Saturday, April 21, 2012

Please don't let Blogger design nuclear power plants, 'k?

Quote du jour:
Arthur: "What happens if I press this button?"
Ford:"I wouldn't."
Arthur:"Oh!"
Ford:"What happened?"
Arthur: "A sign lit up, saying Please Do Not Press This Button Again."
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Curse Blogger! They've changed the whole interface, and taken away all the text on the draft page. If you add an image, you can't see it, not even the HTML code. All you see is a bunch of icons. Presumably you're supposed to click each icon until you find out what it does. ("Oh, was that the Delete button? That must be why all my text went away.")

Not that Wordpress gets any awards either, as you might have discovered recently if you tried to leave a comment on a blog and got a message loop telling you to log in.

Luckily, I read another blogger's comments, which mentioned that clicking the cog icon gives you an option to revert to the old UI. Which has text, text being symbols that TELL you what will happen if you click a link BEFORE you click the link. Please don't let Blogger get the idea that it should design nuclear power plants. "Oooh, it's a shiny red button. What would happen if I press it?"

19 comments:

Shelley said...

I'm confused, as I can still see pictures when I compose...gah, I hope that doesn't disappear on me!!!

The Merry said...

Apparently, you can see images in Compose mode, but not in HTML mode? My problem was I didn't see options for either mode. All I saw when I tried to edit a post, one that already had an image in it, was a blank page and a row of icons. Maybe if I were using a mouse, I could hover the cursor over the icon and see a string that explained the function. The iPad has its limitations.

Cat said...

I have wondered myself, if it is a working site, people know what to do, why for gosh sakes does it need changed? Pbbt.

Cat

The Merry said...

Because the Marketing department has to keep their jobs, and they can only do that by introducing New Innovative Exciting Changes.
Sorry... I'm not a fan of software marketing departments. When they don't know what else to do, they decide to change the name of the product. Easy decision for them, lot of work for other people. And once the change has been made, they change the name again. Because that's Innovative and Exciting.
To me, something's innovative if it adds value, and exciting if it streamlines a process. Change for the sake of looking busy and important does not impress.
Goodness, how did I get up onto this soapbox? It's very tall.

EcoCatLady said...

Love your soapbox and totally agree, although I have been using the new interface for months without any problem. I've never experienced the lack of pictures and on my screen every icon has words next to it. But you're not the first person I've come across with these complaints, so it's sort of making me nervous.

Down with marketing departments!!

The Merry said...

Hmmmnnn... Then it sounds like these problems stem from the version that people are using with the mobile apps. Which bodes ominous. An engineer gave me a tour of Windows 8, Microsoft's upcoming OS, and it's got one view that specifically designed for use with smartphones and iPads rather than traditional computers.

Perpetua said...

I'm one who has been telling people how to get back to the old interface, so it might have been my comment you read. :-) I truly hate the new one - so difficult to read, especially for someone like me with developing cataracts.

I immediately reverted when I was switched across and will do so until the old dashboard disappears. Such an unnecessary change, just to make all Google products have the same bland look. Grrr!!

The Merry said...

Was it you? I owe you for that bit of info!
Yes, I think they're trying to make all their products look the same... Branding is another concept beloved by Marketing departments. That they're losing loyalty and customer trust doesn't seem much of an issue.

messymimi said...

Love your soapbox, hate when the techno-geeks "improve" stuff into uselessness.

Amanda said...

Thank you thank you for mentioning the little cog thingie and the option to change back to the old UI. I get really off-kilter when my visual environment changes and this has been making me nuts!

StephanieC said...

I found the new interface didn't even REMOTELY track stats accurately.

It wouldn't show that any comments were posted, yet if you go to the post, there were 20 comments.

Frustrating!

So, yes, please never let blogger get near anything nuclear. I'm surprised and disappointed since Google is usually pretty awesome at things.

Lee said...

Hmmm, don't know exactly what you're talking about but would tend to agree that blogger should leave nuclear weaponry alone.

More than just about anything, I despise the two word capcha thing. I never get it right the first time. Grrr.

azusmom said...

Ah yes: the old "Everything is working perfectly so let's change it" mode of operation.
Technology: making our lives easier?

Julie said...

What everyone else already said, me too. And you're right in that WP ain't any damn bit better. Blech, all of them are annoying.

Sadly, we now need them. Otherwise how would we all gather so festivally together like this? (See, I can positive spin just about anything.)

Andrea @ The Skinny Chronicles said...

Yes all these stupid blogging platform updates. Can't they just leave well enough alone?@?!?!

Happy weekend, in the meantime.

The Ironic Catholic said...

(applause)

Gina said...

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
(Is there room for me on that soapbox?)

My husband also works as a writer for the newspaper. He just had his site the way he wanted it when the company decided to change all the templates. Grrrrrrr.

Julie said...

Check in please, just so we don't keep worrying that you're dead in a ditch. Thanks!!!

(Moderation enabled? Are you being stalked?)

Dennis Thomas said...

Well as bad as blogger is it's better than the blank notepad document with weird html tags. Working with other programs can be tough, but it sure saves time. Also it's always good to keep copies of your text.