Now, It's Gone For Good

The invitation, that is.

There's no invitation here.


I had to update an article in The Real Blogger Status (Classic), but I had just restarted my computer. Upon starting, I went to login to my dashboard, and that is what I saw.

No warning.

Just as I predicted, not so long ago (but didn't really believe would be this soon).

OK, I got it done. Some warning would have been polite, but accusing Blogger of being polite is never necessary.

So now, I have to update all of my newly migrated blogs with the shiny New Blogger template features, when I'm not busy helping with the stampede, that is.

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When Should I NOT Migrate #2

My last thoughts, about when I would want to migrate MY blogs, was that I would give it a go mid week.

• The previous weekends activities should be wound down.
• The problems from the previous weekend should be resolved.
• Starting Tuesday or Wednesday of the week should allow a day for the migration to go (or not).
• If not were the operative word, 2 days for me to attract the attention of Jordan or Buzzie, and hopefully they could fix my problem as they have fixed others.

But, it is Christmas, and Blogger is on a Christmas break. Possibly following that, one would bet, comes New Years, and a similar break.

And right now, my migration is OFF. So my bet is some folks will try migrating in the next week or so, possibly following my previous advice. But it's the holidays, folks, so unless you need a New Blogger blog for the holidays, and you are willing to chance losing it for a few days, give it a rest. I will anyway.

When Should I Migrate (When Should I Not Migrate)

The handwriting on the wall suggests that Blogger is trying to get everybody (every account anyway) onto Blogger Beta before the end of the year. This doesn't give us much time, though.

The last week of the year, which starts one week from tomorrow (on Christmas Day, yet), will probably be a 4 day work week. Some companies may even observe 3 days of work, and maybe less work will actually get done. Your access to Blogger won't be subject simply to Bloggers stability.

I wouldn't try migrating then. Particularly if the bulk of the unmigrated accounts get migrated the last week, the load on the Blogger infrastructure could be interesting. I wouldn't want my migration job depending upon servers that are overworked right now (supposedly, one of the original reasons for migrating).

And another complication. If last years observations repeat, you'll see Internet stability drop during the last week of the year. Think of all those lucky folks who see their first computer under the Christmas tree, next Monday. Think of what happens as all of those computers get connected for the first time, and all of the new bots get added to the bot population.

If Jordan et al are expecting to get this project finished before the end of the year, they better have coffee, by the gallon, ready for the final week. They are going to be stuck in the office for some grueling long hours.

That leaves this week. Period. And unfortunately, that is subject to the invitation being available.

This is the 2006 Holiday Season. I am surely not the only webmaster who seriously wants his / her website up and running, 7 x 24, during this season. See Roberto's Report: Yo! Ho! What's the Go?, for more thoughts on this issue.

Jordan et al:

If you think some of the bitching in the forum this weekend was annoying, wait til next week, and the final week, if you keep hinting that we will be forced to migrate before 2007.

Please stop The FUD.

Please.

(Note 12/22): I would probably not migrate this weekend, period. And with this issue in mind, I would limit my migration window next week to 12/26 - 27, no more.

Migration To Blogger Beta - The Final Chapter?

In my previous series Migration To Blogger Beta - Evaluation, and previously, I've discussed the practical issues surrounding the migration.

Today, in Blogger Help Group: Publishing Trouble When will all Blogger accounts be switched to Blogger beta?, we see the third statement by Jordan, aka Blogger Employee

Yes, a few months, max.

One week ago, in Google Blogger Help: An Open Question to "Blogger Employee"

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 just hope that there's some window of opportunity provided to all blog owners, so nobody goes from

Sorry, we can't allow you to migrate.

to

You have to migrate this week.

in the same week.

Common courtesy would require that those with larger, and maybe more complex, blogs, be given an appropriate amount of time to decide when to migrate. I would hate to interfere with some blogger employees coffee break time, but maybe it would be right to think of the unpaid employees slightly, and cut the breaks just a bit shorter.

Please.

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.

Migration To Blogger Beta - Evaluation - 2

So where are we in the rollout of Blogger Beta? The rollout, for me, began on August 16. Let's be casual, and call it 2 months.

And Blogger Employee, in Google Blogger Help: An Open Question to "Blogger Employee". says

We're looking forward to migrating all users to beta in the next few months.

Although my personal preference would be a year, I'll suspect we'll be lucky to see that stretch into 4 - 6 months. Let's equate "a few" to 4, which makes the total migration project 6 months. I'm using my Migration To Blogger Beta series and the (straw man, and yes, I realise the limitations here) 10% - 80% - 10% triage, as a reference.

When Blogger makes a reference like "a few months", it looks like they think that the pilot is over, and they're going to migrate everybody homogenously. Given a 6 months (24 weeks) overall project, and we are 8 weeks (1/3) into the project, with a 10% - 80% - 10% weighting, that puts us well into the main part of the project. Even at a 20% - 60% - 20% weighting, we are well into the main part.

Unfortunately, they're still telling a lot of folks

We're not ready to allow you to migrate just yet. Just setup a new Beta blog, and test Beta out.

Now, my suspicion is that they have no idea what problems might arise as the Classic blogs are migrated. They can't really. They have no ideas what features are used on any blogs, because they don't support the blogs. They only support the blogging infrastructure. All user support is provided by the users, in the forums.

The unfortunate thing (for us) is that many blogs haven't been migrated, because Blogger says

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

Now the reason why they aren't allowed certain blogs to be migrated is that they are still trying to work out the issues. Some issues they know about, and have delayed migration for those blogs. But without those blogs being migrated, they don't have any idea what other issues may be awaiting us.

And the reactions in the forums is interesting. I see a few Bloggers saying

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

Other Bloggers advise

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

I suspect that the answer lies in the middle. So, next I will discuss the variety of Bloggers and their opinions about the migration.

Beta Support

No computer system will ever be static. A static system is one that's awaiting replacement. The rollout of a major upgrade can delay the replacement.

The rollout of Blogger Beta - just like any rollout - is bound to bring problems. And with the current Blogger policy of never speaking directly to us (the unpaid Blogger staff), the problems will feel more acute.

So Blogger Support provides Blogger Employee, who periodically visits the Google Blogger Help Forums, like an appearance by Christ on a magic horse.