Tuesday, November 13, 2007

That Was Close

Last night it looked like my blogging days were over. Not in a "I'm over this and have better things to do with my time and blogging is so 2006 anyway" sort of way. No, it looked like my blogging days were over in a really final, "You are so denied entrance, what are you, kidding me?" sort of way.

It made me have a little panic attack.

So I called The Hat, which is one of the things I do when I panic. (Also, when something makes me laugh, when it's time for a second cup of coffee, or when I hear/read/observe something interesting in the universe. But also, when I panic).

So I call her and tell her, with no ceremony, that my blogging days are at an end. And she, being the sort of squenchy wench that she is said, "Oh...(with that really sweet and sensitive "I'm listening" voice)...what happened?"

Here's what happened:

I have my blog set up so that I get an email whenever someone leaves a comment. You probably do it, too. It's a useful device, especially for those of us who like replying to comments. Saves you checking your blog every five minutes to see if anyone has read it. Right. So a few months ago, I got one such email, clicked on the link and that stoopid "Security Information" screen pops up. I click on it and it went away, for a nanosecond, and then popped up again. And again. And again. Didn't matter if I pressed "yes" or "no". It wouldn't go away and I couldn't get to the comment box.

Fine. It was annoying but I entered through the Blogger dashboard and it was all good.

Last night I get an email. I went to my blog to respond (not through the email, mind you. Because that didn't work. I went straight to my blog). I COULDN'T GET IN. I was at the sign- in screen and it sat there, blipping and blipping and blipping. I couldn't type in my email address. I couldn't do anything. I COULDN'T GET INTO BLOGGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My entire bloglife passed before my eyes. There were at least 3 months of posts I hadn't yet backed up. My morning ritual of blog reading with coffee, gone. Oh, sure, I could spend 412 hours of my day typing every one's blog title into Google but that was going to get old. Plus, the blipping thing was going to keep me from commenting.

It would look like I was disappeared. One day here, the next day gone. No note, no explanation as to why there's a full pot of coffee and not a bite out of the delicious pie on the counter. Just G.O.N.E. Only I wouldn't actually be gone so much as locked out of Blogtopia. And, I might add, in a really passive-aggressive way. "Oh, I'm still here," says Blogger. Blip. "And all your blogs are here," blip. "Everything you've ever written" blip. "You just can't get into them," blip. "Ever, ever again," blip blip blip.

(Please note, "blip" it is not a euphemism for a vulgar word. (In those cases I say "frak", like they do on "Battlestar Galactica"). No, I mean what I say. Blipping. The screen was blipping. It was even making a little blippety blip of a sound).

I begin to mourn. I rue not backing up my archive. I keen the loss of Blogtopia: the give and take of commenting, the in-jokes, the nicknames, Pop 101. Sure, I have the emails of my bestest blog buddies. Their phone numbers, too, for that matter. It's not like I'll lose them forever. But Blogtopia will be gone. On a technicality.

Hat listened to my woe. She said something along the lines of "No, I'm not going to let this happen". She said, "Try this" and I did and it didn't work and she said, "What if you..." and I did and that worked but it was a really backasswards way to beat the system and then she said, "Do thus and so" and I did and not only could I log into the dashboard but it fixed aforementioned email problem, too.

Then she laughed at me. And Sling brought sandbags. And all was well in my bloggy little world again.



Learn from my experience. If the weird blipping thing ever happens to you, here's what you do:

1) Go to a blog where you have commented. Find yourself on the comments page, click on your name, which takes you to your profile and click the "big B" in the upper left hand corner. That gets you to the dashboard.

2) Go to "settings" and scroll down to where you have the email address to which comments should be sent. Delete the address. Save your settings. Go back and re-enter your email and save again.

If that doesn't work, I have no frakking idea what you should do. Probably call The Hat and tell her your blogging career is over. Worked for me.

Labels: , , , ,

22 Comments:

Blogger Anne opined...

I'm so glad you're among the living in Blogtopia!

November 14, 2007 8:35 AM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Me, too, Anne. When I leave Blogopia I want it to be with a bang, not a whimper.

