As you’ve probably heard, the popular Google Friend Connect (“GFC”) is going away Feb 29th for non-Google blog platforms like WordPress, and the scuttlebutt is that it will be eventually phased out completely to be replaced by Google+. YES you read that right. It has been on national news reports –all about how Google is phasing it out and not providing a service to move our followers–even saying the new Google+ will not be what the GFC was. {If you have not heard that news – sorry to be the one sharing that news with you but before you start hyper ventilating–KEEP READING — I also have some GREAT NEWS.} GFC was never really so much an “I follow this blog” tool as it was an attempt at the whole Facebook “friend, like” concept.
Bloggers know a good “follower” tool is really needed and we’d like to have one that is not tied to a million other services (seems like Facebook, Twitter and Google are linked to everything else on the Internet).
Introducing LINKY FOLLOWERS (www.linkyfollowers.com)
Brent, the creater of Linky has made a FREE service that a group of mom bloggers have tested and helped develop. I highly recommend it to you.
Keep in mind this just started Feb. 2nd… and there will no doubt be some bugs that the test group didn’t catch. Just contact Brent (brent@brentriggs.com)… he is great about fixing things fast. Don’t let a bug or an “oops” hurt your first impression. You’re being invited to be some of the first users of this great new tool, and your feedback will help him iron out any problems very quickly.
One last thing, the inevitable question: can my GFC followers be automatically moved over? NO. Google won’t allow access to those accounts but more importantly, YOU really shouldn’t sign up someone to a new service. They should voluntarily sign up themselves. You’ll need to ask your GFC folks (and all your blog readers) to follow you using Linky Followers but its easy, quick and did I mention, free? They’ll love the tool. It’s a cool way to organize and follow the blogs you love.
There are really cool features that you did not have with the GFC tool.
You can get started by FOLLOWING ME from my Linky Followers widget just above my Google follower link. .
Once you sign up you can navigate around and look at everything. I like that you can add on blogs as favorites, ones I visit once a week, etc .....
Please follow me on the NEW
LINKY FOLLOWER TOOL
(just above my Blogger follower list)
GOOGLE Friend Connect will go away on Feb 29.
If you sign up for the Linky Follower tool I am following everyone that follows me.
Its super easy and FREE!
Thanks for stopping by!
Shelly
4 comments:
:( I heard some rumblings about this but I was hoping for it to work out somehow. Thanks so much for sharing the new Linky followers :) Hugs~
This looks pretty complicated. I think I will hold off until I find out more about it.
Hi, I am not a follower of your blog but have ended up here following links from other bloggers. I have been doing some research on the google friends connect issue, just wanted to let you know its only going away for NON google/blogger blogs, ie wordpress and typepad. There is info on it on the google blog under their spring cleaning post. Hope this helps
Kat x
I had heard a few whispers about this. I have signed up now and added my name to your followers.
I'm going to share this info on my blog too - hope you don't mind.
Hugs
Penni
X
Post a Comment