Monday, September 12, 2011

In Which Blogger Switches Things Up

Has anyone played around with the new blogger interface?

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, blogger rolled out a new interface for the dashboard about a week ago. You can try it out by clicking on the "Try the Updated Blogger Interface" Link. Don't worry you can switch back.

It looks something like this:




I haven't really given it a try beyond just a few looks. Mostly because just with those few glances I decided I'm not crazy about it. I'm also not crazy about trying to figure out where everything is again.

But, I realize I may be acting unfairly since I haven't actually used it. Has anyone else given it a test run? Do you like it? Not like it? Why or why not?


OK update: I've played around with it a bit. It's going to take some getting used to, especially regarding some weird format stuff but one of the things I absolutely LOVE is when you "preview" your post now, it actually opens it as a separate window and shows what it will look like on your actual blog. So it's a true preview.

24 comments:

Katie O'Sullivan said...

Good to hear someone who's tried it out and read it isn't too scary - I was afraid to click the button and then not be able to get the old format back again...

Maybe I'll give it a shot...

Hart Johnson said...

I get so nervous with blogger changes. It seems like there are always growing pains and i don't want to be a casualty, but I know eventually I will need to give it a shot... I will wait for you tech leaders to do it first, though.

Dan Schwent said...

I've played with it a bit but I'm not ready to switch over completely yet.

Anne Gallagher said...

Nope. Saw it, ignored it. I can't even get used to the old blogger so nothing new for me. I wish I could go back to the manual typewriter most days.

Luanne G. Smith said...

I tend to resist changes like this until I'm forced to do it. I'm happy with the way things are and don't really see the need for the new interface.

-- signed, grouchy old blogger.

Huntress said...

I switched to it, in the words of Forrest Gump, for no particular reason.

It's okay but *shrug* an improvement?? Meh

vic caswell said...

i wasn't overly happy about the new layout, but i switched to it anyway. i haven't really explored around it or anything. but it seems much like the other format, just looks different... except for the preview thing you mentioned which is really nice!

Lola Sharp said...

I chose to pretend it isn't there. I'm brave and love change EXCEPT with technology...I am too tech-stupid. When it comes to software and tech stuff, if it ain't broke, I don't mess with it.
Dude, I still can't figure out Scrivener. Even though I have it, and everyone loves it, I still use word for my writing. *sigh*

Hugs,
Lola

Jessica Bell said...

You won't be able to switch back for long. They changed mine two months ago without even asking me to try it out. Why do you folk in the US get to try it first? I think it's better any way ...

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Haha, I posted about this too, and I agree with Jessica. Pretty soon it will be the only option so we better get used to it.

LD Masterson said...

But I'm still trying to figure out the old one.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I haven't taken the plunge yet. I like the old one...

Hannah said...

I can already preview my post as a real one, so I'm confused.

I may try it, I'm always looking for something better.

Matthew MacNish said...

I don't have any problems with the current one, so I don't mess with it, except for just taking a glance.

Lindsay said...

Thanks for this. I haven't really seen the new layout yet. I've been sticking to the old one. Maybe I'll have an explore later :)

TL Conway said...

I agree with Lola--I'm still trying to figure out Scrivener!

The new Blogger layout doesn't seem bad, but it doesn't look like it does much other than make my blog feed larger and easier to read, and the preview function that you mentioned.

However, seeing as it's not an "if it changes" but "when it changes" scenario, I might as well get used to it.

Austin Gorton said...

I fear change.

I played around with it for a bit, and my biggest annoyances (aside from it being, you know, different) is that it seems to take a while to get to "edit posts" and the other config tabs (like Comments, Settings, etc.) seem more deeply embedded than in the current version.

I did like that the window in which you type the posts more accurately reflects what appears when the post is published, in terms of dimensions and font and whatnot.

one of the things I absolutely LOVE is when you "preview" your post now, it actually opens it as a separate window and shows what it will look like on your actual blog. So it's a true preview.

Like Hannah, I've been able to do that since the last change (the one that led to the "updated editor/old editor" radials on the Settings tabs).

Sarah Ahiers said...

Hannah - my preview just popped it up on another page that didn't look anything like my blog. The new preview actually shows it on my blog template and junk

Teebore - well what the hell? Why was mine still the old way?

TL - I told Lola that they'll have to drag me kicking and screaming away from MS Word. But yeah, the new interface seems like a lot of change but not much improvement

Maria Zannini said...

This is weird. I'm not on the new format, but I've always been able to preview my posts.

I wonder if I'm in a halfway house for blogs.

Jamie Gibbs said...

It was really counter intuitive at first, but now that I've gotten used to it I really enjoy it :) I like the level of control I have over things now :)

Kimberlee Turley said...

I'm a firm believer of "If it's not broke, don't fix it."

It's been two years since I was forced to start using Windows Vista and almost every day I use it I find myself thinking, "I liked how XP performed this function better."

Talli Roland said...

I was a bit annoyed with it at first, but I quite like it now!

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

You know...this may just be me, but I've kind of discovered on at least two computers that I use that the new blogger thing seems to load faster and is easier to use on Google Chrome. When I use Internet Explorer, or Firefox, some things don't load or things get kind of skewumpus or take forever to load.

It makes me wonder if Google is doing this on purpose to subtly hint that they want you to use their web browser.

Ishta Mercurio said...

*sigh*

I hate change. Especially when I have to make time to figure out how the new stuff works. I haven't tried it out yet, but it's mostly because I haven't felt like taking the time to learn where everything is again. I'll get to it eventually, though.

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