Comments on The Real Blogger Status: Precedence and Uniformity Justify The Blogger Poli...

Here are some numbers to go with your discussion. ...

2011-09-25T19:33:01.739-07:00

Here are some numbers to go with your discussion. I didn't break out the blogs with no posts at all, but I believe there was a significant percentage.

http://rundown.blogspot.com/2011/09/preferred-domain-names-on-blogspot-are.html

My initial opinion is that Blogger should allow people to send messages to the blog owner. Some of these people would surely donate or sell their name.

I also think, though, that Blogger should require some sort of refresh, similar to the domain registrar system. I can't think of another system of property that doesn't include the concept of abandonment. The whole thing just seems like a silly waste.

Mac, Unfortunately, that's not your choice to...

2011-09-05T22:23:30.338-07:00

Mac,

Unfortunately, that's not your choice to make.

Blogger says, quite simply

Blogger accounts and Blog*Spot addresses do not expire.

Publishing practices are not part of the requirement.

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2006/12/your-blog-is-forever.html

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2009/05/value-of-your-blog-is-based-upon.html

My problem is not with a blog that someone started...

2011-09-05T12:22:57.175-07:00

My problem is not with a blog that someone started and made a few posts then stopped, but rather with people who just go out and create blogs put never post anything. Example, http://thislittlehomestead.blogspot.com/ There's never been anything posted. Ever. And if you look at their profile, there's 4 blogs all with similar names, and none of them have a single post on it. That shouldn't be allowed.

It would be simple enough to establish an arbit...

2010-04-22T14:49:31.995-07:00
It would be simple enough to establish an arbitrary bright line policy that if a blog has had no activity for 1, 2, whatever years, it disappears. This is what most free webmail providers do after all.

Nice try, but I don't buy that, and neither does Blogger. Blogs and websites have value to their readers, long after we stop publishing. The value of a blog simply has no relation to publishing frequency.

I really don't buy the "slippery slope&qu...

2010-04-22T08:19:00.680-07:00
I really don't buy the "slippery slope" argument. It would be simple enough to establish an arbitrary bright line policy that if a blog has had no activity for 1, 2, whatever years, it disappears. This is what most free webmail providers do after all.

You can go ahead and laugh/sneer at me for my lack of imagination, but I have been trying to think of a good, interesting, easy to remember blog name for a general personal blog for a solid week now and EVERYTHING I come up with is taken by an abandoned site.

Any useful advice for those of us in this predicament? Again, yes, fine, I'm an awful dumb horrible stupid person for not being able to come up with something. Let's grant that. Any useful advice?

I don't think axing zero or single post blo...

2010-04-20T14:46:09.172-07:00
I don't think axing zero or single post blogs that have gone unused for a certain amount of time would be so inconsequential.

I don't think it would be so inconsequential, either. Nor do I think it would be so easily made fair. Who would be first in line for a popular URL? The one who popped up a day ago and said "I demand that URL!", or the one who called for it 3 years ago? And how do you say for sure that a "Hello" post has no validity?

There is neither a minimum content, nor a minimum posting activity, required for a blog to remain yours. That's the simple fact.

I agree with Daniel S. I don't think axing zer...

2010-04-19T18:19:24.186-07:00
I agree with Daniel S. I don't think axing zero or single post blogs that have gone unused for a certain amount of time would be so inconsequential. In finding the name for my own blog, I easily came across 30 blogs that fit the criteria (ie. one "hello" post from 2001). There must be MILLIONS of wasted URLs and as long as Blogger's arbitrary policy stays in effect, that number will continue to grow.

Hi Chuck! May I ask some related questions? I on...

2010-03-22T09:08:24.725-07:00
Hi Chuck!

May I ask some related questions?

I once had a URL on Blogger that I (am pretty sure that I) deleted.

I've come back to Blogger and have taken a related URL. When I opened my account I checked the availability of my old one and was shown the "Blog Can Not Be Found" page. I'm pretty sure that I deleted my last account so - shouldn't that old URL be available again?

If I didn't delete my old URL is there any way that Blogger can send me my access info? I don't remember which email address or password I used for it but if the account is still open and Blogger sent me that info to the email address I opened that account with, then I'd be able to access my old URL, wouldn't I?

I opened (and supposedly closed) my old account quite a while ago - years, even. Am I doomed to using my new variant URL and repenting at my leisure or is there any hope for me?

To prove that I'm an honest broker - if Blogger were to send that access info to that listed email address, I would receive it if I'm telling you the truth - and NOT receive it if I'm lying - right? (provided that I didn't also delete the email address that I opened my first URL with!)

Am I out of luck?

I throw myself on the mercy of your Court.

Thank You!

Hi Daniel, Yes, you're right, it would be hyg...

