&pli=1#!category-topic/blogger/jAep2mLabQY

I think this was due to the large number of queries on the Blogger Help Forum regarding specifics, like artistic drawings, erotic stories, and of course, bare bottom spanking. The Google rule-setters realized that they had been far too vague in their statement. It is entirely possible that they may come out with something more specific at a later date, but for now, we're safe!

Spread the word!

Big Brother is Watching

You may have noticed that this blog now contains the adult interstitial that warns you about the contents of this blog. That's a precaution I decided to take after Google's latest announcement that they will no longer allow sexually explicit or nude photos on Blogger blogs. I don't think I have any of those, except for a few bare bottoms here and there, but no sense taking chances.

If you are concerned about the safety of your Blogger blog, then go to Picasa, the place where all your Blogger photos are stored: https://picasaweb.google.com/home?redirect=0

If you see any photos with full frontal nudity or depicting sexual activity, delete them or move them to a private album.

The announcement above only talks about pictures. I don't know whether sexually explicit text would also be targeted. I also don't know whether having blogs on your blogroll that have explicit photos would cause your blog to be penalized. If or when I find out,  I will let you know. To be safe, I may decide to remove some of the more graphic blogs from my blogroll. I hope those blog owners will not take offense at this. It's nothing personal.

So what's the penalty for having a sexually explicit blog? Starting March 23, Blogger will make your blog private, available only to you, your other admins and authors, and invited readers (up to 100). They will not delete your blog. When you remove all offending material, you can ask for a review.

That's all I know for now. I hope this will not decimate our blogging community.

Comments and CAPTCHA

We all love to receive comments, but unfortunately, spammers know that, and they often flood our blogs with spam that is thinly disguised as a comment, but is actually designed to advertise their websites. One way to avoid spam is by implementing word verification. A person who comments must solve a CAPTCHA before the comment will publish.

Most of us don't do that because it is a nuisance to our readers. In Blogger, the spam filters are very good at detecting spam comments, and Blogger puts these comments into the Spam folder before they ever reach your posts.

However, there has been a change at Blogger HQ. In order to thwart the spammers more severely, a new rule has been enforced. The new rule only impacts readers who wish to leave a comment anonymously. Here is what happens.

A person with a Google account who leaves a comment while logged on to that account will see this.

The reader enters a comment which is published with no further fuss.



If, on the other hand, the potential commenter chooses to comment anonymously:

that reader will then be presented with a CAPTCHA to solve.

But it doesn't happen every time. If you have a Google account and are logged on to that account, then choose to post an anonymous comment, you won't see the CAPTCHA. If you don't have a Google account, or have one but are not logged on to it, you will see the CAPTCHA.

Got it? The confusing part is that this happens regardless of whether or not the blog owner has word verification turned on. So if anyone tries to leave an anonymous comment on this blog and runs up against two illegible words, it isn't my doing. Blame Blogger and Google!

You've got a problem

Most of you must have had at least one call from a friendly person calling from "Microsoft Security Service" to announce that your Windows computer has been sending them error messages. Ron had a call last week. Since we've had several over the past few months, and I've tried a different tack each time, he decided to be clever.

Fifteen minutes later, he was off the phone. I asked him what he had said.

"Well," he replied, "Most of the time I had to ask her to repeat what she said, because her accent was so strong I couldn't understand her. Besides that, I played dumb. She wanted me to go to the bottom of the computer and look for a button. I told her the computer was on the floor, and he couldn't get under it to find any button. Then I put her on hold to listen to the music on the computer. She's probably still listening."

I laughed. I had used the "on hold" trick too. Just put the receiver down beside the speaker and walk away. Twenty minutes later, hang up.

But I was curious. Why would someone repeatedly phone you to tell you your computer had a virus but they could fix it. What was the payoff for them? I decided to play along and see what the scam really was. I had my chance a few days ago.

It was "James" from Microsoft. Apparently an online hacker had managed to get on to my computer and had damaged it. I let him walk me through the steps, including finding that elusive button - the Start button in the lower left of the screen. He guided me through a series of folders until I came to a long list of error and warning messages.

"What do you think that is?" James asked.

"I suppose it's perfectly normal," I replied.

"No, that's the hacker. See how he has damaged your machine. How many errors are there? Can you count them for me?"

