Speaking personally, I have much to lose if I transfer. I'd hate to lose my three column template which I've constructed from a base non-Blogger template and I'm fairly certain that Beta won't support this.
It would be devastating to have to go back to a 2 column template like Minima after having got NourObscur to where I want it. Does anyone know anything about this dreaded Beta thing and if there's a three column Beta available?
Also, I'll have to redo sitemeter most like, lose the readership I've built up, lose my Technorati ranking which was doing nicely and have to do it all over again from scratch. Nightmare. Help!
I made the move, which messed up the formatting on all previous posts. Still, an opportunity for something fresh.
ReplyDeleteI made the move- but having said that I was a young blogger when I did it- only a month old. It didn't mess up technorati- I wasn't on Sitemeter then but it didn't mess up my old blogcounter either. But I don't know about the three columns- as you can see mine is only in two.
ReplyDeleteI share the worries about templates, although it should be possible to copy and paste the relevant code (HTML and CSS, possibly others) into notepad, save it, and then copy it into the Beta Blogger template. Mind you, I'll wait for other people to try...
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, what are the positive features that Beta offers in comparison to the existing flavour?
If you look up Curmudgeon on my blogroll, he made the switch this week and has survived, though it wasn't without its worries. Why not switch to WordPress like me? The software is free and it is much more flexible.
ReplyDeleteAs a computer programmer, I recommend you:
ReplyDelete1. Start a new test blog.
2. Copy in your template.
3. Add example elements to your three columns.
4. Upgrade the test blog to beta.
5. Weep
You will have to redo the sitemeter stuff, but that does not lose the figures you've built up.
You should not lose any readership over this. On the contrary, I doubled my readership when I got a second hit after upgrading!
Ellee, you appear to be on the "pay" Wordpress, with unlimited widgets and so on. Blogger and Wordpress dot com are freebies and are a different other animal, each with its own problems.
ReplyDeleteOnyx Stone - I'll try that first.
The template is the main problem. I'd only made minimal changes to mine and it was still a real bugger getting everything back the way I wanted after switching. Given the level of customisation you have here, I'd say you're looking at a good deal of effort to restore the look - depending on how html literate you are, of course.
ReplyDeleteAll that aside, the new version of blogger is easier to use, but doesn't offer anything radically different.
I made the move, you can see at my website that I still have 3 columns and all kinds of 'extras'.
ReplyDeleteJust copy your template and paste it into the template section on beta, then adjust like you always did.
The only problems I have is certain programs I use have no compatability with beta, but posting is easier and better (colors, formatting).
You shouldn't have any problems with your blog, if you copy the template fully and post it in the new blog template section, it should be exactly the same.
Have read and inwardly digested all. Will follow the last post's advice as well. Thank you.
ReplyDelete