Custom Domain Publishing, And Alias Blocking

Some blog owners setup their new custom domain, check all settings carefully (and correctly) - then find that it does not work.

We see the confusion, in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue.

The addresses were right - and all the DNS servers updated correctly. But when I open the website, it does not open. It continuously reloads for 5 minutes and after 5 minutes it shows an error.

It's frustrating, when everything is setup properly - but still no results.

It's also frustrating, when you forget about unsupported tweaks that you made, to the blog - then have to ask for help.

Whenever changing the URL, check for - and remove - any redirecting scripts.

Before you publish a blog to a new URL, you need to check the template, for any redirecting scripts, that you may have previously installed.

<script·type='text/javascript'>
var·blog·=·document.location.href.toLowerCase();
if·(!blog.match(/\.blogspot\.com/))·{
  blog·=·blog.replace(/\.blogspot\..*?\//,·".blogspot.com/ncr/");
  window.location.replace(blog);
  }
</script>

Scripts which redirect - or block redirecting, when the blog is published to BlogSpot - will not work for you, when you publish to a non BlogSpot URL.

You will need to connect URLs, when possible - without scripts interfering.

Any time you change the URL of the blog, you're going to need some ability to link from the old URL to the new URL. Before you change the URL - either BlogSpot to BlogSpot, or BlogSpot to custom domain - check the template, for redirecting scripts.

Any redirecting scripts, that might have helped you with the blog originally published, will be a problem, when you change the URL. Remove any scripts, before changing the URL.

Better yet, don't add redirecting scripts. If you got this far, without having the blog classified as a malware host, consider yourself lucky.

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Some blog owners install mysterious scripts, to "protect" against unwanted Blogger features - and forget about their unwise tweaks. When they change the URL of the blog - and the blog, under the new URL reacts to the previously installed tweaks - they are clueless.

If you make unsupported tweaks to your blog, only you can correct problems that arise, later.

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Use A Canonical URL, With Page URL Conditionals

Not all blog owners can successfully add a conditional display of a template object, to their blog.

Some owners carefully copy the conditional code that I provide, add it to their blogs - and it does not work (for them). In some cases, it may work, for me, when I check their work.

Conditional code, that involves people in countries subject to the country specific domain redirect, won't always be comparing against "blogspot.com". People in the UK may see their blog as "blogspot.co.uk", for instance.

People in the USA, right now, will always see BlogSpot blogs, as "blogspot.com".

This blog, and other blogs published to custom domains, will always be viewed under their domain URLs - so there is no worry about country specific domain redirect.

How do you compare a blog URL, with country specific domain redirects in use?

But what of blogs published to "blogspot.com", outside the USA? How do they conditionally display objects, with the conditional URL varying according to the country specific code of each reader?

When you do a URL comparison, to conditionally display a template object - and the blog is published to "blogspot.com" - check against the canonical URL.

Use the canonical URL, for conditional comparisons in BlogSpot blogs.

Since your blog could be read by readers in any country, if your blog is published to "blogspot.com", you will want to base any URL comparison against the Canonical URL.

• Compare "data:blog.canonicalUrl" - not "data:blog.url".
• Compare against the URL, ending in "blogspot.com".

Your readers could be in any country - either the same as you, and subject to your country local domain - if one applies. Or, they could be different from you, and subject to a different country local domain - again, if one applies.

<b:if cond='data:blog.canonicalUrl != "http://mypersonalblog.blogspot.com"'>
<style>
#Text1 {display: none !important;}
</style>
</b:if>

or possibly

<b:if cond='data:blog.canonicalUrl != data:blog.homepageUrl'>
<style>
#Text1 {display: none !important;}
</style>
</b:if>

Just avoid using

<b:if cond='data:blog.url != "http://mypersonalblog.blogspot.com"'>
<style>
#Text1 {display: none !important;}
</style>
</b:if>

and

<b:if cond='data:blog.url != data:blog.homepageUrl'>
<style>
#Text1 {display: none !important;}
</style>
</b:if>

This way, everybody in every different country can see the gadgets only when necessary, as you design. And maybe, you can check your blog using a service like GeoPeeker.

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Blogger blog owners, in some countries outside the USA, occasionally observe that they cannot conditionally display template objects, in BlogSpot published blogs, as people in the USA can do.

Owners who live in the USA may not realise that people outside the USA may not see their blogs properly, with conditionals added. If you want your blog gadgets to display properly, in BlogSpot published blogs, use a canonical URL in the comparisons.