"There is a total count at the top - 6,761 errors."

"6,671 errors. Is that correct, ma'am?"

It wasn't but who cares.

Anyway, the upshot was, a technician would connect to my computer, fix the problem for me for one flat rate, then I would be covered for one year, and could contact them to fix my computer whenever the errors reappeared, at no additional charge.

"So how much is this going to cost?" I asked.

"We won't know for sure until the technician sees how much damage was done. It will be between 80 and 150 dollars. That's eight zero dollars to one five zero dollars." American dollars? Canadian dollars? Australian dollars? Did he know where I lived?

Okay, how will the technician fix my computer?"

"If you agree, he will connect to your computer."

"How?"

"Go to Internet Explorer. What do you see there? Amazon?  Google?"

"Live 65. It's a music station."

"You listen to music on your computer? Okay, open a new tab. Now in the white space at the top, type www . showmypc . com."

This is where I got uncomfortable. I wasn't connecting to any website with a name like that. I would investigate later.

"I need to put you on hold," I told James, and put the receiver down beside the speaker, then cranked up the volume.

A little later, Ron came in and I told him about James. We both had a good laugh, and after half an hour had passed I hung up the phone. Five minutes later, it rang and Ron answered.

"It's him," Ron said, and handed me the receiver. Sure enough, it was James. I brushed him off by telling him that my brother was a computer genius and he had removed the error messages. James quickly hung up.

I did some research and found that I was right. The error messages on the computer were a standard logging procedure and were not harmful. ShowMyPC is a legitimate site that allows people to connect remotely to computers for various reasons. If I had gone there, the next step would have been for me to set up a logon with the name and password provided by James. Then he and his henchmen would have had access to my computer and all my history, including logins, passwords, and personal information. They would even have known about this blog.

I guess the payoff for the scammers is two-fold. They get the money from you for "fixing" your computer, plus whatever additional funds they can steal from your bank or credit cards once they have control.

It seems there is no way to report these idiots. They use many different telephone numbers so they are untraceable, and they pop up everywhere. When one ring is shut down, ten others appear to take its place.  The best advice I found from ShowMyPC here and from Microsoft here was to hang up immediately.

Recap: Spanko Brunch 2.0 for August 24

Our topic of advice to new bloggers gave us all some food for thought.

Wilma: I would tell them to be as honest and true to themselves and in their writing if they want to receive the most out of their blogging experience.

As far as etiquette goes, answer your comments. People take time to offer support and advice. Take the time to thank them. I understand that some times it is difficult to answer, so during those times, just say that at the start of your next post. As Rogue once said, "It is polite to speak when spoken too"

If you want more readers, comment more on others' blogs. You don't have to link your blog in their comment box, just have your blogger id linked to your blog. Other bloggers will follow you 'home'. Don't be shy if you don't think what you have to say is valuable. A simple, "Hello and I understand" will work.

Chickadee: I was going to say what willie said, but she of course says it much better than I ever could :-)

Also, it's okay to have a fiction blog, or for it to be real life, or a combination of the two. Out of consideration for your readers, you should make it clear what each post is. There was a blog I thought was real, only to find out it wasn't. It was just a odd feeling. There wasn't deception, I just misunderstood what it was.

And then being honest goes without saying... if you claim it's real and want to build real-life friendships, it had better be real.

Autumn: Comment, comment, comment. The more you comment on others' blogs, the more they can get to know you. And for gosh sake, acknowledge when someone comments on your blog!

Arched one: I don't have a blog so maybe I shouldn't comment. But I do read a lot of blogs and know what I like to read. Let me say that I am in a spanking relationship my wife spanks me. I have to agree with what has been posted so far and for me I love to read what is really going on in a spanking relationship. There are fiction sites all over the net and myself I don't care to read fiction on a blog unless it's related to what goes on in your real life.

Dan: Don't try to appeal to the masses. Don't feel pressured into expressing views that aren't your own. It's more important to have a small community of readers who like and respect each others' views than to try to cater to every interest. And, some readers of kinky blogs are pretty dictatorial about the rules or definitions that they think apply. Don't put up with that. It's your blog. If someone doesn't like what you or another reader is expressing, they can go somewhere else. And, one I learned from personal experience, and which Hermione gave me wise advice about: Don't respond to pests. It just gives them a microphone. Just delete each of the offending comments until they either get the message or leave.

