Hellooooo DIY friends! I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Google Friend Connect is going away for WordPress blogs and know that I recently made the switch from Blogger to WordPress to clean things up around here. Change is scary to begin with and having change affect my readers breaks my heart. Thankfully there are other options in order to stay up-to-date!
ANNOUNCING THE NEWEST WAY TO FOLLOW:
Bloggers know a good “follower” tool is really needed. We wish for a simple, fast, easy-to-use and reliable service. Those of us who use Linky Tools and know the owner/creator (Brent Riggs), realized he would be perfect for developing some kind of really easy to use “follower” system. So we contacted him, and he loved the idea.
Introducing LINKY FOLLOWERS (www.linkyfollowers.com)
***IF YOU BECOME A LINKY FOLLOWER OF THE DIY SHOW OFF – HEAD OVER TO THE APT. GUIDE $50 AmEx GIVEAWAY/DRESSING ROOM REVEAL FOR A CHANCE TO WIN (just leave a comment saying you’re a new Linky Follower!)
Brent has created a FREE service that a group of us DIY and mom bloggers have tested and helped develop. He is launching it today. You’re the first to be invited to try it out. I was part of the test group and I love the new tool! I love being able to add and categorize blogs into groups, I love the blog reader function and being able to give a reader the spotlight in the ‘featured follower’ widget and a spot for my private blog roll. I highly recommend it!
Keep in mind this is DAY ONE of the service… there will no doubt be some bugs that the test group didn’t catch. Just contact Brent (brent@brentriggs.com)… he is great about fixing things fast. Don’t let a bug or an “oops” hurt your first impression. You’re being invited to be some of the first users of this great new tool, and your feedback will help him iron out any problems very quickly.
If you use blogger, why would you choose to use Linky Followers since the Google Friend Connect is only going away for non blogger users? I’ve heard rumors that GFC will be phased out for everyone. Why not get a start now on the newest tool for an easy transition for your readers? I’d also like the option to follow your blog using Linky Followers!
One last thing, the inevitable question: can my GFC followers be automatically moved over? NO. Google won’t allow access to those accounts but more importantly, YOU really shouldn’t sign up someone to a new service. They should voluntarily sign up themselves. You’ll need to ask your GFC folks (and all your blog readers) to follow you using Linky Followers but it’s easy, quick and did I mention, free? It’s a cool way to organize and follow the blogs you love.
Click here to follow this blog and view my other followers…
There are also these ways to stay updated by following along:
You can also subscribe and get an email reminder on the right side bar so you don’t miss a post.
I’d love for you to continue to follow along using one of the other alternative ways OR more than one! Woo hoo! I look forward to reading your comments every day (it’s the best way to remind me to get over to see you too!) and I love your participation in the DIY linky parties (so many super creative projects!). I love seeing your DIY submissions in my inbox and know that other DIY Show Off readers love getting a variety of features, seeing your latest DIY experience and creation and who doesn’t love an introduction to a new friend. I love e-meeting you, putting a name with a face and blog and looking forward to continuing to get to know you and see your awesome DIY ideas. Your support and encouragement for my own DIY gives me motivation to be better, accomplish more and turn this old house around. I always try to do the same for my friends. Let’s stay in touch! :)
There’s only a handful of us sharing this announcement today. Please join us by signing up and sharing via a blog post, FB, Twitter, G+, etc. (Leave me a comment letting me know your blog has the widget so I can come over and sign up…I love seeing your latest DIY, decorating and crafty creations!) I ‘d love to know what you think!
Wow! No I didn’t know this. Thank you so much for sharing this information. I’m sure this will be a very helpful tool. I’m going to check it out right now.
Thank you so much for this information! I am following you now through Linky followers – and I’m going to try to set this up on my blog too!
No I didn’t know and I can’t believe I now have to learn something completely new…yeah, yeah I know change is good but… Thanks so much for educating me. Let me get busy.
I know. I know! But…it’s pretty simple.
Hi Roeshel – I have become a follower of your blog via this new ‘Linky Followers’ and have also added it to my site if you care to follow me. I set it up right below the ‘Google Friend Connect’ and assume that I will just keep them until GFC goes away at some point?
I’m following you, Suzanne! Hurray! Yes, I’d leave both up. I took away GFC from my site because it was showing an error message and for WP, it’ll be gone 3/1 anyway. :/
All signed up and I’m following you! Do you know if there is a widget for Blogger yet?
The Linky Followers works for blogger too!
And how do I get my picture next to my name on your site?
There’s a place to upload a thumbnail in your dashboard.
That’s what I can’t find. Where is my dashboard located? If I click on my name it just brings me to my site.
When you’re logged in, there is an orange tab at the top of the page that says “dashboard”. There should be an area there that says “edit your thumbnail” (or maybe “add” but mine is already there). Then the gray tab that says Manage your Profile and Blog…that’s the widget area (‘new’) to create a widget for your blog.
No, I meant for your site. Not linky tools. Man you are going to be a busy girl today.
Dennis – I am so clueless. I don’t know what you’re talking about! lol Sorry! I’m now following you!
