As a viewer, it's important book blogs to have more than one way for me to connect with them. One of my favorite so far is the Blogger Follow Widget. There is a glitch in the system though. If the widget is on someone's blog, I can click and follow it. (This is just for Blogger blogs.)
If I try to add it through the dashboard, it will tell me I am maxed out because I am following more than 300 blogs.
I lost control of my RSS (FeedDemon) Reader early in the year. For three or four months, I've wondered how to get back control by keeping track of my book blogs. Having more than one source for me to view their blog helps. For Blogger users who have the Follow widget, I click on it. Once a day or every other day, I scan through the blogs on my reading list. This is a fast and easy way to keep up.
Another way I like to keep up with blogs is through email. I really appreciate when book blogs place this on their blog. I can get their posts in my email!
How about you? What ways do you keep up with your blog reading?
44 comments:
I love the blogger "Follow" widget! I wish all blogger blogs used it and that wordpress had it too. But for the ones that don't have it I subscribe Rss so I can read them in my Google reader, I use Google as my homepage and the reader is right there with all new feeds so I can just click on the posts.
I also peruse my blogroll (yes, it's not only for show-off purposes). I update it frequently and I visit these blogs regularly.
I'm dull - I just use plain ol' Google Reader.
I use Google Reader! And seriously never thought anything about these things :)
But I do think, delivering to the mail-box is a cool idea.
lilly ~ "I use Google as my homepage and the reader is right there with all new feeds so I can just click on the posts."
I never thought of that! Thanks!!!
bermudaonion ~ I can't keep up with just GS.
Veens ~ The email thing makes life easier.
LOL. Well, I personally despise the follower widget because it's a Blogger thing and I'm on WordPress. It does nothing for me. I use GR but with lots and lots of folders. Subdividing my feeds my friends/family, favorites, kidlit, YA, authors, local, etc makes it a lot easier.
Natasha @ Maw Books ~ Sadly, I have trouble saying connected to WP bloggers. It's one reason I didn't keep a blog with them. Not a fan of WP.
I love the Follow widget, but it was interfering with my page loading properly if you used IE. Had to move it to the bottom of my page until Blogger fixes this glitch.
Thanks for the idea of email subscriptions! Just added that to my page.
I usually scan through my blogroll to see if there are any new posts, but may start subscribing with emails as well.
You always have such good ideas and posts! Thank you! :)
I use google reader for most of the blogs I follow, but follow a few via email. No matter which method I use, with all the book blogs out there, I get overwhelmed if I don't check it every day.
I stick to Google Reader. I think I'd feel overwhelmed if I tried to keep track via a bunch of different systems. I already have too many things I try to check every day!
A very timely post as I was just thinking of my GoogleReader.
I utilize the Follow button where available but ultimately like all blogs to be viewed in my GoogleReader.
My biggest problem is keeping up with all the great blogs that I want to read...that are in my GoogleReader. I need to think how to better organize because having categories of books, finance, friends, etc. is not working.
I have tried adding a email button for readers to subscribe to my blog. In blogger, what is the gadget button for this?
Thanks.
Alexia561 ~ I am going to go sign up for your blog then. I use Foxfire, so I have no clue if my blog has issues in IE. Maybe I should go and look...lol!
Jennsbookshelf ~ HATE, yes, HATE GR. I can't spend a lot of time daily. I do like the reader on Blogger's Dashboard, the reader's list. That is a neat thing.
Memory ~ Do whatever works for you! I am still searching...
ibeeeg ~ It's not from Blogger, but a widget from FeedBurner.
I just use the follow option. I've discovered that I can add any blog to it by pasting the URL in when I opt to manually add a blog, so I'm not stuck with just Blogger blogs. Of course, I haven't added too too many blogs yet.
Haven't tried Google Reader or anything else yet though.
Hi J. Kaye, an interesting topic, one I sadly haven't found the solution to either. I love the 'Follow' widget too but have so many blogs in my Googel Reader that it can hit over 1000 in 3 or 4 days. Sometimes I find myself spending more time reading blogs than reading books. The email option is good but I am afraid of clogging up my inbox. So I have no answers to this problem. I just read as much as I can whenever I can.