One technical recommendation: The "Pages" function in Blogger allows you to create topic tabs that take readers to different pages. I think it really helps structure the blog and allow people to find the content they are searching for.

Minelle: I would encourage everyone to do it your way! Try and have fun. We are all different!
Always be respectful even when you disagree. Comments that belittle or denigrate another are just wrong. Thoughtful discussion and varying opinions are always welcome and appreciated!
This is a wonderful community of support!

Cat: It's your blog - post what you want with no apologies. But remember, when you post something, you are inviting comments unless you turn them off. Be open to receiving all kinds of feedback, honestly consider it all and reply politely even if you don't agree.

Leigh: Like in life, if it sounds too good or bad to be true, it usually is. Take everything you read with a grain of salt and don't compare with anyone else - you are an original and not like anyone else so why would their exact dynamic work for you.

Rollin: All of the above are good comments. I'll add two ideas. First, a blog should be content rich, that is, it should give readers the substance of what they are looking for. Too many blogs are thin promotional vehicles for commercial endeavors or have little of interest to say.

Second, update often. Once you get a following they will come back regularly, but you have to constantly add content.

And yeah, comment on other people's blogs frequently.

Ronnie: Make it your blog be true and don't compare yourself with others. Make sure you reply to all comments. If you need help, don't be afraid to ask this is a wonderful community.

Bonnie: For the past few years, I've directed readers to this post. I think most of it still makes sense.

Beyond that, I suggest that blogging life is an extension of real life. Common sense rules should apply in both places. Don't believe a story from an online person that you wouldn't believe from a real life person. Equally important, don't let anyone treat you or speak to you online in ways that you won't accept elsewhere. Being online is not a valid excuse for rudeness, abusiveness, stupidity, or deception.
 
Hermione: After rereading the post that Bonnie mentioned above, there's not much I can add. But I will say this: don't be shy. Many new bloggers often feel intimidated by the established group of bloggers and are afraid to comment because they aren't part of the group. Everyone is welcome to join our spanking blogger family. We are a friendly, accepting group of individuals who welcome newbies. So jump right in, introduce yourself on your favourite blogs, and you'll soon be part of the group too.


Thanks, everybody, for those words of wisdom. I hope they help our new and not so new bloggers alike.

Hello from Daisy

Some of you may remember Daisy, a blogger who was very active between 2009 and 2012. She and her husband, Davey, have a long-distance DD relationship. Daisy lives in England while Davey is a resident of the US, and until now they have only been able to be together for a brief period each year. Her blog, Daisychain, has not been updated in nine months, and I have been wondering how she and Davey were doing. Last weekend, Daisy left a long comment at our spanko brunch, and I didn't want anyone who knows her to miss it. Here it is:

Hi Hermione,

It has been a long time since I have had a chance to visit the blogs, but I can no longer get on to my own, so it seems it will just hang around in cyberspace forever! The email address it was registered in has long since retired, and I never did understand the blogs after Blogger "updated" the way they performed!

Davey and I, now married 6 years, are still living on separate continents, so spanking obviously does not happen any more. Despite all my efforts to find work with a salary large enough to enable us to be together, I have been unsuccessful until now. I have just accepted a job with a salary which just qualifies us to apply, however it does not start until September, and I will then be working 5 days a week, 15 hours a day but this means that once I can provide 6 months of wage slips, Davey will finally be able to apply for a visa to live with me.

And so I finally manage to access the blogs to find that Bonnie has retired, very sad; but I am so glad that others I know and love, such as yourself, and Ronnie, and others, are still around. I think of you all so often, but just do not have the time any more to browse online.

Hugs to you all,
Daisy and Davey xxxxxx 

Daisy, I hope you see this post. It's lovely to hear from you again! I'm sorry you can't update your blog any more. You can still log on to Blogger with your Yahoo email address, even though it is no longer active, as long as you remember the password.  I hope you will try that.

September isn't very far off, and if you are working 15 hours a day,  those six months will fly by until you and Davey can apply for his visa. Please keep us posted on how you are getting on.LEave a comment, or email me so I'll have your new address.


