I Need To Learn To Let It Go ALREADY
So, sometime this week I was visiting a Blogger/Blogspot Blog (one run by Google’s Blogger) and I noticed a cute little button at the top that said something like “Follow me!” or some such nifty command implying that this quick and easy button would allow me to subscribe to the feeds of that blog. And since Google owns Blogger, I assumed that feed would go into my Google Feedreader. Which, it did. Essentially. But, it also put it on a list in my Blogger profile as well. This was fine, except that looking at my Blogger profile, it appeared that I only read that ONE BLOG. When, in my feed reader, there were over 100. So, I clicked the “import from Google” option when adding new blogs so that all of the blogs I subscribe to would show up in both places. Groovy.
Then Google had to do something to make it all go sour. It added that stupid heading in my Feed Reader: “Blogs I’m Following” (Pictured to the left). Now, I don’t know why this bothered me so much, but it irritated the HELL out of me. I don’t like that heading. I didn’t create that heading. And some of those sites weren’t blogs! Why put those under that heading? And then I noticed it didn’t put ALL of my subscriptions under that heading, even if they WERE blogs. There was no logical pattern and I need logical patterns.
Essentially? Google effed up my nice orderly subscriptions. Suddenly there were duplicates of a lot of my feeds and I kept having to look at some message that told me where (in Blogger) I could manage my subscriptions. BAH. DO NOT WANT.
I worked last night to weed out all of the duplicates and try to force that heading to go away. But I couldn’t. And the more I stared at it the more it bugged the shit out of me. So, do you know what I did before I went to bed last night? (I can not believe I’m about to say this.) I deleted my feeds. ALL OF THEM. People have been discussing doing this to start over so that they no longer feel obligated to read every blog they’ve subscribed to over the years. But not me. Nope. I did it because of a Google created heading.
Isn’t that the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard? That I would go and delete every feed and start over just because of one simple little heading? I had officially lost my mind when I did that, I assure you.
So, this morning I decided to take some time re-adding the feeds back. Starting with feeds in my “shared” items list. (Where I realized how often I share items from the SAME SITES. Sorry about that.) Except – here’s the kicker. Blogger? Wouldn’t let me remove them all from the dashboard. Some of them, yes. But, not all of them. Not that I care, really, but I didn’t want the duplicates to happen again. I wanted there to just be ONE copy of each subscription in my feed reader. So, I added a few to my Google Reader to see what happened and none of them were listed as duplicates. Yay, right?
No. Because – that DAMN HEADING IS STILL THERE. Google Reader still puts random blogs under that heading for me. Why? Who knows. So, even after the frustrations last night and the tedious process this morning of trying to remember all of the blogs I read (Which, I’m sure I couldn’t, THATS WHY I USED A FEED READER) I still have to look at that damn heading I didn’t create. And it’s still making me terribly insane.
If there is one thing I have learned through all of this it is that I seriously need to be medicated.
I was really irritated by that when it first popped up in my reader. It magically disappeared for me though. Odd…
I’m am so glad to know that I’m not the only one that finds it irritating. I HATE it!!! I REALLY wish I never had touched it. Even though I deleted all of my blogs from my Blogger dashboard, they’re still there.. and won’t go away. Agh!! It drives me crazy!
Wow. I think if I deleted my feeds (it would have to be accidentally, or through a technical fault of Google), I would cry. For a long time.
I SERIOUSLY JUST (well, okay, like five minutes ago) WROTE ABOUT CLEANING OUT MY READER.
Oh lord this cracked me up because it totally sounds like something I would do. Only with me, the next day I would read some blog that explained how to avoid or fix the problem in 2 easy steps. Then I would explode. Poof.
That would irritate me, too. I don’t like having folders in my reader at all. Why didn’t it let you delete though? That’s annoying.
I’m such a newbie, I totally don’t even know what you are talking about. Bah.
Yeah. It’s kind of a pain. I use Blogger, and basically duplicated a good portion of my Google reader into my Blogger reader before I realized it’s the same thing.
I use Bloglines. So, I can’t really relate. But, a clean sweep is hard I know.
You can add start reading my boring blog now.
I have been tempted to do a clean sweep, but I’m skeered.
I don’t know about that error, I’ve never seen it and I usually add blogs manually.
BUT! You should totally click the “updated” link instead of “all” (if you don’t, in your picture it’s not so I’m going by that”) because it makes the list seem much more managable when you only have to look at titles of blogs that have actually updated.
Have you tried to google the problem?
I totally feel your pain. I’m way too OCD to have Google just tossin’ things around in there. I fixed mine – Follow Me! and I’ll tell you how. Just kidding! Anyway – it’s a two-parter.
1. In Reader – choose “manage subscriptions” and then choose “preferences”. Make sure that you’ve unchecked “Show followed blogs from Blogger”. Then go back to Reader.
2. Drag any remaining blogs under the “blogs I’m following” heading up into either your main list or whatever folder you want it to live in. After you’ve dragged them all out of there refresh your page and ta-da! It’s gone!
Or at least appears to be. Time will tell if this a true fix or not I guess.
Oh and hey, don’t forget to Follow Me!
I know the feeling so well and it makes me insane. I will spend make every effort to regain control of my computer from the juggernauts that try to take it away from me.
This is EXACTLY why I use Bloglines. Even though I do read your shared thingies in google reader.
I feel your pain, but I didn’t have the time nor energy to do anything as drastic as DELETE feeds. Besides, I am kinda new to Reader and didn’t want to break it. I did move the folder right to the bottom of my list, under the sites I visit when I am really procrastinating. I will have to follow Lisa’s instructions and see if I can get it working one day soon.
I’m crying for you because OMG that’s a butt-ton of work for nothing and it’s so something I would do! LOL
P.S. Why are you not sharing with me? I want to see your shares! *pout*
That sounds crazy. Not you, Google. How random.
That is hysterical because I’ve been looking at that link and wondering if I should add it to my blog…thanks for the warning because it would be DRIVING ME INSANE.
I effing hate that stupid Blogs I’m Following. I like that my blogs show up on my Blogger profile now, but I hate that there’s that category that effectively doubled EVERY RSS feed I have.
I sort of did 1/2 of what Lisa did – I went into my preferences and unchecked the ‘show blogs I’m following’ box. The heading is still there though, way at the bottom of my list, and I just ignore it.
dude- the same thing here- so annoying i know!
No. That is not okay. I would lose it if I had to delete my feeds, but I have gone to great lengths at times to fix what has gone wrong in Google Reader. But I love it and I can’t break up with it.
Who says OCD isn’t debilitating?