Atom Vs RSS - Choose One, Using FeedBurner

Occasionally, we see a blog owner in Blogger Help Forum: Learn More About Blogger, asking about newsfeed formats.

Which is better, for my readers - Atom or RSS? How do I choose, what to provide, in my blog?

The competing newsfeed formats - Atom and RSS - have been a part of Internet life, for many years. Both formats have their devotees - and this is why there are two formats.

Both formats have their own advantages - and disadvantages.

You can change the URL of a FeedBurner source feed, to select Atom or RSS feed formats, from your blog.

You can use FeedBurner, or edit the blog template, to select a feed format.

Use the FeedBurner "Edit Feed Details" wizard, if you redirect your blog feed to FeedBurner.

If you don't use FeedBurner, you can edit the blog template, and manually change feed URLs. Note this will involve editing the post template, to change some links in the blog. This is not a recommended solution.

You may choose from 5 blog posts feed URLs, provided by this blog. You can do the same, with your blog.

• Atom (classic): http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/atom.xml
• RSS (classic): http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/rss.xml
• Atom (autodiscovery default, new): http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/feeds/posts/default
• Atom (new): http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/feeds/posts/default?alt=atom
• RSS (new): http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Do you really want to select Atom or RSS this way?

FeedBurner has two services, that let you mix and match Atom vs RSS.

• SmartFeed dynamically serves the right choice - Atom vs RSS.
• Convert Format Burner lets you statically select one format, or another.

Using either service, FeedBurner selects the desired feed format for you - regardless which Original Feed URL you provide, in "Edit Feed Details". Just give FeedBurner the default feed URL for your blog " ... /feeds/posts/default" - and let FeedBurner do the work, depending upon the service that you select.

You activate either service from the FeedBurner dashboard "Optimize" tab. Note that you should choose only one service, for each FeedBurner feed provided.

Important: We recommend not using this service if you use SmartFeed. SmartFeed will override any Convert Format settings in order to make your feed compatible with all feed readers, whether they support Atom, RSS, or both.

"SmartFeed" selects the best format, dynamically.

For the best experience by all readers, SmartFeed will automatically provide the feed format favoured by any feed reader used - as each reader views your feed.

Translates your feed on-the-fly into a format (RSS or Atom) compatible with your visitors' feed reader application.

Enable SmartFeed - and let FeedBurner choose the best format, for each different feed reader being used.



"Convert Format Burner" lets you choose the format - and version.

If the choice of feed format (Atom, RSS) - and even choice of format version (Atom 0.3, Atom 1.0, RSS 1.0, RSS 2.0) - matters to you, you can use Convert Format Burner, and select a specific format and version.

Nine flavors of RSS and now two formats of Atom ... who has time to keep track of it all? FeedBurner does! Let us convert your feed to any of the format choices listed below.

Enable Convert Format Burner - and you choose what feed format and version gets served, to all feed readers.



You can have multiple feeds, and multiple FeedBurner outputs.

If you have conflicting requirements, you can always setup multiple different FeedBurner feeds - and use different feed service options, for different feeds. You can then provide each feed in a consistent display, using the "BrowserFriendly" service.

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If you want to serve the right newsfeed format from a #Blogger blog, you can either tweak the code in the blog template - or you can use a #FeedBurner feed, and activate the "SmartFeed" or "Format Burner" service. Using FeedBurner is a simpler choice, than the template editor.

Read More

Private Blogs Limit Other Blog Features

Private blogs affect other Blogger features - and the combination of results are inconsistent.

With dynamic templates, the private blog selection causes an inoperable display. Conversely, with Google+ Comments, enabling Google+ Comments disables the private blog (designated reader) selection - and vice versa, in the various Blogger dashboard pages.

The two interactions - and differing mutual exclusiveness - contribute to some interesting diagnostic sessions, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue.

Intriguingly enough, when one of the known limitations with private blogs is diagnosed, some blog owners may treat the limitation as a personal insult.

Not all blog owners understand the technical limitations, with private blogs and other Blogger features. The limitations are based on simple technical interactions.

• Dynamic templates, and private blogs.
• Google+ comments, and private blogs.

Dynamic templates, and private blogs.

Private blogs do not publish blog newsfeeds. Dynamic templates require comments and posts newsfeeds, to generate the displays.

You can make a blog private - and you lose the "Dynamic Template" selection, in the dashboard Template page.

