Saturday 12 June 2010

Old Stick in New Mud

I think Blogger is trying to tell me something. No not trying – more like blatantly telling me something very specific.

If I look at the right hand side of my blog homepage screen: “Dashboard” has been removed.

The words are now “Your@email - New Post - DESIGN - Sign Out”

Personally, Dashboard is the most useful link for me – click on it and I am in my “Blogs I Follow" page and I can view the comments left by you lovely bloggie friends.

For Blogger to remove the "Dashboard" quick link and add "Design" is therefore a BIG THING.

And the way I see it, Blogger is screaming:

“Your blog is OLD – it needs to be revamped - look at our new young fresh templates – choose one now! Click on the Design button. NOW!”

It’s a shame then that I don’t take kindly to sudden changes or to blatant hints! LOL!

Then again, I could be such a stick in the mud when I want to be.

No wonder my mother despairs.

[To get to Dashboard, I now click on New Post, then Dashsboard.]

Charlie says: I don't think it's your blog that needs a revamp. Look at this mess!



Have a summery Saturday everyone!

30 comments:

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

This was on the Real Blogger Status Blog:

Friday, June 11, 2010
Click On The "B"
The Blogger navbar always bothered me, because of its lack of one key link. When you're logged in, it has "New Post" and "Design" (previously "Customize") links - and that's OK. When you're not logged in, it has a "Dashboard" link - and that's OK. But when you're logged in, there is no "Dashboard" link - and that's not OK.

One day, I found out why there is no "Dashboard" link. By mistake, I clicked my mouse when the pointer was over the Orange / White "B" at the far left - and there it was - my dashboard. The "B" is simply a logo, that links to "Blogger.Com".

* If you're not logged in, you get to login.
* If you are logged in, and your default dashboard is Draft (Blue) Blogger, you see a White on Blue "B" logo. Click on the logo, and you get the Draft dashboard.
* If you are logged in, and your default dashboard is Production Blogger, you see a White on Orange "B" logo. Click on the logo, and you get the Production dashboard.


It's that simple - though I'm not sure that everybody knows it yet.

I don't know if that will help or not...

Amy & the house of cats said...

I didn't even know there was a dashboard link - you can click the blogger "b" in the left corner and it takes you back to the dashboard too. My guess is that is why they removed it, because it was duplicated.

And we think your blog looks just fine!

The Chair Speaks said...

The same happened to me a day or 2 ago. Not sure what I clicked but must have done something right. I, too, do not like sudden changes.

Elizabeth Mueller said...

LOL, cute Charlie! My blog is doing that, too!! Grrr. I don't like it when they do that to any websites I'm so used to. *Sigh*

Happy Weekend, Jennifer! :D

Katnip Lounge said...

That desk is not messy, it's creative! Looks just like my husband's, actually...and he's got a quicksilver creative mind.

pee ess: Blogger is a putz.

Jacqueline said...

Like you, I'm not big on change either; maybe that's why we identify so well with cats!?!...Have a fun weekend sweet friends and kisses to Charlie...xo...Calle, Halle, Sukki

Anonymous said...

Summer-y?!
Sigh. We are in the Southern Hemisphere... no summer for us FOR MONTHS to come!
I wish, though, that it was summer all year round :)

lupie said...

Hahahaha!!

I find it weird too when I log on today to blogger!
Thanks for the tips on finding dashboard! :)

Er ... is that really your desk???????

Anonymous said...

I noticed this, this morning. I have "dashboard" back now, so I am wondering whether bloggers have complained.

fairyhedgehog said...

Yesterday, Blogger did the same to me. Today, clicking on your blog gave me the original bar with Dashboard in it. Go figure!

fairyhedgehog said...

ABBY, that's cool! Thank you!

Kea said...

I use Blogger in Draft as my default and I've always had a link to "Dashboard" at the top of my page. I do notice they've changed a few things, but for me, it's only a matter of a few grumbles, then adjusting and getting what I want out of it.