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Some Blogger Blogs Being Locked As Malware Hosts

For a long time, we've been dealing with various malware / spam mitigation issues, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.

Recently, malware detections, long simply identified as "Malicious JavaScript" in the well known Spam Appeal Guidelines, was given its own identity, and a separate classification / appeal process. We're now seeing several common types of JavaScript, included in blogs which are typically mentioned in forum reports.

It may be helpful to describe some examples of JavaScript code being seen, so blog owners can avoid making the same mistakes, by not including these scripts in their blogs.

There are several common types of JavaScript applications, found in many blogs with the owners requesting review / unlock action.

1. CPA / Cost Per Action.
2. Multiple popups, such as a generic "Welcome!", followed by "Like my blog, before you read it!".
3. Password protection, on a page basis.
4. Security warning popups, suggesting that you need to install a recommended security software.
5. Social networking popups, demanding "Like my blog, before you read it!".
6. Traffic Redirection, targeting other blogs / websites.
7. Traffic redirection, targeting the canonical URL for the host blog.

CPA / CPALeads / Cost Per Action, and similar online marketing terminology, involves providing a reward for viewing a blog, or for subscribing to the blog feed. Some CPA scripts may be used to collect email addresses, also known as "email address mining", later used for hacking activity or spam distribution.

CPA scripts present another problem. Since Blogger blogs are intended to reward the readers by providing interesting and unique content, blogs which use CPA may be improperly designed or maintained. Blogger wants the blog owners to publish blogs which entertain or inform their readers - not blogs which require artificial or ingenious techniques to generate traffic, and visitor activity.

Multiple popups, such as an initial "Welcome to my blog!" greeting, followed by the well known FaceBook "Like my blog, to read my blog!" demand. If multiple popups should become an established practice, it's possible that malware producers could enjoy this technique, to conceal a malware installation.

Password protection, on a page basis, is an attempt to make a blog (or blog portion) private, by using a password. This protection is easily defeated, as the password is provided in the page (post / template) code, as plain text - and can easily be identified by anybody knowing how to view page source as text.

Besides the "protection" being easily bypassed, this is a problem because security scanning programs - such as the malicious scripting bot - can't pass through JavaScript code easily. When encountering this JavaScript application, your blog will be righteously classified, as a malicious script host.

Security warning popups, suggesting that your computer is infected - and offering, for immediate installation, the perfect tool to remove the claimed malware. Security experts know that this is similarly a favourite malware installation technique, where the computer owner would give permission to have the offered software installed - and the installed software would later install a botnet client or similar malicious trash.

Social networking popups are an arrogant way of wasting your readers time, and guaranteeing eventual malware classification of your blog. Popular among some WordPress blogs, the circular FaceBook "Like my blog, to read my blog!" demand is a good way to make genuine readers go elsewhere.

If you want genuine readers, who read a Blogger blog because of thoughtful, unique content, you will not get them by demanding that they boost your FaceBook popularity, before reading your blog. This is just another way of buying "Likes" - and it belongs in WordPress, not in Blogger.

Traffic Redirection, targeting other blogs / websites is a technique attempted by many hackers and spammers. The use of some blogs as gateways, leading to redistributors, which in turn lead to payload blogs or non Google websites, is part of many hacking / spam attacks. Google is trying to restrict the use of Blogger blogs as malware / spam hosts - and actively prevents scripts, which only shuffle readers from one blog to another, without choice.

Even though Blogger will not encourage you to move your blog, to Tumblr, Weebly, WordPress, or wherever, you are allowed to do this - if you feel the need.

Hello, faithful readers:

This blog is now hosted at my new blogging host. Please update your blog lists and bookmarks!

If you must do this, it's OK to post a notice, in your Blogger blog. You can even put a link, to the new blog, in the notice. You just can't use JavaScript, to automatically redirect the reader to the new blog.

Traffic redirection, targeting the canonical URL for the host blog, is a technique used by some blog owners who perceive Country Code Alias Redirection to present a problem. Some accessories installed on their blogs, and various non Google services which may be used to provide activity on their blogs, may not properly reference the canonical URL tag included in all Blogger blogs.

Since Blogger / Google wants all Blogger blog owners to benefit from improved world wide access to Blogger blogs, blogs which employ automatic canonical URL redirection may damage the effect of CC alias redirection. Blogs which host scripts which immediately redirect readers to the canonical URL, and are considered undesirable by any host government, may force an offended host government to block the entire Blogger service, in their country.

