Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Help Needed

How many of you use a reader to keep up with your favorite bloggers?

I've been using Google's Reader for several months now and it really has helped me to keep up with new posts others have been putting up and saves me a lot of time because I don't have to log into each and every blog to see if a new post has been put up from the day -or two days maybe (when I get behind on reading) before.

Usually I like this service -a lot -but the key word there is "Usually."

Since last Friday -August 1st -my Reader has been acting up, behaving weirdly for me. I appears apparently to many who use a reader that I have not put up any new posts since Thursday, July 31st -and that's not true. I have done several posts as a matter of fact, since that date.

Last Friday, from about 9:30 a.m. until around 8:00 p.m., when I would log into my reader, all I would see was maybe 1/8 of the number of blogs I subscribe to showing on the left sidebar. In addition to that, there was no scrollbar between the names of those I subscribe to and the posts. I sent a message to Google/Blogger's Help Form (Such a wonderful place that is to get lost in!) about my issues but to date, I have received no response from them giving me any assistance.

Friday evening -around 8:00 p.m. -my reader began working again. However, there seems to be still more of a glitch going on with it and that is that MY blog is not being updated on readers!

The last post showing for my blog on Reader is dated July 31st.

I have tried everything I KNOW (which isn't very darned much, I admit) to get this corrected -to no avail. If you click into my blog via Google Reader and then click on my blog name at the top -not the name of the blog post, but my blog name (Down River Drivel) it will take you to my blog and the recent posts. But just on first glance, it appears I haven't updated so gee, what does that do then to my stats, how many readers are stopping by, reading, commenting even at times.

I tried over the weekend to put my blog on Feedburner and wow, talk about major confusion to my pea brain! That site sure did me in -definitely has had me pretty much cross-eyed for the past 2-3 days now trying to figure out various things there.

One thing in particular is "sitemap" and "Verification of my blog" -which both of these have me totally confused.

What I'd like to do here is ask any of you reading this post, to please either leave me a comment or e-mail me (use the e-mail thing on my profile, please) to let me know that you read this post.

And, if you have a clue at all about how to fix stuff that goes awry with blogging, please feel free to offer up any suggestions, information, instructions there too -you name it, I'll try to see if it works!

Right now, this is quite frustrating for me and I really would appreciate very much any information, any help you can offer to me.

So please, come forward and give me a hand, will you? Comment that you read my blog from your reader and it's updating okay for you or comment that you come here from your own bookmark of my blog or however you came by here. Or please e-mail me and let me know how you found my blog now or find it regularly -whatever. I really need to have more information so I can try to wheedle down the list of what might be creating this problem and then, how to go about fixing it.

I'll be here -waiting patiently to hear from you!

Ok, I confess -I won't be waiting patiently, but I'll be here, and yes, I'll be waiting!

20 comments:

Unknown said...

I don't use a reader. The main reason I don't is with everything I have going on right now I would end up spending all my time subscribing to and reading blogs. I usually limit myself to about an hour a day for blogging at the most. More often it is less than that. That includes writing my blog.

Most of the time I do it all while my coffee brews of a morning and then I go to work. About 20 minutes.

I know that if I started reading through a reader I would read until I was finished.

So, I can't help you with this one.

Later Y'all.

david mcmahon said...

We're all here for you!

Schmoop said...

I don't use Reader, so alas, I can be of no help. But I can say this...

Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Cheers to ya Jeni!!

Beth said...

I use a reader. It is so much quicker to (usually) see who has a new post and I can read through different blogs easily in a shorter period of time.

Jeni, I don't use the google reader, but I have noticed at times that blogs I subscribe to have newere posts than it first appears with Microsoft Feeds too.

Dave said...

I don't use a reader, so I can't help you with your problem. It seems just as easy to put the blogs I read in "Favorites" under "Blogs" and just click on what I want to see.

Berni said...

As you know I subscribed to all 3 of your feeds to see what came through. Atom,RSS and Feedburner.

So far Feedburner came through on Google Reader with this post the others may follow I will let you know.

Sandee said...

I'll admit I use the reader. If I don't see new content then I move on. Thanks for letting me know your reader isn't working. Just keep after Google to reset you. Maybe delete yourself and then resubscribe? I have another blogging buddy and her reader hasn't worked since her daughters birthday in 2007. Just keep after them. Have a great day. :)

Berni said...

Me again I just noticed that the missing posts from July 31 on are also there on the Feedburner feed. So at least we know that works.

Theresa said...

I heard of this so called reader, I currently visit all the blogs on my list-although I had to cut back greatly because it was just too time consuming- If I try it -I'll let you know.

Suldog said...

I don't use a reader. I have very little trust for mechanical things like that. I go to every blog I'm able to, as often as I'm able, and if it takes a little bit of extra time, so be it.

Linda said...

Have you gone to the Google Help boards to see if anyone has any sort of suggestions as to what to do? I'll go back and try reloading your feed using Feedburner and see if that helps but I'm such a tech ijit I really have no idea how to fix these things.

Good luck and I'll keep checking in to see how you're doing!

none said...

Thats why I have Internet explorer 7. It's a little clunky but the built in feeds functiuon is really nice.

Minnesotablue said...

Now you know Jeni I can't help you. I am still blog iliterate! Heck, I recieve an award and still don't know how to post it. Magnetbabe was here this summer and posted the onee you gave me. I'll have to wait until I see her ago for help. Sorry.

Smalltown RN said...

Girl you are way more advanced than me.....Google Reader, never even heard of it before...but sounds like a good idea....I think I will let one of the experts here help you out....

Thanks for stopping by my blog. It truly was an amazing day at the spa, hubby and I are off today to go cruising on the open waters....I am so excited....I've been awake since 0500 trying to be quite but pack at the same time. I'll be sure to take lots of photos....

Hugs my friend...

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

oh i'm no help honey. i wish i was. i do use a reader but don't even know how i did it. i know one thing though. i have my blog in my reader twice, two different ways and it shows i have 43 subscribers in one and 13 in the other way. so it depends on if you use atom or something which way you show up. now on feedburner i never was able to verify my blog so i gave up and took some more fish oil. i need nap... sorry.

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

PRH said...

Have had off/on issues with Blogger/Google since last week. Seems their issues have issues....good luck.

The Anti-Wife said...

We should have been born after 1970. Then we would understand all of this and be able to solve all of our technological problems with a simple mouse click.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Dianne said...

Wow I thought I was the only one who doesn't use a reader!

I just set up favorites and put the blogs I like to read in there - I have a folder for regulars, a folder for photos and so on.

Did you double check your Blogger settings. I saw a mention somewhere of blogger settings get screwed up after Fridays's Spam problem.

OHmommy said...

I use google reader and my runs slow too. I have been thinking about making the switch elsewhere but than I would loose my blog roll.

Travis Cody said...

I love google reader. I haven't noticed any issues with it recently.

Oh...just so you know, I may not comment every day but I am reading!