November 14, 2007 8:36 AM  
Blogger sfoofie opined...

so now begs the question... did gout just hit blogopia? me thinketh so

November 14, 2007 8:37 AM  
Blogger Anne opined...

My whole post today is about you. btw

November 14, 2007 8:38 AM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

No gout in our 'hood, Sfoofie, although The Spouse was complaining of "meatitis" last night!

November 14, 2007 8:38 AM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Oh, geez, Anne. I was just there and it was still about Kevin. Best go back. (shudders)

November 14, 2007 8:38 AM  
Blogger Anne opined...

Ok, blogger's screwing my page, you left a comment there, I got the email, but it's not on my page, it still says 0 comments. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGH

November 14, 2007 8:47 AM  
Blogger Kimberly Ann opined...

Whew, that was close. Selfishly, my first thought was "Holy frak, what am I going to do with my mornings now?" :-)

November 14, 2007 9:37 AM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

I noticed that, Anne. Weirdness. Best call Hat.

KA: Oddly, that was my first thought, too!

November 14, 2007 10:08 AM  
Blogger Traveling Matt opined...

whew. glad that's fixed. now for a deep breath and preparation for the awesomeness that once again will be wednesday nights. PROJECT RUNWAY IS BACK!!!!!! HOOORAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

November 14, 2007 10:22 AM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Word, Mon. I. Can't. Wait.

November 14, 2007 10:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous opined...

I was very very happy to be there for you, both as friend and as tech support. From now on, I will be using my sexy East-Indian accent for the latter.
"Teel me oil yo trubbols."
HAH HAH!
Oy...I'm going to burn in hell for that one.

November 14, 2007 10:39 AM  
Blogger sfoofie opined...

yaaaaaaaaay! monica deserves a shiny star sticker under her name for remdinding me that Project Runway is on tonight!!!!!

November 14, 2007 11:21 AM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

You're the best, Hat.

She sure does, Sfoofie. And she gets an extra 10 minutes of recess, too!

November 14, 2007 1:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous opined...

What on earth made Hat think to try that to fix your problem?

She must be somehow responsible.

November 14, 2007 1:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous opined...

HEY! pft, I happen to be a GEENYUS!

November 14, 2007 2:37 PM  
Blogger Anne opined...

handstands and cartwheels for Mon! I have TiVo already set up for PR!!

Yippee!

I'm so bummed I didn't mention it first.

November 14, 2007 3:03 PM  
Blogger Nunnie's Attic opined...

Whew! I'm kinda getting afraid to visit you people. Sling, JP and now you - all with computer issues. I think it's time for mine to get it's flu shot!

Love,
Julie

November 14, 2007 3:24 PM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Anne, Hat and I are going to dress up for PR and take pictures for our blogs. Wanna play?

Julie: I think that is a brilliant idea. And back up your posts!

November 14, 2007 4:13 PM  
Blogger rosemary opined...

Holy Schmoley.....I don't back up anything. I just figure blogger will be there with my posts on it....it won't?????

November 14, 2007 5:42 PM  
Blogger Unknown opined...

Wow, that saga is scary, and sucks. I'm so glad I'm not blogging in Blogger anymore, but all my blog buddies still are, so when you have problems, I don't get to read blogs. :( Not that I've had time to read any blogs for the past half century. It's been sucky around here - busy sucky. I've so missed everyone...and now I learn you're having problems with Blogger. Sucky, I tell you!

November 14, 2007 6:04 PM  
Blogger more cowbell opined...

wow, I thought I was the only thing the "blip" thing had happened to. For me it ONLY happened on the "guest" profile of my ancient laptop. On my daughter's laptop, fine. On MY profile of my ancient laptop, also fine. But it happened repeatedly on the "guest" profile of the ancient one. So I had chalked it up to being yet another eccentricity of my ancient laptop and its pain-in-the-ass ways.

Weird. Maybe it wasn't my laptop, or at least not entirely. Blogger is freakish at times. Glad the Hat was at the ready.

November 16, 2007 12:36 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home