To prevent malicious misuse of Blogger by hackers and spammers, and to encourage effective long term use of Blogger by legitimate blog owners, Blogger / Google may detect any blogs which use these types of scripts as part of their general malware / spam classification strategy. Given the ability and willingness of the blog owner, to remove the JavaScript code in question, most blogs can be returned to service - but each blog will remain offline, until the removal is verified.

It's to everybody's benefit to identify, and to avoid use of, these scripts in our blogs, before it's too late. If your blog contains one of these scripts, why not remove the problem now, instead of waiting until you too have to post your problem report, in the forum

Help me! My blog was just locked for

MALICIOUS JAVASCRIPT

What do I do, now?

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Malware Classification, And Country Code Redirection

We're seeing a few complaints, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, about overly aggressive malware classification.

Many of the complaints are from blog owners who only want to publish their blogs without fear of side effects from the latest controversial feature, Country Code Alias Redirection.

Spurious malware / spam detection is a painful topic to discuss - and it's even more so when the question of country code alias redirection is discussed. Like auto pagination long ago, country code alias redirection appears to be another case of Google manipulating its customers, maliciously. If you consider this issue from the viewpoint of Blogger blogs in general, though, you may see the full picture.

Blogger blogs, like the Internet, need to be available to all countries in the world, without fear of censorship.

Redirection allows specific blogs to be blocked in specific countries.

Country Code Alias Redirection allows Blogger to selectively disable any single blog, in any single country. This selective disabling will, eventually, eliminate the need of any country government to block the entire Blogger service, in their country, because of a few culturally or politically insensitive blogs.

Country Code Alias Redirection is a righteous feature in Blogger blogs. Like many new Google features, it was added before every Internet service was made able to support it. Country Code Alias Redirection uses an Internet standard - not a Google proprietary feature - the canonical URL tag.

If you look at the header in this blog, you can see an example of a canonical URL tag.

<link href='http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2013/02/malware-classification-and-cc-alias.html' rel='canonical'/>

That's the tag for this article, for instance.

Some non Google features and services don't support Blogger Redirection.

Some Blogger blog owners find that Country Code Alias Redirection causes problems, with some accessories on their blog. Some owners have added anti redirection code to their blogs, so the accessories on their blogs continue to work.

Country Code Alias Redirection may not work with every third party provided blog accessory or Internet service - because all Internet services, and third party accessory providers, do not support canonical URL tags.

Just because some services are not up to date with all Internet features (like Country Code Alias Redirection), this does not mean that it should not be used. The delinquent services need to be encouraged to update their code, as necessary.

Blogs which block redirection are classified as malware hosts.

Some blogs, which block Country Code Alias Redirection, are being spuriously detected as malware hosts - and this is more controversy.

The anti redirection code looks like malware - because that same code is used by spammers, to abuse the Blogger service. To not classify blogs attempting to disable Country Code Alias Redirection, would require the malware classifier to identify the intent of the blog owner - and would make malware detection more complicated.

Since Country Code Alias Redirection is a righteous feature, it's possible that anti redirection code actually should be treated as malware - even though the blog owners, adding the code to their blogs, may not consider this to be the case.

We need to discourage blocking of redirection, for everybody's benefit.

Those of us who are concerned with detection and removal of malware and spam from the Internet, in general, know that malware and spam is like a cancer - if you don't remove what you see, it's only going to get worse.

To allow anti redirection code to be installed in some Blogger blogs, will encourage other blog owners to do the same - and will inhibit the effects of Country Code Aliasing. Also, it will allow some hackers and spammers to do likewise, without fear of detection. None of these possibilities is good for Blogger blogs, in general.

Your blog may now be locked, because of redirection blocking code,

If you installed anti redirection code in your blog some time ago, your blog was just locked as a suspected malware host. and you are now anxiously waiting for malware review while your blog remains offline, we're sorry for you. But you are not being abused by Blogger - nor is your malware classification unfair.

Remove the anti redirection code, on your blog - now, while you are able. Encourage the providers of third party accessories and Internet services to update their code. And don't allow or encourage hackers and spammers to abuse Blogger blogs, or the Internet in general. Please.

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Country Code Aliases Are Not In Use, In All Non USA Countries

One source of confusion, about the occasionally misunderstood country code aliasing of BlogSpot published blogs, comes from the way the aliasing is being installed, world wide.

Country Code Aliasing is a new feature - and it's still being tested. Since it's being tested, it's not being immediately installed in all countries, world wide - and this will cause confusion, until it is fully installed.

Google is installing Country Code Aliasing, one country at a time, as convenient to them.

Change notification will be provided, if at all, after change is made.