2010-03-05T19:11:52.621-08:00
Hi Daniel,

Yes, you're right, it would be hygenic. But the blogs that would be axed, with zero posts / activity, would likely be too small to make any difference. And any more than zero posts / activity, and you would need a judge / jury to decide disposition.

And it would be a shitty job to give someone.

Hello, Chuck. I am not quite thinking about people...

2010-03-05T17:24:04.566-08:00
Hello, Chuck. I am not quite thinking about people who need a dormant URL *just now* (although my little investigation was started for that very reason). It is more a question of hygiene on the long run.

Reading back on my answer, it was likely poorly expressed or thought. Blogs which have actually been written (three entries, five, X) should definitely stay, because they are offering something. As you say, battles for propriety of names would hardly be an improvement.

Having said that, it is just a pity that thousands of URLs were set up some six years ago, got a single post (sometimes even none) and then were left behind. Those really need a solution.

Daniel, You're entitled to your opinion. If ...

2010-03-04T17:15:13.983-08:00
Daniel,

You're entitled to your opinion. If that ever happens, though, it won't be soon enough to help anybody who needs a "dormat" blog URL.

After doing some research on abandoned blogspot do...

2010-03-04T17:00:23.518-08:00
After doing some research on abandoned blogspot domains and finding this post, I can only agree with those who propose a system where continuity is checked somehow.

Most simple names I can think of were taken at the beginning of blogging some six or eight years ago, and most often were used for only ONE post. It seems unreasonable to keep them on, especially as the number of existing blogs continue to grow.

This could easily be solved (if not for present blogs, at least for future ones) by automatically sending an e-mail to anyone whose blog has not been updated for one year (longer if it has more than X entries); if another year goes by without answer or updating, it should be removed and the address become available.

Jay, If your criteria for choosing a blogging pla...

2009-10-11T20:09:01.584-07:00
Jay,

If your criteria for choosing a blogging platform is availability of the blog URL of your choice, then Blogger is probably better off with you clogging WordPress. Go, with our blessing.

Since it is not a paid domain, it should expire if...

2009-10-11T19:35:06.236-07:00
Since it is not a paid domain, it should expire if not used, is how I feel. Even the paid ones have an expiration so it would be available if not paid for.
My blog name was taken at Blogger but was available at WordPress so guess what? WP has my business while the same name on blogger sits idle forever!

I just found this after posting a question to the ...

2009-10-05T15:35:19.525-07:00
I just found this after posting a question to the forum about inactive blogs... bummer should have done this first.

Anyway, I am thinking most of the people who have abandoned their blogs probably don't want them anymore and either forgot about them or didn't know how to delete them. So I agree there should be some level of judgment of inactivity; if someone hasn't posted in a couple of years send them an email that asks if they forgot they had a blog and if they would like keep the URL.

In the meantime I understand there is a rule... so I will abide by it and not complain. (Well, besides this posting, after this I won't complain anymore.) ;o)

Obviously, "JohnsBlog" is going to be mo...

2009-09-25T13:33:35.561-07:00
Obviously, "JohnsBlog" is going to be more valuable than "JohnsBlog127". But who gets to assess the relative value?

Blogger needs to work on making Blogger work, and on developing new features, that everybody can use. Arbitrating a URL dispute, which would benefit you, and only you, isn't part of their business strategy.

It's plain business sense. Their manpower (womenpower) is devoted to programming. They have no judges, who arbitrate URL availability.

They made one simple rule, and you have to live by it.

Obviously, some URLs have built-in potential for b...

2009-09-25T12:50:01.295-07:00
Obviously, some URLs have built-in potential for being easily found and could be more profitable. Are you really saying the guy who wanted 'johnsblog' should quit whining because they wind up stuck with 'johnsblog127' instead like one of those dumb Yahoo IDs?

I think an annual renewal procedure makes perfect sense though. But then long abandoned blogs being preserved for future historic value is also a good thing.

Why should Blogger add another feature, just to ca...

2009-08-02T09:03:36.956-07:00
Why should Blogger add another feature, just to cater to the few who can't summon enough imagination, to come up with a URL that's available, to address their blogs? If you don't have even that much imagination, should you be blogging? Problem solved, yes!

Or they could just create a simple feature where y...

2009-08-01T23:18:47.697-07:00
Or they could just create a simple feature where you have to renew your blogspot.com domain every year or so, otherwise it exires! problem solved, no?!
http://yossarian138.blogspot.com/

My guess is that you are missing the point, yes.

2009-07-06T06:01:54.710-07:00
My guess is that you are missing the point, yes.

I don't think I understand why this is an issu...

2009-07-06T00:57:25.102-07:00
I don't think I understand why this is an issue. Does anyone actually like their blogspot subdomain enough to fight for it? Am I misunderstanding the point?