Some of the templates offered on the Template page, for a public blog.
Simple.
Dynamic Views.
Picture Window.
Awesome Inc.

Some of the templates offered on the Template page, for a private blog.
Simple.
Picture Window.
Awesome Inc.



If the blog has a dynamic template already, you can change to private access (edit Permissions, and designate readers), with no warning. The next time the blog is accessed, you will see the Spinner of Death.

My Dynamic Template test blog, set to Private.



Google+ comments, and private blogs.

When Google+ is used, no access to the Blogger permissions database is available. Since Google+ Comments are (or can be) Google+ stream posts, Google+ Comments can only support public blogs.

If you enable Google+ Comments, you will see a warning in the Permissions wizard - and you'll have no ability to Edit "Blog Readers".

Google+ Comments enabled. Learn more

If the blog is private already, you'll similarly see a warning on the dashboard Google+ page.

Google+ Comments are unsupported on non-public blogs and blogs marked as containing adult content. Learn more

So Google+ Comments, and private blogs, are mutually exclusive, on the dashboard - though Dynamic Views and private blogs are not, with intriguing result.

Why won't my blog load? It was fine, yesterday!

And when the blog address is provided with the problem report, we can see the problem.

Learn More.

• More information about Dynamic Views blogs.
• Manage Google+ Comments for Blogger.
• Control access to your blog.

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The option to designate permitted readers, for a #Blogger blog, affects other Blogger features. Not all blog owners know about or understand the limitations that exist.

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Blogger Magic - FeedBurner Email For Your Blog

Some people who will enjoy your blog may prefer to follow it using their email.

It's not difficult to setup email delivery of the comments or posts - from various source selections. FeedBurner offers a wide assortment of delivery options, for the many sources.

Blogger offers the "Subscribe by Email" gadget and service, which delivers the posts newsfeed. That's one feed possibility - and you can have many more, with very little work.

Using the many options provided by FeedBurner, combined with the many feed possibilities, you can produce a generous set of email subscription options.

1. Setup a FeedBurner feed.
2. Activate the "Subscribe by Email" service, for the feed.
3. Add a FeedBurner form, to the blog.

Setup a FeedBurner feed.

To add a standard blog posts subscription, add a "Subscribe by Email" gadget (for blogs with non dynamic Blogger templates) - or a "Subscription Links" gadget (for all blogs, including those with dynamic templates).

The standard blog posts subscription is not the only possibility. You can setup a FeedBurner feed for any blog published feed - including various label based feeds.

Start with the URL of any blog native feed.

Give the feed an Address and a Title.

The feed is setup. Proceed to the dashboard, to Activate the feed.



Activate the "Subscribe by Email" service, for the feed.

Activate "Email Subscriptions", for the FeedBurner feed that you setup.



From the FeedBurner dashboard Publicize - "Email Subscriptions" - "Subscription Management" page, Activate the "Email Subscriptions" service, for the feed.

The service is active - now check out other options.



With the "Email Subscriptions" service activated, look at the various formatting and distribution options available.

Add a FeedBurner form, to the blog.

You can use the form provided with "Subscribe by Email", if you are setting up the standard blog posts feed. For any other feed, you can use either form provided on the "Subscription Management" page, installed as an HTML / JavaScript gadget.

If you want to be fancy, you can make a fixed location ("floating") subscription icon.

Just use your imagination.

FeedBurner presents you with endless choices, for letting your readers enjoy your blog from their Email inboxes. Think about what will look good on your blog - and what will interest your readers.

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Not all #Blogger blog owners know how easy it is to use #FeedBurner email delivery, to provide your readers the option to view your blog - in many content options - using their email inboxes.

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Private Google Groups Email Distribution Is Broken

Some blog owners have reported in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue, about broken email distribution.

There are various ways to distribute Blogger blog content, to email. For those unable or unwilling to use FeedBurner Email Distribution, one popular alternative is Google Groups.

One drawback of FeedBurner based distribution is that FeedBurner uses the blog newsfeed - and is unusable for private blogs.

Google Groups is the best content distribution medium, for private blogs.

The only scalable distribution medium, for private blogs, is Google Groups. Right now, Google Groups, for some owners, is not accepting incoming email.

This problem may not be unique to Blogger blogs. There are other reports of this problem, in the Google Groups Support Forum.

We are asking for details, in a previously posted forum Problem Rollup topic.

We have a previously discussed article, and a Problem Rollup topic, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue - where we are requesting details, as phrased above, about the problems. If you have details to contribute, solution to this problem may result from your contribution.