Lol. Nevermind
Awesome info. I do believe we will all get these kinked work out. I also believe our readers and friends will find us no matter what! I hope:)
I have a question! Do you know how you can read posts/feeds through Blogger’s homepage? Will there be a way to do that with the linky tool? I really don’t want my email inbox flooded with new post emails…
Lindsey – I don’t know anything about reading posts/feeds through Blogger’s homepage (sorry). But Linky Followers does have a blog reader in it. It’s not feed updated (unless the blogger updates manually – the person writing the blog you’re reading), but you can click on all of your favorite blogs (which you can categorize into general/favorite/read every day) and read there so no inbox flooding!
Thanks for the response! & thanks for the follow back!
Okay, this brings up a question I have unrelated to following! Do you like WordPress better than Blogger? I have been thinking about switching. How easy was the transition?
Xazmin – I am still learning WP. I do love that there are so many more options to customize my little spot on the www. Blogger was a lot easier in some ways (instant gadgets) but it really doesn’t take long to learn or google/copy/edit and paste the little coding required on occasion for WP. There are a TON of plugins for WP too. I also love that when an issue arises, there is always someone who can help. With blogger, there was little direction. Posting to a help forum generated no replies. Getting an answer from Google via email was completely ignored (still no response). So, yes – I love it. The transition was simple with a little help from Brent (posts automatically transferred over – nothing was lost) and byaimee.com was VERY helpful when I had no idea what I was doing.
This is awesome! I think I will ditch GFC and go with this. Very nice and the whole process to sign up was easy. Thanks so much for sharing this!
I’m following!
I added this to my blog! I am so excited to have a new option! Thanks and I hope you’ll stop over and follow me!
Hurray!
Thank you so much for the helpful information, and I’m in the process of signing up. I ran into a bit of a glitch (note: Don’t leave mid-signing up to kiss your husband good-bye and help him look for his travel mug. The process may time out and cause some issues. Tee Hee…). However, I’ve e-mailed my new friend Brent and have confidence that he can get me back on the right track!:)
I see you got things worked out! Woo hoo!
I’ve got it set up (right under my GFC … I’ll keep it there for now) and am your newest Linky Follower!
Linda
Ok I have linky follower up on my site! Feel free to drop by and follow
Just wanted you to know I nominated you for versatile blogger award!
http://mycozylittlefarmhouse.blogspot.com/2012/02/versatile-blogger.html
I signed up….come over and hit on me, would ya?
I just got all signed up and am following you, would love if you follow me back.
pretty dang cool! Blogged about it (& you) here!
http://www.northerncottage.net/2012/02/new-way-to-connect-and-photo-day-2.html
Yippee! I just got it figured out. I’m your newest follower.
Hey Roeshel,
I’m following you on Linky… stop by and follow me I just installed the widget!
Susan
Oh my word – thanks for the help! I’ve been dreading the day Google Connect went away because I had NO CLUE what I was going to do! I’m going to go try this out now, I would love it if you followed me too – love your blog!!
Hi Roeshel! thank you all for this great new tool – and for ::following:: me! I’m following you now – isn’t it great stuff!
It is awesome! I’m making it a point to be so organized now!
I, too, have been wondering which way to go with the loss of GFC. Didn’t know a thing about this though. Thanks for the info and I’m now following you! I’ve followed you for a long time the old way. Come follow me too and let’s build together! LOL
Sweet Jeanette! I’m so glad you’re following along! I’ve been following you for quite a while too! So…once you have the widget up, I’ll sign up again! I’ll keep watching!
My followers (only you and the creater so far – he he) don’t show up on my blog…do you know how to adjust that?
Sunday – try the other widget code (same thing happened to me).
It was easy to sign up with you again and add to my blog. My ads are missing and I can’t seem to get them back. Are the two connected?
Hi Maureen – I popped over to follow. They aren’t related. When you go into your template…just double check that your ad gadgets are showing. ? You might have to ad them again if they got removed during the process. ? Sorry I’m not much help…I know they’re not related but I’m not sure what’s going on behind the scenes there.
Thanks for sharing this new tool. I just added it to my blog so please come one over!
Thanks for sharing with your readers too, Lori!
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Thanks for this great post. I am a new WP user as well…still learning how to use it!. I installed the new LInky Widget, shared it in a post and on facebook! I hope you will stop by and follow me as well!
Hey there! I’ve switched over and am now following you through this great new tool! Thanks so much for being part of this. I’d love it if you came over and joined up at Turnstyle Vogue.
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I’m now a linky follower, come follow me back!
I did not know this either. I Signed up for it, and even blogged about it…….With links to YOUR blog!
)
HI Roeshel, Thanks for helping to develop this new tool. I just signed up today, and I see that you are my first Linky follower – thanks! I am following your blog as well. Have a great wknd!
Beth
I’ve been following, but just joined Linky Followers and am now following you there.
You GO being a blog pioneer woman!!!
I followed you right away but due to technical difficulties (aka my incompetence). I just got the widget on my blog today. I was going to email you but, of course you are already there.
(Nevermind that my Facebook widget is gone now. I’ll figure that out tomorrow!)
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