Blogger: one great feature, email the blog to publish a post

Blogger, owned by Google, is the blogging platform we use for this blog. One reason we chose it is that blogger is very simple and easy to modify. There is just one configuration page to work with.

One of my favorite options, and this may not be unique to blogger, is being able to publish a blog post by sending an email to the blog. That's how I'm creating this post.

Each blog has a unique email address only known by the administrators.  The email feature under settings allows you to immediately publish the post from a new email it receives or save emails as drafts. Both have worked for me.

So if we're traveling, for example, and can't get to a laptop easily to post to the blog, we can send email to the blog and have them immediately published or have them wait for review and tweeking later.

Another use of the email feature, also known as mail2post, is that you can give that email address out to those folk you would like to contribute to your blog. And you can always rework or delete blog posts after they're published when needed.

I'm still testing this feature so let's test an in-line photo. Here's a friend I ran into on my bike ride to work today.

And publish... Let me know if it works ;)

Bert

I want to start a Blog But someone ask why not just use Facebook? So here are my reasons

Someone ask so here goes.  Why stop Facebook, it's so much easier. Just create an album, download and upload your photos?

Here are my reasons for removing my content from Facebook, in order of importance...

1. Well, it's not just about photos. For me, it's also about this space being mine, under my control.

2. Using Blogger, owned by Google, it's actually easier to create and share photo albums from Google photos. Both my phones upload to, guess what, Google photos.

3. Have I mentioned privacy yet? Does anyone remember the last presidential election, the involvement of Cambridge Analytica and theft of 87 MILLION user profiles used to influence that election? The first time it happens, shame on you (Facebook), the second time it happens shame on me.

4. Ultimate control of look and feel. a blog or website is configurable, personalized and not someone else's view of how it should look. It's like renting a room in someone else's house. They pick the paint colors, the doors, mow the lawn or not, etc. You get the idea.

5. My patterns, selections, choices, political views, and preferences are not being tracked, monitored and recorded to sell me something, try to change my political position or viewpoint. Or to sell [my content] to someone else to do the same..

6. This is a permanent place for me to describe and annotate our lives to friends. Facebook is owned and can change any of the rules anytime. 

7. I get to control access, completely, no questions. No misunderstandings, like when Facebook-approved apps are built and allowed to pull my Facebook profile details and/or content.

8. I can move anytime. There are multiple, free blog and website builders. If things change on Blogger, WordPress, Wix, Google sites, etc, I can take my stuff and leave. And nobody has a copy of it.

9. The noise is deafening and I'm suppressed on Facebook. This is probably my number one driver to leave. Facebook is like one of the old party line phones. You pick up and everyone is talking, nobody is listening. And REALLY no one cares. Admit it. We all just want to scream out our opinions.

10. I have a choice.

Exploring Blogger a Disclaimer

After some deliberation, we decided to go with Blogger for our Blog.  Not knowing what problems or limits it may present, we like blogger because it is owned by Google and we have access to Blogger training with https://geeksontour.com/.

So, we went for it and are posting regularly, adding Gadgets and exploring new and better options, templates, layout options, etc as we go.  So, the blog may blow up, break, not email you or just not be there until we get it all smoothed out.

Not knowing how long that will take, please have patience with us as we explore Blogging!!

Having fun, AusTexGuys, Bert and Lupe.

disclaimer def.: a statement that denies something, especially responsibility :)