Blogger vs WordPress Blog

Almost as soon as I published my post about Thoughts on Quilting Blogs / Blog Comment Etiquette, I wanted to have a follow up discussion. The comments and discussion that happened in the comments was really enlightening and formulated a few follow up thoughts that I want to touch on today.

Topic #1

Mobile apps like Bloglovin' are currently formatted in such a way that leaving comments is harder than when using the desktop version.

Solution?

Currently, if you use Bloglovin' on a mobile device, you click to read a blog post and then need to click on "View Original Post" to get the ability to leave a comment… and then you have to go through the normal login procedures for whatever blog platform (WordPress, Blogger, Google+, etc.). It's a lot of steps.

I recently submitted a help ticket to Bloglovin' in which I requested the developers consider an Ease of Use upgrade to their mobile app. I would highly suggest that more Bloglovin' users do the same so that the topic is elevated to a level that might be acted upon. If you would like to do so, here are the steps I took to submit the request.

Log into Bloglovin' and click on your profile icon in the upper right hand corner. Click on "Help" in the drop down menu that appears.

You will need to sign in again to get access to the Help options.

After you sign in, click on Contact Support beside your login identity in the upper right hand corner of the screen. This will bring you to the Submit a Request screen.

Here is what I submitted:

Subject: Ease of Use Request

Description: When clicking on a blog post in the Bloglovin' desktop reader, it opens in such a way that a comment can be left. When using the Bloglovin' app on a mobile device, extra steps are required to be able to leave a blog comment. First, clicking on the blog post in the app is required, then a second selection to "view original post" is required before it is possible to leve a comment on a blog. That extra step is different between your desktop and mobile devices and I am requesting that your developers look into changing the ease of use of the mobile site so that the second click is not necessary.

More and more people use mobile devices every day, and after discussions with many bloggers, we would highly appreciate it if platforms like yours do not add barriers to the ability of users to comment. Because of the extra step, many people are abandoning commenting.

Kind regards, Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl

For the record, I received a very nice response back saying that my feedback would be shared with the team. I hope you consider submitting a similar request as well if you would like to see a change made.

Topic #2

Breaks are good.

If you go on vacation, it is perfectly OK to "mark all as read" in your reader and move on. Sure you might go back and check in on a close friend or two to see what they have been up to, but vacations are needed for a reason, and creative breaks can help you feel refreshed and ready to blog / read / create anew. Which also means that taking your own blogging break can be a really good idea, too.

Topic #3

It's never too late to leave a comment.

This is a bit of a contrast to the previous topic, but I like to view it this way: If you are new to a blog, it does not hurt to leave a comment on old content. In my mind, if anything I have written strikes a chord with someone, I want to talk to them about it when they are feeling excited and energized, even if I wrote that blog post years ago!

Topic #4

Let people on Instagram know that you blogged more about a topic.

There is a trend of Instagram being a fun and fast way to interact. But some topics do require more depth and writing space, and letting your Instagram followers know that you blogged in more detail can remind them to pop on over. It worked for my original discussion post, and people commented that they like getting those reminders on Instagram as well.

I tend to do that by using #OnTheBlog (#LinkInProfile) so that people can easily click on over using my blog link in my Instagram profile.

Topic #5

Everything changes.

Blogging is not the same today as it was a year ago or 5 years ago, but I am committed to staying with the format. Will that always be the case? I know better at this point in my life to never say never, but blogging is something I see being a continued part of my life for some time. My ability to post so frequently will ebb and flow, as it does for all of us. But I am definitely committed to continuing because I think there is a lot of value for myself in talking through my processes. Those times when the act of sitting down to talk about a project creates a lightbulb moment for me and I can go and fix something that has been bothering me are invaluable, as are the times when I am stuck, ask a question, and am able get help in return via comments.

What else?

I have not explored how to leave feedback about the mobile Feedly app (namely because I don't have experience using it to describe it well), but if you prefer to use Feedly I encourage you to submit feedback to their developers! And as always, check the comments below for more insight and discussion. 🙂

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Source: Blog Comments: Follow Up