Did you also know that if the blog doesn't have the 'follow' widget that there is a follow option on the Blogger Toolbar at the very top of the page beside the search and flag option! It does the exact same thing as the widget.
I LOVE the blogger follow and I like Google too! But, I usually use my "Going to the Ball" blog roll! My favorites at my finger tips!
xoxo Park-Ave Princess
Amy
Hi J. Kaye--wow I did not know about about feedburner (I'm so not with it) but after reading your post I went and added it to my page. I'm so glad you posted about this topic so I could offer that option to my readers.
And I mainly rely on my blogroll to keep up with what's going on in the blogger roll. It's so convenient to just scroll through and see what's going on!
Thanks again for posting this topic!
Kim
I should have mentioned that you have to be signed in to blogger for the 'follow' button to appear at the top of the page.
I've tried all the things you've mentioned but the easiest thing for me is using Google Reader. I skim through a few times a day and star the things I want to spend more time reading and/or commenting on.
I don't have a great way of following blogs other than my blogroll on my blog. But I haven't checked into Google Reader yet but am planning to
mostly I either hit the 'follow' button on a blogger site or I'll just add it manually through my Google Reader. I have all the blogs there organized down to how often I comment on a blog (because I'm OCD and I like folders and lists) so its really easy for me to just skim certain folders instead of fully reading them if I don't have a lot of time.
I love the follow widget and I rarely use RSS even though I should for wordpress blogs I follow. Ugh. I get like 1000 updates a day on Google Reader.
i have been trying to work out how to get that widget where you just type your email, can anyone help me?
I get a few through email - if I find I am not reading them, then I usually stop the email - I get most in feed demon, which I have separated out into folders - like authors, favorites, YA, etc. I want to work on my system and get more specific - because sometimes I only have time to read a few and unfortunately the rest get passed by...
Elena ~ After 300, Blogger stops allowing that passage. ;)
Alaine - Queen of Happy Endings ~ I tried. Blogger won't let me and I am signed in. I bet it has to do with me following over 300.
Park Avenue Princess ~ Blog Rolls are another good way to keep track!
Book Butterfly (Kim) ~ I just signed up!
Joanne ~ I am not getting comfortable with my RSS readers. Not sure why.
bookmagic ~ Most love it...I just have to be the oddball.
Lexie ~ I wish I was more OCD when it comes to these things!
Kristen ~ WP needs to get with the program! :)
Pizza ~ You want to put the widget on your blog?
Kristi ~ Maybe that is my problem. I didn't get enough detailed with my reader.
I use Google Reader and love it! It's the place where I can follow all the blogs and sites that I want without having to worry about a site not being compatible (like WP)! It does tend to get overwhelming, but if I want to spend more time on a particular post or want to be able to refer back to others (i.e., books to add to my TBR pile), then I either email them or share them. I can then prioritize them within my own email account or keep track of the list of books until I launch my wish list.
However, from the perspective of my own blog . . . what a great idea to offer multiple ways to follow. I don't offer any of these at this time, but will definitely be making the changes when I go to launch my other new changes (hopefully really soon!). It's good to know that there are many options out there and readers have preferences for each one! Thank you!
Yes, the widget that you type the email in and you automatically get the updates, in with Feedburner but I can't work out how to get the widget.
I love the follow feature - it lets me add & add & add. I love going down the list & seeing what everyone is up to.
Google Reader is my friend ;)
Unfortunately, the follower widget was causing problems for my blog and readers so I had to remove it.
I follow blogs in google reader.
I love the follow button, I too read everything in google reader but thanks to your post I will add some other options for readers.
I have a few blogger blogs that I have problems with in IE but I now view the problematic ones in Mozilla Firefox. I just use IE & firefox simultaneously
I follow people in the widget and I use my google reader to keep up with posts. If I didn't use the google reader today I would have never known you honored me with an Award.
I don't think that's the reason J. Kaye, I'm following 374.
Have you tried another browser? I have 3 on my computer at the moment, was have trouble with Internet Explorer and blogs so I downloaded Google Chrome but have problems working on my blog with that and now I have Firefox as well.