Please help Blogger Engineering to help you - and make your responses polite, relevant, and responsive. If this problem is to be identified, and you are affected, resolution depends upon you. And also report your problem in Google Groups Support.

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Some #Blogger blog owners are reporting that distribution of private blog content, using Google Groups, is not operational. This problem may not be unique to Blogger blogs, as there is some discussion in Google Groups Support.

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Verifying Blog Ownership, In BlogLovin

In BlogLovin, the ownership verification process is termed "claiming your blog".

Claiming your blog involves installing a BlogLovin link, with embedded token, on your blog where it can be seen, by the BlogLovin claim verification process. Getting the claim link, from the BlogLovin dashboard, is not an obvious process.

Not every blog owner is able to get the BlogLovin blog claiming link, for their blog.

1. Some folks can't find the "Claim blog" button.
2. Others don't provide the right URL, into the "Claim blog" window.

If you have either problem, you end up unable to "claim your blog".

Finding the "Claim" button is not obvious.

You start the Claim process from the "Blog analytics" display. In some instructions, this is referred to as "My blogs". There is no menu selection to "Claim your blog".

From the home page, click "View all in Analytics".

From "Blog Analytics", click on "Edit blog settings".

Find the blue "Claim blog" button.




BlogLovin needs the blog published URL - not the blog feed URL.

Observe the caption in the "Claim blog" window.

When you provide the URL, only provide the published URL - not the blog feed. This works best if the blog publishes a feed, and if the blog has a standard Blogger header. BlogLovin gets the feed URL from the blog header - when the URL is there.

Paste the published URL of the blog - not the blog feed - into the window, and hit "Search".

Select your blog.

And, there is the BlogLovin link, with an embedded token.



Now, you install the token on your blog - and that is another source of confusion.

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Not every #Blogger blog owner is able to verify ownership of their blog, to BlogLovin. Some folks can't find the "Claim blog" button - and others don't know what URL to provide, in the "Claim blog" process.

And the term "claim blog" is not obvious, to everybody, either.

Read More

Claiming Your Blog, In BlogLovin

When you use the BlogLovin supplied instructions to claim your blog, you will get a BlogLovin link, with an embedded token, which you install in your blog.

Paste this text into a new blog post ... In some blogs, it's necessary to put the code at the top of the blog post.

BlogLovin would have you publish a new post, and put the link / token at the top of the post. This ensures that the claim link displays at the top of the page, in the blog.

I'm not going to publish a new post, for joining yet one more non Blogger service.

I try not to clutter the blog feed, with posts that are only needed, to host a link - particularly a link for verifying a new service connection. With Blogger blogs, you may be able to use a gadget, in the sidebar. The sidebar is static - so what you position in one place stays in that place.

First, get the BlogLovin blog claim token, using "Claim blog".

You start, by getting the BlogLovin link, and embedded token, from the "Claim blog" wizard in "Blog analytics".

Either publish a new post, or position an HTML gadget properly.

You will probably have to position the gadget, containing the BlogLovin link, near the top of the sidebar. Apparently BlogLovin claiming verification only reads the top of the blog content - whether posts or template objects.

1. Get the claim link / token, from BlogLovin.
2. Add the link / token to a post, or an HTML gadget.
3. Publish the post, or position the HTML gadget, near the top of the sidebar.
4. Return to BlogLovin, and click "Claim".
5. Wait, anxiously.

Maybe, BlogLovin only reads content above the fold. BlogLovin is allowing for blogs with activity, where new posts would push the post containing the claim link token, down the page - before the BlogLovin claim verification can find and read the claim token. Or maybe they want the new link so it's visible - and advertises their service.

The uncertainty about claim link location, combined with the need for a valid feed - but criteria for valid feed being itself uncertain - will make claiming some blogs, in BlogLovin, a bit of trial and error.

Then replace the claim link / token with a properly decorative button.

Once your blog is claimed, you can replace the ugly claim link with a semi decorative BlogLovin button ("Get the Bloglovin button"). I was able to consolidate two BlogLovin claims, for this blog - so I removed the two ugly links, from the sidebar.

My sidebar HTML gadget, with two ugly links. They are now gone.



I used the "Move Followers to" option, so I can have one page for this blog.

Why they had two entries, for this one blog, I don't know. Their advice here is a bit vague.

This might happen when a blog have two or more different addresses to its RSS feed.

