I currently use Google Reader to add blogs to my own blog sidebar and follow updates there. I use the Blogger feature that allows me to have the blog name come up with the title of the latest post, and it also shows me how long ago the post was published, ALL in chronological order, newest first. I like this feature a lot and it saves me from having to use Google Reader to look at the posts. It also showcases the blogroll for other people to see and perhaps find a new blog to read, too.
I am not sure yet if the blogs I have added manually are going to disappear from that list when Google Friend Connect disappears for non-Blogger bloggers on March 1st or not. Very confusing right now !
As for my own blog followers, I have decided to have a closer look at Linky Tools For Followers.
It is a very new tool and I am going to give it a try - I know that some of the rest of you are going to try it too so I hope we can share some ideas and tricks and tips.
First of all, it is free.
It is is an easy sign up process.
It is easy to add the widget to your blog, too.
And it is going to be a good tool for me to connect with my followers... much easier than GFC has been. And easy for me to verify who actually IS a follower as I do require that on my giveaways.
So if you are going to LINKY, then let's get together and exchange some ideas and tips and quirks about the software.
Here is one I have found already....
When you sign up one of the things that it asks you to do is type some text that you want displayed when a viewer's mouse hovers over your avatar on their LINKY FOLLOWERS tool. It can be up to 49 characters.
If you look at my LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on the right sidebar, have your mouse hover over the various avatars. You will see the text that the user (follower) has decided to display. It is really helpful if it is a name and/or a blog name just in case you do not recognize the avatar or photo.
There is also a LINKY FOLLOWER BLOG DIRECTORY so you can find out which of your already-favorites are using the new LINKY FOLLOWER tool.
Are you going to use LINKY FOLLOWER?
Do you think that the diappearance of GFC is going to affect you?
I'm feeling overwhelmed since I hadn't really thought much about followers. How does the simple "Blogger" follow button relate to all of this? I think that's what I've used most often...
ReplyDeleteHahaha I know who you are talking about! :) I know what you mean, I didn't know that was what it was going to be used for when I typed it in! I need to figure out how to edit that. This had me laughing, I am glad you recognized me anyway :) I am going to go see if I can change that now. I know when I have been lectured. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what I'm going to do with GFC being gone!! I'm so undecided. I was waiting until march 1st to see what disappears but i love the dashboard and all the blog updates. Maybe I will have to get an RSS feed?
ReplyDeleteI think The loss of GFC will have an impact but I also love that it will be gone. I can't tell you how many "followers" I would get that would never even comment, or read my blog. Id rather have less followers that actually contribute to my blog and my life, then tons :)
ReplyDeleteI have a feed burner set up - click subscribe, pick your reader. EASY.
I will not use linky - I don't like dispaying how many followers I have for whatever reason. I only had GFC b/c my readers expressed that they'd like me to have it.
I follow everyone in google reader - including you :) I'm not going anywhere lol
I just added linky to my sidebar too. Following you:) I also need to add my pic to linky. I haven't figured much of it out yet.
ReplyDeleteoh I am confused also with all this
ReplyDeleteI follow with reader and with GFC..I have everyone I follow set on my google reader. I added a RSS feed on my blog
I hope that we wont have to set everything up again...
I have never heard of linky before
Okay! You figured out more than me! I am trying to figure out how to make the words come up when people hover over my pic. HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!
ReplyDeleteI do like that Linky comes with a way to organize and follow your blogs. Like, I added you to my Favorites category so I can find you again! ;)
I'm confused by all of this as well - I hear so many different things and I just happened to find out about Linky Followers from another blog. I honestly didn't see how GFC did anything other than "display" how many followers you had - but maybe I was confused by that too!
I am starting to like Google Reader more and more, but I am totally going to give Linky some time to test it out!
I think I figured the thumbnail message out!
ReplyDeleteI follow everyone via google reader but I've been considering adding Linky to give people additional options to stay in touch.
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting Linky too. I am not sure what I will think after time but I did like being able to categorize your blog as I started following.
ReplyDelete