I keep my blog e-mail account for my book blog reading on Google Reader - personal stuff goes into my "regular" e-mail and Google Reader. It helps to keep things separate for me. I usually scan through all my book blog feeds in Google Reader expanded view as I'm having breakfast. :)
Thanks for posting about the "subscribe by e-mail" option. I was wondering how to add it and now, thanks to you, I've become part of the FeedBurner family. :)
It does seem like a great idea for getting e-mails from your favorite blogs. I don't think I'd do it for all of the ones I follow unless I sent them to a dedicated e-mail address or organized Outlook to sort them out into a folder for me.
Tif ~ I look forward to the changes!
Pizza ~ You need to have a FeedBurner account. Once you do, go go your google account and click on FB. Then click on Feed Title. Click on Publicized. Click on Email Subscriptions and the HTML code will be on that page. I used the first one for my sidebar.
Witch Baby ~ Me too!
Ladybug ~ LOL!
Amy ~ Do you have Blogger?
Teddyree ~ I use Mozilla Firefox too. Rarely do I bring up IE.
Trin ~ I am SO BAD about letting people know about their awards...ugh!
Alaine - Queen of Happy Endings ~ FF is all I use now. I love it! I'll try IE on the top subscribe thingy and see if that works.
Beth ~ I just subscribed!
I need to set up a better system myself, as I rely almost exclusively on my Blogger Dashboard. I've subscribed to a few outside of Blogger, but getting numerous emails and RSS feeds in a location I often forget to check just isn't working.
Several blogs outside of Blogger are in my Blogroll, so I try to remember to click on them now & then...
L. Diane Wolfe
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
www.spunkonastick.net
www.thecircleoffriends.net
I love my Google Reader, like a lot of others here... it allows me to read through the posts and marks them as read - and I can star posts that I want to comment on and go back and do that when I am done reading. Makes it a lot easier to not get sidetracked. It's also hard to find the follow button on some blogs, so Google Reader lets me just enter the URL of the page to follow (WordPress too)!
I have the e-mail subscription feature on my blog, and I have a few more that subscribe that way than through the follow feature. I think if I received any through e-mail I may start not having time to read them and deleting the e-mails - I am pretty diligent about keeping up with my Reader!
L. Diane Wolfe ~ lilly suggested Google and I realized I have iGoogle. I am adding WP viewers there. Between that and my dashboard, I should be set!
Shanyn ~ GR worked for me until I excited a couple hundred blogs. Then I moved to FeedDemon. As the numbers increased, I lost control! I am trying to figure out an easier way to keep up. :) Maybe there is none...lol!
I use Thunderbird email and have my RSS there.
I only follow about 10 blogs but its the easiest RSS I've found.
Bella ~ I'm starting to use the iGoogle as my homepage. I think this is really gonna help!
I follow blogs and then I transferred them all to my reader.My absolutely favorite ones I subscribe via e mail (like this blog (lol)) and then we go on.I try so hard to keep track of all the blogs and new posts and I see now that it's summer in the US I can keep track better because blogowners are not posting so much and more enjoying the sunshine.But come my summer and your winter the blog posts increase while I am trying to get in some sun.What to do....
{Another reason for me to set up a blog!!} I actually have an excel file with about 100 sites that I try to visit at least once a week. I just haven't gotten used to using my Google list and RSS. I have to start doing that I guess!
I love the 'follow' I've been using that. I think its much easier than the reader. I'm behind on that one! Problem is some blogs don't have that. So those I forget to visit when I use the follow. I love the email one too! I like to read whats happening that way too on the posts, so if they have that, I do sign up for that.
What you do for those that don't have the google follow on their blog?
Forgot to mention with WordPress and LiveJournal, I tend to ask them to install the Google Follow or a email on their blog. I tell them that there's no easy way (and explain that the reader feed doesn't always work so well for me and most use follow or email and ask that they have that available. I think its worth to ask them. I do tell them I otherwise miss reading their blog and think others that don't use WordPress and LiveJournal also miss it. So I think if more mention it it will help.
I love Google Reader. I read a whole bunch of different types of blogs (including book blogs) and I like that I can categorize the blogs. Also, I can read most blogs directly from the reader so I don't have to visit a whole bunch of websites to keep up!
Post a Comment