All Blogger blogs, publishing a blog feed, have at least two diffeent feed addresses. Does BlogLovin only use RSS, specifically? Or are they unaware that Blogger publishes one feed, in two flavours - Atom and RSS?

Anyway, BlogLovin lets you move Followers, from one blog to another - and I now have one BlogLovin page for this blog.

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Some #Blogger blog owners use the BlogLovin social sharing service, to provide access to their blog. The BlogLovin "Claim your blog" process uses a BlogLovin link with an embedded token, to verify blog ownership.

The claiming process requires proper positioning of the claim link - plus (as previously noted) proper blog feed availability. This combination of requirements makes a BlogLovin claim somewhat unpredictable.

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BlogLovin Has Problems With Some Blog Feeds

We see occasional reports, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue, from Blogger blog owners who want to share their blogs using BlogLovin.

Why can't I claim my blog?

BlogLovin is somewhat monolithic. They use the blog feed, and a BlogLovin URL with embedded token, to process / validate blog claims - and their diagnostics, when a claim is a problem, are not always effective.

Some blog feeds can be validated, yet not be found by BlogLovin. And other feeds won't validate.

Blog owners have reported several common problems, when trying to claim their blog with BlogLovin.

• Start with the published blog URL.
• Empty / very short feeds.
• Redirected feeds, generally involving FeedBurner.
• Feeds containing GeoRSS datapoints.
• Feeds with content formatted in Microsoft Office.
• Positioning the claim verification link / token.

Start with the published blog URL.

Even though BlogLovin uses the blog posts newsfeed for content source, when you claim your blog, you need to use the published URL. You do not specify the feed URL. BlogLovin finds the feed URL from the blog header - after you give it the published URL of the blog.

Feeds can be validated, using either the W3C Feed Validator, or the FeedValidator.org Feed Validator. You have to use the right W3C validator, though.

If the blog is published to a custom domain, the published URL - and the feed - will be most consistently accessible to BlogLovin when the domain is properly setup. Bogus DNS addressing, or poorly setup domains, will cause feed access issues - and BlogLovin won't process your claim.

Empty / very short feeds.

An empty or very short feed just does not contain enough material, for BlogLovin to reliably claim a blog.

It's best to let your blog mature slightly, before trying to use it with BlogLovin. Half a dozen good posts are better than just one or two, when claiming a blog.

Redirected feeds, generally involving FeedBurner.

A FeedBurner redirected feed looks completely different from a native Blogger feed. If you're going to use a Blogger blog in BlogLovin, it's best to use a non redirected version of the feed for your blog.

Feeds containing GeoRSS datapoints.

A feed from a blog that includes a GeoRSS datapoint will fail validation.

GeoRSS will disrupt BlogLovin, and cause problems with FeedBurner. If you want to use either service, you have to edit any post using GeoRSS, and remove the GeoLocation element.

Feeds with content formatted in Microsoft Office.

A Microsoft Office formatted blog will produce a validated feed - yet BlogLovin and FeedBurner will both have problems, when using the feed.

We've been dealing with Microsoft Office generated problems, in various Blogger features, for years. BlogLovin is one more service where Microsoft Office formatted posts just don't work.

Both the W3C and FeedValidator.org feed validators are generally used, to diagnose non claimable blogs.

But neither is 100% useful, when there's a problem. Some blogs with valid feeds still can't be claimed.





Use the right validator.

You do need to use the right W3C validator, when checking the feed for your blog. Some BlogLovin diagnostic instructions may mention the wrong validator.

W3C provides 2 validator services.

This is for HTML / XML Markup Validation:

http://validator.w3.org/

This is for Feed Validation:

https://validator.w3.org/feed/

If you use the Markup Validator, with a blog feed, you're going to see a lot of irrelevant errors. You have to use the Feed Validator.

Use a properly coded template.

Some blogs cannot be claimed, because BlogLovin cannot detect a feed. If your blog lacks the necessary header records in the template, your blog cannot be claimed.

This problem is not caused by BlogLovin. This is a problem caused by you, using a custom template that lacks the necessary template content.

BlogLovin does have a good Help contact page, though.



Positioning the claim verification link / token.

BlogLovin suggests publishing a new post, with the claim link / token at the top of the post - or alone. I found that the link, added to an HTML gadget, and positioned in the sidebar, works - and makes more sense than cluttering the blog posts newsfeed with a gratuitous post containing a claim link.

