Monday, August 17, 2020

Fellow bloggers please read/respond - cannot update previous entries.

I know most of you won't be able to offer me a solution given this is an issue with the mechanics of Blogger, but if you have a blog of your own I could really use some assistance.  If you're merely browsing Wilfully Obscure (as a good 95% of you are) this conversation will be foreign to you. 

That being said, Blogger has switched to a new graphic interface, which will become a mandatory replacement for the "classic" interface.  It has several inherent flaws, most notably the feature that allows us to edit previously established content (i.e. "old" entries).   Typically once I'm signed into Google/Blogger I can search for any given entry and scroll down to the bottom right hand corner of the post and click on the Quick edit (pencil) icon ().  This will take me directly into that entry to make any necessary modifications. 

While the Quick edit icon is still present in Blogger's new interface it does NOT take me to the original entry as it has for almost twenty years, rather a list of ALL previous entries in reverse chronological order.  I am nearing 3000 entries on this page and it is virtually impossible to access a specific entry with this method.  While I can create and edit new posts (say, one's created in the last two months) it could literally take me hours of loading and scrolling this list to reach the one I intend to.  In essence, I will not be able to modify previous entries in the future.  This translates to no more refreshed download links. I have a posted to Blogger's "support" page, but Google is notorious for not replying to any queries, and email/chat/phone support is not existent.  There isn't even an option to pay for support.

If any of you utilize Blogger on a regular basis and can duplicate the issue I'm describing please leave a response in the comments.  If you have a direct contact to a Blogger/Google developer and are brave enough to share their contact details you can email me as well (please check my profile).  Thanks so much for your help!

20 comments:

Arif said...

I just checked my blog, and I don't have this behaviour; clicking the pencil at the bottom of a post still takes me directly to the edit screen for that post... my biggest complaint about the new interface is that tagging seems really slow and awkward.

spavid said...

Thanks Arif. I'm thinking perhaps I need to choose a more modern design for my page. I'm using an antiquated template...but it's just a problem with the edit function, striking me as more of a coding issue.

robgronotte said...

Can't you just put the new link into the comments? That is what a lot of music bloggers already do.

Ape Mummy said...

Oh, Spavid...I'm so sorry. I went to my page to see if I could replicate this, and I couldn't, probably because I just switched templates.

Bhagpuss said...

Hmm. In close to a decade of using Blogger, I never even noticed that little pencil icon before. That means I don't have any knowledge of how it used to work. I know how it works now, though.

I've tested it this morning using both the "Legacy" and the new UI and this is what I got:

The "Legacy" version just takes me straight to the same list of posts I can see if I open the Design panel and click on Posts. It doesn't go to the specific blog post I click the pencil icon from - it just goes to the top of the chronological list. That seems to be the behavior you're describing the new UI as doing.

In the new UI, clicking the pencil on any post takes me straight to the HTML edit screen for that specific post. That seems to be what the old UI always did for you.

In other words, my Blogger seems to be functioning in the exact opposite way to yours.

Unfortunately, as I said, since I've never used the pencil before I have no way of knowing if this is a change of behavior or whether my pencil always led straight to the chronological list of posts. The new UI definitely does have the capacity to do what you want it to do because it's doing it for me but how you get yours to do the same I have no idea.

Sorry!

Jobe said...

I was having the same problem too. However now when I click on the pencil icon it takes me to the original post. I know that doesn't solve your predicament now, but try this (this is how I first figured out how to edit old post with the new interface) Go to your pencil icon (for whatever post you want to update) when that screen comes up at the top left next to the Blogger icon should be an arrow. Click on the arrow which will the send you to your main page, but now to the right of the Blogger icon should be the search function. Hope that helps and hope everything I've described shows up when you try it. I HATE THIS NEW SHIT TOO

Jobe said...

Man did I muddy that up or what? let me try to make it a little easier click the pencil icon for any post in this instance will use your Jet Black Factory post (anything recent) then follow my instructions above. Man it's early here, so all the brain functions are not firing yet.

spavid said...

Thanks so much for your comments folks. I knew I could count on you for some useful suggestions. I'm going to address some of them individually below:

robgronotte - Indeed, I'm thinking about posting the links in the comments section as as a work-around for the time being.

Bhagpuss - yes, it sounds like you're exhibiting the exact opposite dilemma as I am with the new and "Legacy" interfaces...only now I can't get the Quick edit icon to take me to any given individual post with EITHER interface. Things have actually gotten worse in the last 24 hours! So frustrating, but I really appreciate the imput.

Jobe- I tried to follow your instructions to the letter, but in regards to an "arrow" next to the Blogger icon, I'm simply not seeing one. Could you possibly furnish with me a screenshot (assume you can post one in the comments section), or send me an email (just view my profile). Thanks

spavid said...

Update. I gave the site a ten year's overdue "facelift" and adopted blogger's soon to be compulsory upgraded interface, and low and behold, the Quick Edit feature functioned properly again. I'm still prefer the O.G. interface. Thanks again for your help.

bristolboy said...

Which browser are you using? As If you are using Firefox? - I've found that the old edit/preivews won't work Yet if I sign in using Microsoft Edge they work perfectly. By the way I'm in agreement. The new interface is a pain in the proverbial...

Garth said...

If you go to your dashboard/posts and search for post title; that works for me - presuming you want to edit a specific post that is.

AJ said...

I gave the new look blogger a trial for two weeks, it has some nice new features, but I have gone back to the Legacy Look, there's an option that is available on the dashboard.

Older is Better said...

Damn I miss the old blog site already

Frank Miller said...

Hi Spavid,
I was going to suggest using the search option from your design screen. The new interface is ok. No one ever likes change, including me for sure. The double spacing is a bit annoying. If you remove the formatting, you can get rid of it though. Another one is adding a player from a site like bandcamp. If you add the code to your compose screen, you only see the code. You have to add it through your HTML view now. Seems like I had a few other small gripes but all in all, not to bad I guess. Glad you were able to sort out your issue.

Frank Miller said...

I just noticed, thumbnails from my post's don't appear in anyone's blogrolls anymore. What a pain. I'm sure it's because I did a number of customization's. Wish they could have just left things alone...

spavid said...

Frank, I just tried creating a new post and I see what you mean regarding double spacing. Highlighting text and using the remove formatting tool doesn't do anything. Do you know if there's any to resolve without resorting to using HTML? Thanks.

Frank Miller said...

Type a few lines of text, highlight it, remove the formating, then backspace to remove the double spacing. After that, everything you type will be single spaced spaced.

spavid said...

Got it. Thanks Frank.

Sticky said...

Hi, Love this site, is there any chance of getting Re ups for "French" and "French 2"

Farquhar Throckmorton III said...

Frank Miller: "I just noticed, thumbnails from my posts don't appear in anyone's blogrolls anymore. What a pain... "

Me too. Has anyone a solution for this thumbnail thing?