All the best to you and Davey.
Hugs,
Hermione

Recap: MBS Sunday Brunch for Dec 1

This week's topic of discussion was blogging and your significant other.  Here's what you had to say.

Dragon's Rose: Dragon loves that I write and reads most of the posts I make. He has his own blog but really doesn’t have the time to write anything. He contributes to my blog in more ways than most readers realize.

Some blogs are detailed how to do this thing we do instruction manuals. Dragon thinks those are funny at best and that some of them are dangerous. Giving out advice that borders on abuse. If something sounds questionable to me, I show it to him. My Dragon is level headed and will tell me what he thinks. I haven't seen a how to blog yet that he would suggest to a new be.

Fred Bloggs: My partner and friends do read my blog, I know because they talk to me about it. They do not, however, comment online, despite my requests that they participate.

My partner looks at stuff I show her and she does peruse the kinkier parts of the internet for her own amusement.

Michael: Great question, Hermione. My wife Season and I started our "Blossom and Thorn" blog together in her living room on one of my visits to Minnesota before we were married. At the time it was a way to stay more strongly connected before I relocated to Minnesota. Now that we are together Season has stepped back a bit from blogging but we still discuss and work together on all posts before they are published, and we discuss interesting posts we read on other blogs and usually at the top of the list is your "Hermione's Heart" and Bonnie's "My Bottom Smarts."

Leah Q: My husband never reads spanking blogs on his own though if I point him to one he'll read it and we discuss. He has his own professional blog, but spankings have yet to be mentioned =). We don't have any guidelines on what can and can't be published, but I'd totally respect his wishes if he felt like something were too personal or his judgment if thought something weren't a good idea.

Sorry Leah, I don't have the link for your blog.

Chickadee: Geesh Bonnie, head out of town and leave the kids with Easy Mac! Don't you trust us with the oven?

I'm coming at this from a different perspective... my husband isn't my spanking partner and he doesn't read any of this stuff. He may have glanced at a bit once, though certainly not a second time. So for me the connection with my spankers-to-be is completely from the blogs. This is where it's all started for me.

Jason Girl: Yes, my husband reads spanking blogs. He didn't at first but he does now. He doesn't have a blog of his own, but posts on mine occasionally. In fact, just today I asked him if he'd consider commenting occasionally, because I love his perspective. He is very supportive of my blogging and reads every post. He very rarely makes a comment about what I may or may not post, but has asked me to remove pictures he found offensive, and whenever I post something that may cast him in a negative light (as in an argument we may have had or something) I always make sure he reads it and I ask if it's acceptable. In addition to telling me what not to post sometimes, he's also on occasion had me post as punishment; when I've gotten in trouble, he's had me confess to my readers what I did and how I was punished.

Sorry JG, I don't have the link for your blog either. 

*Bonnie*: Great question! And Easy Mac? Lol

I would like for my husband would take more of an interest in my blog. He reads every post and will comment anonymously from time to time but never gives input or suggestions. He will also read posts that I find and email to him if there's something I want him to read. For the most part, blogging is my own thing he just sets the rules by which I blog.

Katie: Hi Hermione!! :) Nice of you to host the brunch! :)

Rob does not read the blogs, though on occasion I will read a post to him, or send him a link if he is interested in something that I have brought up. But in general he does not participate in that way. I will say that more recently he has expressed some curiosity about the comments that I have received on my blog. Which I find interesting.

The deal with me and my blog has always been that Rob reads everything first, before I post. In general, as he has gotten more comfortable with me blogging, he rarely asks me to make changes. A couple of posts ago, I had a sentence in there that he thought gave too much detail/should someone we know ever read it. I just took it out. So I do like him going over them for things like that. The benefit is, that he knows what is on my mind. That's a good thing with ttwd. Will he ever comment? Not at this time, but who knows in the future. :) Thanks so much, Hermione!

Beth: YS almost never reads spanking blogs other than ellee’s or mine. Once in a while I’ll link him to a post that I want him to see, and he’ll check it out but as a converted vanilla he’s not that interested in reading about spanking. However, he’s incredibly supportive of my blogging and reads and comments on nearly all of my posts. He likes that I blog and sees it as my creative space (especially since I started it long before I ever met him) and has given me carte blanche to write about whatever I want. This is probably why he’s always nitpicking my grammar/spelling after I post because 1) I never proofread, and 2) I don’t ever send him a post to preview.