Proper positioning of the claim link - whether in a post or the sidebar - is also essential to the success of the claim process.

As last resort, contact BlogLovin Support for help.

If you just can't get your blog claimed, you can contact BlogLovin Support - or you can read the BlogLovin Help database.

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Some #Blogger blog owners use BlogLovin as a social sharing platform. Unfortunately, not every blog owner can successfully claim their blog, in BlogLovin, immediately.

BlogLovin has several possible problems with Blogger blogs - and not all problems are well known.

Read More

Recovering A Deleted Page Or Post, Chapter 2

Blog owners have been deleting their pages and posts, then changing their minds later, since Blogger started providing the ability to delete pages and posts.

We've been advising anxious blog owners, for some time, how to recover deleted pages and posts. The easiest solution, in the long run, is to recover the PageID / PostID, and re publish the deleted page / post.

When the deleted page or post cannot be re published, the next option is to re build the page / post, possibly using feed cache.

Using this technique, you'll have to reformat the post content, as feed content is formatted relatively simply. When you publish the post, it will publish as a new post, with a new URL - so any external references to the missing post URL will still be broken.

Thanks to the recently offered Custom Redirects option, though, we can make this latter choice slightly less undesirable.

When a deleted page or post has to be rebuilt from the beginning, the classic prognosis was not good.

1. The content is retrieved or rewritten, then re formatted.
2. The page / post is re published, but under a new URL.
3. The readers, and the search engines, adjust to the new URL being used.

For many blog owners, issue #3 is the cruelest blow - as the blog suffers reputation loss, from readers and search engines seeing

404 Not Found

for the deleted page / post.

Given enough determination and time, the blog owner can get through issues #1 and #2 - but issue #3 is the gift that just keeps on giving. Using Custom Redirects, though, that does not have to be the case.

It's a simple solution - and your readers and the search engines don't have to do anything unusual.

1. Rebuild the page / post, using a carefully chosen Title / URL.
2. Add a Custom Redirect.
   • From: The deleted (previously published) URL.
   • To: The new (re published) URL.
3. The readers, and the search engines can view the re built page / post contents using the old URL - and update their record of the URL, as convenient to them, to point to the new URL. And the page / post never goes offline.

And you, the blog owner, can get back to work on new pages and posts.

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What Are The Mysterious Turning Gears?

This is a question, occasionally seen in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.

I cannot view some blogs - all that I see are gears, turning endlessly. What is going on, here?

The gears are animation, displayed by Blogger, while a dynamic template and blog content loads on the computer being used. Generally, the gears will play for a few seconds, then the blog will be seen. For an example, check out my Musings blog.

Sometimes, all that you will see are the gears, endlessly turning - waiting for the templates and blog content to download.

The dynamic templates, used by some Blogger blogs, represent an innovative approach to providing web content.

Normal web content, provided in Blogger blogs which use Classic, Designer, and Layout class templates, consists of comments, gadgets, posts, and templates, arranged together in pages (dynamic and static).

Blogs which use Classic (HTML only) templates arranges everything when the blog is maintained. Blogs which use Designer / Layout templates (HTML / XML) arrange the content when the blog is maintained - then build the individual pages when the blog is read by each viewer, dynamically. For all 3 classes of templates, the content is served from Blogger / Google servers, in individual display pages.

The Dynamic class of Blogger templates take the concept of dynamic publishing to another level. Dynamic class templates load a significant amount of script code (the template) directly to each client computer. Instead of reading the pages of blog content from a Blogger / Google blog server, a dynamic template script, running on the client computer, reads the published blog feeds from a newsfeed server - then turns the feed content into a display.

A Dynamic template is a specialised Newsfeed Reader, similar to the dashboard Reading List, or to Google Reader.

By offloading a large amount of the publishing process to the client computer, and by using the blog comments and posts feeds, Blogger provides blogs which can be viewed in a number of different ways - selectable by each individual viewer, and at the convenience of the viewer. This selectability is not without cost, unfortunately.

• The templates require a significant amount of script code.
• The templates require the blog comments and posts newsfeeds.

For most blogs using a dynamic template, and being viewed on most computers, the "turning gears" icon plays briefly, while the template code, and the blog comments and posts newsfeeds, are downloaded. As soon as downloaded, the content is assembled into a display, and the viewer can view the blog. This does not happen, in all cases.

• Some client computers may filter the template code.
• Some client computers may not have a fast Internet connection.
• Some blogs may not publish a full newsfeed.

