What Happened?
The sidebar widget quick edit tools, a crossed screwdriver and wrench, are totally GONE. The icons linked directly from a post or widget to an editing window. These once familiar cons are not just missing, bu have been removed and are no longer available, no thanks to the Google team.
This means that I can longer add or delete blogs, which could be done for various reasons — a blog was deleted, a blogger stopped posting, or just to update the listing for other reasons. Apologies in advance for not being able to remove non-functioning blogs or to add new ones — it's Blogger's fault.
This isn't just a minor inconvenience for many, like myself, but it really is a big deal, despite what the Blogger team may think, if they even do (sorry, but this really has me annoyed).
When did it happen?
A couple of weeks ago it was apparent that the icons were missing. At the time, I thought it might be just another blogger quirk (there's been others). But, last week when I wanted to edit my blog reading list and found the tools were still not available, my online search started.
In July 2021, Google completely stripped this functionality from widgets. While numerous online solutions and fixes have been identified and proposed, according to several experts, none of these will currently work. Apparently, this isn't the first time these icons have gone AWOL. Google removed the quick-edits from all blogs in January, then reversed that move.
Checking the Blogger online community showed that many bloggers have complained about the deleted toolbox icons.
Some comments/complaints:
The edit toolbar has disappeared on my sidebar, it's the same on all six blogs I'm admin for as well as my own so figure others may have the same issue. Whilst it's possible to go in and edit from the layout section on the dashboard, html is the only option and does not work effectively in the same way as using the tool direct from the blog page. Can anyone advise if this is going to be fixed any time soon.
This is most disappointing as I use the function to change dates and other info on my sidebar widgets almost daily and would image many other users do.
I'm also experiencing the same issue, can I fix it? The quick edit tool is a really helpful tool, blogger should keep it or update, using the blog viewer/dashboard/posts, is not quick or easy.
Some Blogger Expert comments:
The Team had to remove this feature due to upcoming web browser security - moving forward, as the quick edit feature/method used will not be forward compatible. If you feel the feature would be useful, you can send your feedback using the Send Feedback link at the top right of your dashboard, to let the team know . . . For the quick-edit tools, we don't know exactly what is going on. May be related to another big change at Google, this time related to 3rd-party cookies.
Blogger Product Experts are described in Google Communities Support as users passionate about Google products who enjoy helping other users. While that may be how Google regards most experts. There were some whose comments seemed to downplay bloggers concerns. Many experts used the term deprecated when referring to a feature no longer available. This confused some bloggers who asked if it meant deleted or removed—it does in simplest terms.
Here's an explanation of deprecation — it's the discouragement of the use of some terminology, feature, design or practice usually as it has been superseded or is no longer considered efficient. In programming, deprecation is the process of taking older code and marking it as no longer useful within the codebase, as it has been replaced by newer code.
This isn't the first time that a favorite feature has been deprecated. That happened in mid-May 2018 when it was announced that some features would soon be retired from Blogger due to low usage and to allow the Blogger team to focus on developing new features.
The Next Blog feature that allowed users to visit a blog similar to the current one was one such removal, much to the chagrin of bloggers who complained that it was the only way they could find and read new-to-them blogs. And, it's still AWOL.
If you too disagree with the sidebar widget quick edit toolbar no longer being available, you can send feedback with the Send Feedback link at the top right of your dashboard. According to some Blogger experts only a large number of feedbacks from many people can change something in this matter.
The more folks who send feedback (and complaints) about this removal, the quicker it may (or may not) get restored.
To find that ? icon, go to your blogger dashboard; it's in the upper right corner. Click on it to access the Help and Feedback sections.
OK, that's it for this post rant and while I don't feel better about the removed widget toolbox my frustration has been shared. Future posts will be about recent travel and other things.
Here's the only options available when I tried ➡ that suggested method over the weekend and again today. 😟
Fellow blogger, Jon, suggested this workaround: Go to Design and select Reading List. At the top of Reading List select "Manage" (on the right-hand side). This is where you can manage the blogs on your reading list.
I tried that suggestion and got this message: You are not currently following any blogs. Click here to enter blogs you'd like to follow in your Reading List.
According to Blogger: You can read the latest posts on your favorite blogs by adding them to the reading list on your Blogger dashboard.To Follow a blog, Your Google profile, including your name and profile photo, will show up publicly as a follower of a blog when you use the Followers gadget. You can change your Google profile any time. To follow a blog anonymously, follow it from the Blogger dashboard or the Settings menu.
A good suggestion, but this option doesn't work for me as I have never used Follower gadget to read blogs. My choice was to just list blogs on th sidebar and then edit as necessary with the sidebar edit tools.
26 comments:
Removing the edit icon is the one that has affected me more than all the other tinkering that has been done to what was a perfectly working system. I do a lot of public speaking, lead nature walks, organize work parties and so on. I would always list the dates and activities on the right side of my blog so that people would know ahead of time when and where events were taking place. This very useful feature is now denied me and from what you say, Beatrice, there are no plans to bring it back. No steps forward and a dozen back!