I like having more design options, actually. If I hadn't already manually changed my blogs to 3-columns, I'd be using their new templates to jazz things up. I get bored with the same look of my blog after a while. I get bored with a lot of things after a while. Maybe that's why I've painted walls in the house so many times! LOL.

Happy Saturday!

P.S. As for your "clutter," call me! I LOVE throwing things out and de-cluttering. Makes me feel terrific. :-)

Ann said...

I hate change. I am hoping I will not have to deal with this.

Al said...

At least you can read a simple blog!
Some have such odd choices of colour they are almost impossible to read.
Others obscure half their text with "background" images.

Don't let Charlie push you around too much. You'll get to the cleaning when you have a moment :-)

Anonymous said...

Eeek, you're the second Blogger user I read to have been having problems with it in the last 24 hours! Have they irretrievably 'improved' something just now?

Hannah and Lucy said...

Tell Charlie to start to sort out your 'creativity' and you'll join in later (much later!).

Guinevere said...

P.S. I still have a Dashboard icon? Weird.

Guinevere said...

That so looks like my desk would if I had a desk. Right now, when at home I work from the couch, and I end up being like "Gha! I can't take the cups on the coffee table and the pile of books under my feet!" and cleaning up. Which lasts about two hours.

I like that spot, though, because Buffy likes to sleep on the top of the couch right behind my head, where she can look out the window or sneeze on the back of my head, as the fancy reaches her.

Isn't it great how our cats want to be with us (read: on our stuff)? :)

Susan Fields said...

It's done the same thing to me for the past few days now. I never thought about it as telling me my blog needs to be revamped, but maybe that's the message here... :)

Marg said...

I don't use Blogger so I can't help you but I sure would feel the same way as you do. Who wants sudden changes and besides it is up to you what you header looks like, not blogger. So just let those silly blogger people scream.
Have a great week end.

Musings of a Mother said...

It's infuriating isn't it? I keep having to go into the Design thingy and exit that way to get into the dashboard. But I see some of your lovely readers are also very clever readers and have found a shortcut tos solve all our problems. I'm now off to try it out....

Anonymous said...

I still have the dashboard icon...hope it stays. Had a hard time using the new design one!

Theresa Milstein said...

Blogger is pushing that new design feature, isn't it?
I haven't even bothered to look because last time I changed my design, I had to go through every post and fix formatting. And that was months ago. I have 205 posts!

I think your blog is lovely.

Charlie may notice the clutter, but I hope he's helping out with the dusting.

Have a great rest of your weekend. I hope you don't have the rain that started here this afternoon.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I'm with you, Kitty. There is no customize anymore for me -- just DESIGN.

Like you, I do not take well to being told what to do. Like you, I have a cat, Gypsy, who despairs of me ever having a princess-suitable apartment!

Thanks for dropping by my blog and leaving such nice comments. Struggling to be better than we were is always a challenge for me, too. Have a great weekend, Roland

laughingwolf said...

why i detest google [owners of blogger] GRRRRRRRRR

always adding crap i never asked for nor need!

they even removed the 'add friend' link... likely hidden somewhere, but i can't find it! PMO!!!

Ann Best said...

I've copied Abby's comments, and now I'm going to see if I can figure out what she's talking about since I've wondered about the Dashboard too and just recently discovered how it really works. And O.K., I love your so-called mess. And unfortunately, I'm one who likes change, which gets me in trouble. So now that my blog is stable, I'm trying to ignore the itch to try something "new"!!

KarenMcG said...

Well, I don't use Blogger--I use WordPress. But I can certainly understand your vexation for having your dashboard disappear. Bummer.

Now about that "supposed mess!" All I see is floof!

Brian's Home Blog said...

I understand, I don't like change either, but you blog looks just wonderful!!!

notesfromnadir said...

Good, I see you've gotten some help.

When you have time, you can redesign it but right now it is certainly fine. I pay more attention to the posts and pictures than the design & layout.

Charlie looks like he's busy in that picture. I'll allow him his privacy & return later! :)

Beth Zimmerman said...

Your blog is lovely just the way it is! Why mess with a good thing?