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Ambiguity In URL Availability

This week, we have various bloggers report that they are initially informed that a given URL is available, but the "Create a blog" wizard later shows that the same URL is not available.
Whenever I try to register, after Blogger suggests "The name xxxxxxx is available to register!", I get the message "Sorry, this blog address is not available".


This seems coincidental, coming after the recent occurrence of people being told that their blogs had been locked for being splogs, then told not when trying to request review.


Now, you see it ("available").



Now, you don't.



And it was this same way yesterday, when I identified this URL.

Are you seeing this confusion?
  • What URL are you trying to use or to register?
  • Was this ever registered to you?
  • Did you ever get a spam warning for this URL?



You use the "Create a blog" wizard, which gives you your new blog if and only if the URL is available. If "Create a blog" (aka "Name your blog") tells you that the URL isn't available, it's not available. The "Create a blog" wizard is the authoritative arbiter here.


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Comments

benut said…
so, how can I use the deleted URL address? fyi, i want to use pssgmutp.blogspot.com as my blog URL.
originally this blog was created by my friend and it has been deleted.
Nitecruzr said…
Your friend must re create the blog (as a stub), then transfer control of it to you, properly.
D said…
I tried to register "thehomeowners". I get the exact same errors as pictured above. Ugh. Maybe I'll just use wordpress.

It's never been registered to me.
I saw some weird spam/bot thing when trying to register in blogger. I'm not sure if that is related.
Nitecruzr said…
If the "Create a blog" wizard says that "thehomeowners.blogspot.com" isn't available, it's not available.

If availability of the "subdomain" name of your choice is your primary criteria in choosing a blogging platform, you're probably better off publishing to "wordpress.com", where there are lots of available subdomain names. That's because more bloggers are publishing to "blogspot.com" (using Blogger), instead of "wordpress.com" (using WordPress).
Gaia said…
WHAT????!!! I don't understand!! What is happening? I NEED Bluestown.blogspot.com . . . and now it just doesn't exist?!?! seriously! this is NOT okay! Has Bluestown been deleted? It is or was a huge blog, they can't just make it all over again! Has it been deleted? whhhhhyyyy???????

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