If the client computer has a slow Internet connection, the viewer may watch the turning gears for more than a few seconds. If the computer filters scripts aggressively, or if the blog does not publish a full newsfeed, the gears play, endlessly, while the computer waits for the scripts and newsfeeds to finish downloading. In the latter case, the viewer can only find another blog to view.

If you encounter one or two Blogger blogs playing the turning gears, endlessly, then you are experiencing the reality of dynamic templates - some blog owners do not realise that they have broken their blogs. If you encounter a large number of Blogger blogs doing this, then you might want to check the filters, on your computer - including, but not only, the browser cookie and script filters.

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Confusion About The Post Feed Redirect Feature

The world of Blogger blogs contains a lot of confusing terminology.

Some Blogger features don't even have names. Some names, which I use, are terms which I made up on my own, years ago - simply because Blogger did not provide a name, at that time. One term, which Blogger did give us, still causes confusion. The term "Post Feed Redirect" seems to describe an option, in Blogger, to redirect the post feed to a different URL.

The Post Feed Redirect feature is used by some confused blog owners, improperly.

There are several specific cases, all too common.

• Change the URL of the feed. Redirecting the blog feed, to simply change the URL, causes the feed to redirect to non existent content - or a dead feed.
• Publishing the blog to a non BlogSpot URL. Custom domain publishing provides automatic redirection of the blog URL - and by extension, the blog feed URL. Adding a feed redirect causes an infinite loop.
• Randomly expose the blog to new audiences. Redirecting the blog feed to a random redirector causes the blog readers to report a hijacked Reading List - and later, to simply remove the blog, using a redirected feed, from the Reading List.

This redirection, contrary to the term "Post Feed", also affects the comments feeds and the labels feeds, relevant to the blog where the setting is used.

Besides the fact that the option in question affects all feeds in the blog, the biggest confusion is that using the option does not actually redirect the feed - it redirects the references to the feed. People use this option in the expectation that it will change the URL of the feed. This option does not change the URL of the feed - it changes the URL used by references to the feed.

To change the feed references, successfully, you must have the URL mentioned by the setting already published, in a separate effort.

• If you renamed the blog to a different BlogSpot URL, you can redirect the feed reference, from a stub blog, to the feed published under the new URL.
• If you used a different service, like FeedBurner, to create a reformatted feed replica, you can redirect the feed reference to the FeedBurner feed URL.
• In either case, the URL has to exist, from a separate effort.

If you are reading this post, look down the page, after the "Newer Post Home Older Post" links.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

There is an example of the original feed reference. The purpose of the post feed redirect feature, long ago, was to let the blog owners generate a different feed for the blog - maybe a FeedBurner republished post feed - and force that link to reference the FeedBurner republished feed.

If you use that link, and subscribe to the feed from this blog, you should get a subscription offer, using the FeedBurner feed for this blog.

The Post Feed Redirect simply lets people setup and use an alternate feed URL, without having to update the code for all links which reference the post feed - such as that link.

That's it - pure and simple.

If you have - even unintentionally - misused the post feed redirect in your blog, it's easy to correct the mistake. Just understand why you should correct the mistake.

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Clear, Or Set, The Post Feed Redirect

One of the most mysterious settings, in our blogs, is the ability to redirect references to the blog feed.

Some people use the "Post Feed Redirect" setting improperly. When this is done, the problems created can be easily solved, by clearing the setting.

1. Go to the dashboard menu Settings - Other - Site feed.
2. Look at the entry for "Post Feed Redirect URL".
3. If that option is incorrectly set, click on "Remove".
4. Click on "Save settings".
5. You're done.

If you actually need the feed redirected, it's similarly simple to set it.

1. Go to the dashboard menu Settings - Other - Site feed.
2. Look at the entry for "Post Feed Redirect URL".
3. If that option needs to be set, click on "Add".
4. Paste or type the correct URL, into the box.
5. Click on "Save settings".
6. You're done.

The setting, for this blog, for instance, is:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/Nitecruzr-Blogging

Just understand what the setting does, how to clear, and how to add, the setting - and when you should use it, or not use it.

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Without The PostID, A Deleted Post Is Not Easily Recovered

If you delete a post (page) in your blog, it's a simple matter to recover the post - as long as you know the PostID. Unfortunately, once the post is gone, finding the post (page) id is not a simple matter - especially for those who would typically delete a page or post without planning. Blogger does not provide the PostID in any list, that we might save, periodically, to reference later.

