Migration To Blogger Beta - Evaluation - 3

In this series about the migration to the Blogger Beta product, I've described (briefly) the technique of a migration project, the overall status of the migration, and where (I suspect) that Blogger thinks this project is right now.

As the Google Blogger Help community reacts to last weeks announcement (carefully hidden in the forums)

We're looking forward to migrating all users to beta in the next few months, so, as there's limited time left with regular Blogger

I see an interesting mixture of reactions.

I just migrated my blog, and I'm having no problems. You should migrate now, and enjoy yourself.

and

Don't migrate now, wait until all of the bugs are worked out.

My own personal opinion varies from day to day, according to what problems we are seeing (Classic or Beta), and / or what responses we are getting (or not getting) from Blogger Support. Several times in the past week, I have experienced moments of euphoria (from various causes), where I have contemplated pulling the pin, and migrating PChuck's Kitchen.

Being able to use MultiStyle Topics, to cross reference my recipes, would rock. PChuck's Kitchen is not large, and could be rebuilt if necessary, so it's a perfect candidate (to me) for migration.

Unfortunately, none of this matters, as Blogger says to me, and many other folks

We're not ready to allow you to migrate just yet. But setup a new Beta blog - and try out the neat features!

So, of the folks using Beta blogs right now, how many are using new blogs vs how many have actually been migrated? My guess - and I am being liberal - is maybe 1 Beta blog out of 3 was migrated - 2 out of 3 are new Beta blogs.

There are a lot of Classic blogs waiting to be migrated. Almost certainly, the blogs that haven't been migrated are the ones with interesting features. And that means that those features, and other features used by more complex blogs that can't be migrated, haven't been tested under Beta just yet.

Features that haven't been (won't be) tested under Beta are problems waiting to happen. Blogger is simply saying

Migrate anyway, and we'll deal with the problems after you migrate.

And after they migrate, they'll be saying

We can't respond to your problem personally - we're too busy dealing with all of the problems. Please describe your problem in Google Blogger Help - Troubleshooting, and wait for answers from your peers.

If there are features in Beta that you can't, or don't want to, wait for, then it's in your own best interest to migrate. Those of us who don't want to migrate our blogs immediately will benefit from waiting, and watching the problems that occur without us, occur without us. If you migrate, and you experience problems, then I can learn from your experience, as I watch you struggle.

Those of us that do eventually migrate will benefit from many having migrated before us, and already dealt with the problems. But the choice to migrate is not given freely to everybody. You can only migrate when you're allowed.

We're not ready to allow you to migrate just yet.

So here, again, is the suspicion that Blogger is ignoring the idea that many blogs are owned and cared for by real people.

• People who have hopes and dreams.
• People that won't enjoy migrating with the fear of having problems, and knowing that once you go forward, there's no coming back.
• People who know that possibly they will wait, but one day, possibly in the process of making an urgent post (new or updated), they will get the notice
  

  You must migrate now.

  
  Where now might be any future time convenient to Blogger Support, though not to the blog owner.
• People who know that one day, possibly in the process of making an urgent post (new or updated), they will get the notice
  

  You must migrate now.

  even though now, they see

  We're not ready to allow you to migrate just yet.

And that's the real downside of not migrating immediately. You have no idea when that shoe will drop. And there is another problem with The Silence.

(Edit 10/19): One week later, we see the third statement by Blogger Employee, and this story continues.