I wish I could help you but I can't. I never even used the widgets you are talking about. I normally just update things myself when I get around to it. Although I must confess that in recent years, I've not kept up with updates the way I should. I hope you get your tools back. You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.
dear Dorothy this was needed one indeed
forgive my ignorance but really could not get what kind of security issue blogger team resolved by removing the blogger tool.
i use blogger daily to enable comment if there is any .i admit that i write post in hurry almost so hardly use any other tool except insert image or link .i used to add blogs but i removed hardly any though it happened once to me long ago that some blogs were removed and when i found out and tried to put them back i could not .that was awful for sure.
i think blogger should respect the opinion of his users .i am thankful to blogger for providing space to speak my heart to friends !
we have installed a new net connection which is disappearing once in a while and for six hours almost .i could not visit blogging friends because of this since few days .
we are thinking to switch it to the older one lets see .
wishing you health ,peace joy friends!
Lots of changes over the years. It seems as though I get used to something new just before they change it again!
I don't use the sidebar tool so had not noticed that it was home but I was the first one yelling and screaming and sending feedback several times when they took away the pencil edit for the blog post because that one I used all the time. It was gone for quite a while and now it's back but who knows for how long
Oh, my. And blogging has been so much fun....
Dorothy, Didn't read your post in entirety because I'm to be doing something else right now but I did check that I can edit my blog list by going to Design, selecting Layout and going to the widget to be edited. On Blog List scroll down to the bottom where it allows you to add new blogs and edit the blogs on your list. Other widgets can be edited that way too, though not as easily as before.
Hope this helps.
Marcia, I appreciated your response and tried what you suggested. However, selecting Design/Layout/ then the Blogs to Explore widget doesn't show a listing of the blogs as on the sidebar and no option displays to add or remove any blogs. And, I tried to edit any other widgets this way and that didn't work either. I wonder if other bloggers can edit in the manner you have been able to do?
It seems that problems with Blogger happen nearly every day. Sometimes I'm not able to reply to comments on my blog. Other times I'm not able to delete comments. Numerous things have mysteriously disappeared on my sidebar.
The edit widgets on the sidebar have definitely disappeared, which is a great inconvenience - - but I'm still able to edit the sidebar by going to "LAYOUT". It's the only alternative.
Go to Design and select "Reading List". At the top of Reading List select "Manage" (on the right-hand side). This is where you can manage the blogs on your reading list.
I hope I'm describing this correctly!
You may have noticed that I don't have things on my sidebar. That's because I don't know how. I hope your tools are returned.
I have never used the Blogger's method of following blogs. I have always used Feedly to follow blogs. One advantage is that some blogs are actually easier to read in Feedly's text conversion. But you can always click to the actual published blog too, and of course I always do to comment.
In my experience the so called Blogger "experts" are all worthless prats.
Dorothy, I think you selected the wrong gadget to edit. Try the Blog list gadget not the Followers. I've had to put my blog list into 4 lists with the limit now to 10 per list. A bit of a pain but I managed.
Dorothy, I'm so sorry that my suggestion didn't work for you. I have over sixty blogs on my reading list and they all showed up when I went to "Reading List" and clicked Manage.
I honestly can't think of any other way to access the blogs on your list. Blogger is SO FRUSTRATING. They have a knack for complicating simple things.
You've done a lot of research on this topic. I have book marked the post and will be back.
I'm able to edit my blogger list well I could a few days back. I miss 'next blog'. So many changes over the years but we soldier on.
I use my phone to comment mostly.
I noticed that too Dorothy, what a pain, now I have to go into the layout section to edit. I'm slowly but surely trying to move everything away from blogger and google in general.
Blogger is such a pain - they keep retiring services and widgets every now and then.
I use Bloglovin' to read my favourite blogs.
Happy Wednesday, Beatrice.
I've always edited the sidebar through the Blogger dashboard, as described by Jon above, so I can't answer. However I can answer your question you ask about heather on my blog. Although you might not notice the fragrance of a single heather plant, when there are as many as this you certainly can and, to my nose at least, it's very pleasant.
I never used that feature but Linda at lifeandlinda.com has a workaround for it. I need to save this post for when my brain is clearer to really digest it all.
Beatrice, I know that I'm computer illiterate! I've been blogging for over a decade now and I don't know what a Widget Quick Edit Tool or a Quick Edit Pencil is? In my case, given the level of frustration for many bloggers with Google's changes, ignorance is bliss! Take Care, Big DaddyDave
I do not use the widgets enough to be of any good help to you. It is frustrating when things we have gotten used to get taken away. I hope you can get this resolved.
Hi again, Beatrice. You asked how high is my apt from the ground level - we live on the fifth floor.
Have a great rest of the week!
Proving not all change is good! I hate change!!! And, is not like to change!
I use reading list constantly to follow blogs that don't have a link to follow by email on their account. It's very useful. For about a week or two, that disappeared from my blog. It's back now. (I wasn't the only person that it was happening to and those I communicated with said it was back to them, also.) I hit the feedback thing several times with my message as did Linda, who designed my blog and imported my mail chimp. I never heard back from blogger but one day it just appeared.
I never used the quick edit. I just go into the original file, fix it there and hit update and it's very fast and I'm sure my edit got in the right spot.
Post a Comment