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Useless forbidden knowledge

In which the author writes about something that bloggers should probably ignore, in the hopes that greater knowledge will (please!) convince them to ignore it.  ¶  Google's Search Console, useless for most bloggers (or nearly so), will tell you that there is something related to your blog called "redirect error." Don't panic.
Recent posts

Add a map-search element to your blog

Blogger has a new tool to feature a location. It's called a "map widget" and provides a distinctive graphical display that is linked to Google Maps.

This could be a boon to those who blog with a geographical bent.

Google's unprecedented lapse

On August 3, a bug in Google's automated security system disabled hundreds, and probably thousands, of Blogger blogs. ¶ 

A classical portrait of an 18th-century gentleman in the posture of sudden surprise and shock.

Robot run amok! Google fixed the bug two days later, and many are reporting that their blogs have been restored. ¶ 

However, as of today Google has still not explained to English-language bloggers that they must request a review to get their blogs back. Or even that the bug is fixed. ¶ 

Indeed, Google's only explanation or announcement seems to have been in the Spanish-language help community for Blogger, through that community's manager.

Smile! (and account security)

Google is unrolling a new way to make your Google account recoverable if you forget your password, are hacked, or otherwise lose access. ¶ 

Three saffron-robed Buddhist monks taking cell-phone pictures of each other and themselves

Your picture. ¶ 

"Selfie for sign-in" joins the other three methods (or four, depending on how you count things) for verifying your identity in case there is ever a question. ¶ 

Do not think this cannot happen to you. ¶ 

Like these other methods, there is a catch: you have to set it up before you lose access.

The jump-break feed is best for engagement

Children jumping

You've got five feed options in Settings:

A dialog box titled "Allow blog feed." "Use Jump Break" is selected.
  • Full • 
  • Until Jump Break • 
  • Short • 
  • Custom • 
  • None ¶ 

Your feed lets people read your blog in a feed reader, and is required for some things. It's enabled by default.

I have already made the case for using jumps on your blog. So how about in feeds? ¶ 

Below are your feed options. I think you'll agree that Jump Break is best for engagement.

Pesky floating links thing settles down

A circular button with a star and a pencil icon and the text "Automatically insert Google Search links into your post."

Still in Beta ¶ 

The brightly colored Google tool stands out agant the otherwise grey tollbar interface. It deploys two options: Insert Google Search widget and Auto add links to Search, shown,

For those that have it, Google's awkward "Auto add links to Search" tool now has a name, and a place to live that is not floating in front of the editing window. (Previously it had several other names that were not so nice.) ¶ 

It has joined "Insert Google Search widget" on the new "Insert widget and AI-powered enhancements" menu in the editor.

Copyright: Do not steal

It's super easy to steal work that does not belong to you. I think you know that you should not do that.

A statue in black granite of two tablets bearing the Biblical Ten Commandments in white letters.
Photo: See number eight. ¶ 

Ask the owner for permission. If you do not know who the owner is, and there's no public license, don't use it.