I’ve been thinking about having YS contribute to my blog but we haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe one of these days?

Bob B: My wife looks at mine occasionally, probably to find out what i am getting up to :) and in the past has had a look around at a few others. May be to get a few ideas not really being into it her self or a natural submissive but she knows it turns me on so much.

I think she finds it quite interesting. Sometimes we look together and she asks me to explain something to her. Great question :)

Prefectdt: You know, I cannot think of one person that I know face to face, that reads blogs on a regular basis. I am talking about kinky and vanilla people.

Minelle Lebraun: My Scotsman will read something if I ask him to, or if I think he will find it interesting. He does not search out the blogs himself.

If I am able to I let him read before, but mostly I make sure it is something appropriate to post. I am very careful to write in a way that is respectful to him.

Katherine Deane: Hey Hermione! Thanks for hosting!

My husband does not read or interact with the spanking community much. He supports my blogging and writing, and will read something if I ask him to. But he does not really have the spanking "itch" like I do. Kinda stinks!

I would love it, if we could tag team on the blog, or chat with other couples. :( Maybe some day!

Roz: Rick is very supportive of my blogging takes an active interest. He reviews each post before publication and takes an interest in the comments. He occasionally reads other blogs, but mostly it is ones I point out to him.

We have found the blog to be a good tool in our relationship as it gives him an insight into my point of view and my thoughts/feelings and has prompted many discussions.

Ronnie: Hi Hermione, thanks for hosting this week's brunch.

P doesn't have a blog but is quite happy that I blog. Doesn't read it unless I ask him to. I sometimes send him a link to something if I know he'll find it amusing.

Country Spanker: My wife no longer blogs but she does have input into mine which is good as most of the posts are about her and feature her bum. She also loves reading any comments that we recieve. She takes an interest if I find great ideas on other blogs.

Terpsichore: Nope...hubby is happy that I have found a place to share and is supportive that I have this wonderful community of friends and he knows that I need that...but he himself has no desire to read or write himself. I have shared with him a few things...but unless I put it right under his nose, a simple suggestion will not get attention. :-) Thanks for hosting brunch today...how fun!

Hermione: Ron doesn't have a blog, nor does he read other spanking blogs regularly. From time to time I send him links to blog posts that will interest or amuse him. He doesn't read my blog except when I ask him to, but often sends me pictures and jokes he thinks I might like to include in a post. As far as what I write, the blog is my place to express myself, so I don't ask Ron for his input or approval on anything I write. I do, however, avoid writing anything that I think might upset him were he to read it. His only request regarding my blog is that I do not reveal any personal information about our real identities, and I respect that.


Thank you all for joining in this lively discussion. Bonnie will be back in time for next week's brunch in the regular location.

Read your blog backup

Because of the recent threat from Google to remove adult blogs that receive money from advertising adult site,  many of us who use Blogger  have been backing up our blogs in the event that we have to move our blogs elsewhere.

If you haven't done that yet, here's how.  Settings, Other, Export Blog then choose a place on your computer to save the file. This will create a backup file of your blog in .XML format, ready for importing into another Blogger blog, or into a blog on a different platform. Go on, do it right now. I'll wait...

Unfortunately, the backup is unreadable by humans; it is meant for machines only. Or is it?

If you have the browser called Opera installed on your computer, you can actually read your backup file and see your blog posts, pictures and comments, even if it has (shudder!) been deleted.

If you don't have Opera, go to http://www.opera.com/ and choose your operating system (Windows, Mac or Linux).

Click Download. Follow the instructions on your screen, and you're done! Open Opera by double-clicking on the icon on your desktop or by clicking on it in the Start menu.

Now go find the backup file that you created and saved on your computer. You remember where you saved your backup file, right? It looks like this: blog-01-01-2013.xml but the date would be different for you.

Right-click on the file and select "Open with..." Choose Opera, and voila! You will see the inner contents of your mysterious backup file. The template comes first, and all the details about it. Skip past that.

Then you will see comments that go with the post that you will see if you keep scrolling down. A little upside-down, but at least you will be able to read your precious blog.