Sunday, July 28, 2013

I have a request

With all the shake out I think is still going on for many people when Google Reader shut down, so many thing that most of us had gotten very used to are changing and where that will ultimately lead us is currently unknown.

Obviously you've chosen some way to continue to follow your favorite blogs whether it be my personal choice Feedly
or you are lovin Bloglovin.
Or perhaps you are following by some other method. What ever method you use to find your way here, I thank you for continuing to follow my quilting journey. But the one thing that is still open ended for me is my reader count, how to know just how many readers I have. Like many other quilting bloggers, I like to celebrate my loyal readers and have had giveaways when I've reached another milestone, a party for my followers to thank them for finding my content worthy of continuing to read. It feels to me like I've "met" a new friend. I have a Bloglovin counter on my sidebar and I don't think Feedly has that ability available yet but now I have absolutely no idea whatsoever how many readers I really have.
No true way to count equals no reason to celebrate with a giveaway party.
Now you will read all over the internet that when Google shut down its reader it also shut down Google Friend Connect. But in truth that doesn't seem to be the case. Just this past week I joined a few new-to-me blogs through GFC and although I needed to manually add them to my Feedly list, they are also showing up in my Blogger list. Obviously if you don't use Blogger this isn't relevant to you but obviously the talk of the demise of GFC is a bit premature. Will it totally disappear in the future? Who knows but for now I'm going to continue to use it to join new blogs and to count my followers on my blog.

So what favor do I need from you? It's easy. If you originally started reading my blog by joining through Google Friend Connect you don't need to do anything. You are already in that count. But if you've recently found me and are following through one of the other reader options, I'd like to ask that you also "join" through my GFC. I would really like to know just how many of you there are, how many of my Bloglovin readers are already duplicates of my GFC number and how many of you there are that don't show on a counter here at all yet. Until a better option comes along (I truly hope something does eventually), that is how I will count my number of readers and then host another giveaway.

And who doesn't love a giveaway?
I'm really close to 350 and since it has been a while since I've had a giveaway here, I'll do it once that goal is reached. I have a basket full of goodies that I've collected for just such occasions and I'll pick a couple of them to offer up to one lucky winner.

So please, if you haven't already, join my list of readers through Google Friend Connect so that I can continue to share my love of quilting with giveaways for you.
P.S. If anyone out there knows of a better solution to this issue, I'm all ears.

19 of you added your own colorful comments:

Carol said...

I just signed up to follow you on Google Friend Connect. I first found you through Bloglovin'. I like Bloglovin' fine but I don't like that they when I click to visit a blog I'm still in Bloglovin' and that prevents me from being able to leave comments or follow a link. Have a good day.

Gill said...

I've been following you with GFC for a while - then with all the fuss I signed up with bloglovin but I'm actually still using GFC!!!

Mary Marcotte said...

I found you through bloglovin' but I've also joined via GFC. I am wondering the same thing about my readers--how many are there? Who knows. I use Blogger to track stats but that still doesn't solve the question. I'm going to come back to see if you or your readers come up with a better solution!

Diane-crewe said...

I have no idea what I follow you through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you know Im challenged ! lol x let me know if I need to do " something " and I will get my son to look at it!

Judy1522 said...

I moved to bloglovin to follow you but now also signed up through google friends connect. I am not completely happy with bloglovin as I have noticed that I am unable to make comments on some blogs.

MoeWest said...

In Bloglovin, go to your settings (right click on the white heart in a blue circle) and choose 'I don't want the frame'. Now when you click on a blog you will go there directly and not be in Bloglovin.

Michele said...

Thanks for the info Maureen for those that are using Bloglovin. In Feedly I can click directly on the post title or the blog title and it goes directly to the post/blog. It is really easy and I like it a lot.

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I use GFC still and my little side reader on my dashboard even though I am in Bloglovin - dont use it.

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

I follow you on GFC and bloglovin'

Joyce Carter said...

I am an old follower through GFC, but I was afraid I would lose all the blogs that I love so I started following through Bloglovin. I still read your blogs through my blogger dashboard though.

Margaret said...

I follow through blog lovin now on GFC

Sarah Craig said...

I follow you via email but also did the GFC thing. I follow all my blogs through the sidebar listing of the blogs I follow and that works great for me - never did do the Google Reader thing! I've got it set up so that when someone I follow posts, it moves their blog name up to the top of the list. Don't really see a need to switch over to BlogLovin...

B Greene said...

I am a GFC follower even though I regularly read through The Old Reader. You will get to 350 in no time!

lefuntz said...

I don't remember how I started following you but I have been a "friend" for a while now.

Kathy S. said...

I am a regular follower. I now follow you on Bloglovin' and hit the GFC button to make follower 345. Congrats on all of your followers. I love the swaps you host and put so much time in towards our joy. Thanks!

charlotte said...

I always use GFC, and will whenever it is an option. All I did was put everything from Google Reader into Bloglovin' so you are in two spaces for me.

beaquilter said...

I use feedly, but see my followers thru blogger dashboard..

Heidi said...

I follow with Bloglovin, and now with GFC as well:-)

Rebeckah Austin said...

I follow you in bloglovin :)