Google is providing no notice, before - or after - any given country is being added, as an alias to "blogspot.com". This is a standard technique used in Information Technology environments - it's not new or unique to the Blogger / Google Country Code Aliasing feature.

It's called by various names, in different companies. Some call it phased installation, others pilot testing, and others may have other names.

Each blog, with a different reader population, will have different results.

What it means - simply - is that not all blog owners will see the same effects, as the new feature is installed, in every country, as each new country is added. Every different blog will have a differing reader population, distributed over different countries.

Readers in some countries - where aliasing is active - will see different results than readers in other countries, where aliasing is not active.

Not any two blog owners will see the same problems.

Combining the different content in every different blog, which makes some blogs more or less susceptible than other blogs to the effects of aliasing, with the different reader population, not any two blog owners will see the same problems, or have the same opinions, about aliasing.

Until every blog owner realises several details about aliasing, we're going to keep hearing complaints.

• Country code aliasing is not optional.
• Country code aliasing has a real purpose.
• Country code aliasing is beneficial to all of us.

We'll deal with the problems, one blog, one country, and one owner at a time.

We'll all just have to deal with the problems, one country at a time. We'll need to ask our readers, one crucial question.

What exact URL is displayed, by your browser, when you observe the problem?

And, we'll have to observe the difference between "blogspot.com", "blogspot.co.uk", and "blogspot.fr".

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Country Code Aliases Cannot Be Bypassed

Occasionally we see the innocent query in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, about the recently introduced Blogger feature - country code aliasing.

Is there any way I can opt out from this constantly changing of the .com termination, into .be, .bg, or .ro, depending on where I travel?

Not many Blogger blog owners realise the benefits of country code aliasing, which is, like auto pagination, a feature which is not optional. There are publicly available workarounds, which may bypass the effects of country code aliasing - and which may cause more trouble than simple URL confusion.

Many spammers would love to setup gateway blogs, and automatically redirect their unwitting victims.

Spammers would redirect traffic to dangerous blogs and websites.

The redirections would lead to other blogs (or non Blogger websites) which contain their actual hacking, porn, or spam payload. Blogger / Google, like some browsers and security programs, actively prevents automatic redirection of Blogger blog traffic.

Blogger malware classification is not understood by everybody.

Not all blog owners understand the effect of Blogger malware classification. Similar to spam classification, malware classification persistently scans through Blogger blogs, looking for signs of malware.

Anti-alias redirection code is very simple, and subtle.

Here's an example - a very simple code snippet, recently discovered in the header of the template, in a blog which has been repeatedly locked for "Malicious JavaScript" / "Spam".

var·blog·=·document.location.hostname;
var·slug·=·document.location.pathname;
var·ctld·=·blog.substr(blog.lastIndexOf("."));
if·(ctld·!=·".com")·{
var·ncr·=·"http://"·+·blog.substr(0,·blog.indexOf("."));
ncr·+=·".blogspot.com/ncr"·+·slug;
window.location.replace(ncr);
}

or maybe, a more compact snippet

if ((window.location.href.toString().indexOf('.com/'))=='-1') {
window.location.href =window.location.href.toString().replace('.blogspot.in/','.blogspot.com/ncr/').replace('.blogspot.com.au/','.blogspot.com/ncr/');
}

or maybe

//<![CDATA[(LF)
var·curl·=·window.location.href;if·(curl.indexOf('m=1')·!=·-1)·{curl·=·curl.replace('m=1',·'m=0');window.location.href·=·curl;}(LF)//]]>

To prevent malware detection from blocking this post, I'm omitting the essential opening and closing tags, which would normally encase the above code snippets.

<script·type='text/javascript'> ... </script>

You can try anti alias redirection code, if you like.

If your blog contains similar redirection code, to bypass country code aliasing, you may get a notice, one day, that your blog has been deleted for "Malicious Javascript". In order to get the blog restored, so your readers may view it, you may have to remove the Malicious JavaScript - then wait until the blog can be reviewed, to ensure that it is safe for public visibility.

When your blog is classified as a malware host, you will suffer.

While you wait for review, you will have to endure the loss of search engine and reader reputation - while every would be reader sees the interstitial notice, mentioning why your blog is deleted or locked.

Work on the problem, don't use (and encourage) dodgy workarounds.

You will accomplish more, and cause yourself (and your readers) less pain, by learning to live with country code aliasing - and concentrating on convincing the various search engines and other Internet services to accept Canonical URLs, so country code aliasing will work, seamlessly, with the Internet service which interests you. Alternately, use better designed gadgets and Internet services.

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