The task of retrieving a deleted page or post is particularly frustrating, for owners of private blogs. Private blogs probably won't be cached, nor do they publish a blog feed - and without either a cache entry, or a feed reference, the PostID for a deleted post is not easily obtained.

Right now, once you delete a page or post, in a private blog, you're out of luck - unless you have cached the blog on your own computer. Retrieving from local cache is not an issue to be productively discussed in Blogger Support, as it is going to be as individual as your computer may be.

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Blogger Magic - Activating The Blog Feed

One of the neatest - and easiest - techniques, to make your blog available to a larger audience, uses a replica of the blog posts - the blog newsfeed.

Most blogs, when new, have the feed activated by default. Oddly enough, some blogs - even published publicly - do not publish a newsfeed.

Some blog owners, wondering why their blogs are not being indexed by the search engines, are perplexed.

Why isn't my blog publishing a feed?

If you want full visibility, activate the blog newsfeeds.

You activate the various newsfeeds, for the blog, from the dashboard Settings - Other - Site Feed wizard.

Routinely, you'll have one setting - "Allow Blog Feeds" - and this setting will affect all feed options equally. If you select "Custom", you can enable or disable any of the 3 feed options, separately.

• Blog Posts Feed
• Blog Comments Feed
• Per-Post Comment Feeds

Each setting will have 3 possible selections - Full, Until Jump Break, Short, None.

(Note): If you enable a feed, it is available to anybody with a feed reader, either a feed reader that they personally use, or one built in to a blog. There is no option to limit feed access - feeds are available, equally, to all interested parties. This is why feeds are not published by limited access (private) blogs.

If you fear that unknown parties might steal content from your blog by using your feed, don't publish a Full feed, publish a Short feed. This will require anybody wishing to read a complete post to access your blog, rather than reading it in their newsreader.

In most cases, though, a "Full" setting, for all feeds, is best.

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Blogger Magic - Verifying A Blog Feed URL

It's a fairly simple matter to determine the newsfeed URL, for any given blog, by examining the blog template code.

Besides the base feed, a blog may publish an extensive array of additional feeds, which won't be listed directly in the blog template code. You may use any given feed, in networking your blog, with any Google or non Google service.

Starting with any feed URL, what do I do? I could just open my favourite feed reader, or social networking web site, and paste the URL in place. But what if the feed reader or web site wasn't working properly, or I misunderstood the instructions? What if I see

Invalid URL

or the like, what do I do?

The smart thing to do, before you setup a FeedBurner feed or any complementary non Blogger service, is to test the feed.

Many modern browsers (Firefox or Internet Explorer, for instance) will give you a formatted display, when you are loading a feed URL.

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Add A Simple "Recent Comments" / "Recent Posts" Gadget To Your Blog

The recently observed problems with some third party gadgets, previously added by many blog owners to their blogs, leaves these blogs lacking various accessories.

One of the gadgets identified is the "Recent Comments" / "Recent Posts" gadget pair. For many blog owners, this gadget is not impossible to replace.

Blogger provides us with a native accessory, called a "Blog Feed" gadget, which will provide acceptable "Recent Comments" and "Recent Posts" functionality, for many blog owners.

Look at the sidebar of this blog, for "The Real Blogger Status - Comments", and "The Real Blogger Status - Posts". Those are "Recent Comments" and "Recent Posts" gadgets, which are based on the Blogger supplied "Feed" gadget - which is not a third party accessory, and is not subject to future third party peccadilloes.

To make your new gadget, start with the URL of the blog feed desired.

Add a Blogger supplied Feed gadget, using the "Add a gadget" wizard, in the dashboard Layout display.

This is the URL of this blog.

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net

This is the URL of the blog comments feed.

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/feeds/comments/default

This is the URL of the blog posts feed.

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/feeds/posts/default

Setting up a "Blog Feed" gadget is simple enough.

1. Add a "Feed" gadget (Only select the "Feed" gadget, "By Blogger"!!!), using the "Add a gadget" wizard.
2. Plug in the Feed URL (see my examples above), and Continue.
3. Review / change the options offered, and Save.
4. Test your new blog accessory - provided by Blogger - with no future hacking activity anticipated.

Avoid any similarly named gadget not "By Blogger" - distributed from "Add a Gadget", or from a private blog or non Google website.

And, you're done. Wasn't that simple?

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