Thursday, May 21, 2009

Housekeeping

One of my readers (Brandice) complains:
I'd really like to read your blog, but a truncated RSS feed (making me go to your site from Google Reader to read your posts) is basically like saying, "I will only let you read my content on MY terms rather than in a way that's convenient for you" and it's incredibly frustrating. Giving your feed about another week and then I'm just going to unsubscribe if you're dead set on keeping the truncated feed.
I'm not a real internet person, believe it or not, and don't worry much about these things. But I love solving things, all kinds of things.

As far as I know, at the top of the browser, inside the wide skinny rectangle, is an orange doodad that you can click on to subscribe directly. But maybe that goes through Google, too.

Are other people having problems with this? Should I call up the Google people? I imagine these issues started when Google bought Feedburner. Nobody kvetched before.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

therapydoc

28 comments:

Cate S said...

I get your whole post in my reader (Bloglines), always have as far as I remember.

kg said...

hmmm, on bloglines I get your whole post without going directly to your site. There was a spot when I added your feed to ask if I wanted the whole thing or just a bit.

RAK said...

In general, I think that the solution is in the blog's set up. But, that being said, I get your entire post in my google reader.

There is another blog I read where only the title of the post shows up in my reader, even though that's not how the author (claims to have) set it up.

I hope that's helpful. (Though I confess that it probably isn't.)

shaya g said...

huh? what's the kvetch? I just check your site every couple of days. what's the biggie? a wee bit spoiled are we? hold on, my butler is bringing me a truncated invite on my silver platter, be right back...........

blognut said...

I see your whole post in my google reader. However, if I want to leave a comment, I have to pop out to your site to do it. That's normal and it's fine with me.

I can sacrifice a few extra minutes every few days to get my TherapyDoc fix and I don't mind one bit.

The things we do for the ones we love... :)

therapydoc said...

Aw gee, thanks. But maybe there's a better way? Like does this happen with email subscriptions?

Leora said...

I haven't experienced any problems with your RSS feed. Shows up just fine in my Google Reader.

I'm subscribed to http://everyoneneedstherapy.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

and that does not appear truncated for me.

"Truncated" means you just get the title, and you have to click to see the whole post.

therapydoc said...

Thanks. And I understand that the emails are truncated, but when you open them up you just have to click on the title of the blog and you go right to the site. So that may help you, Brand.

therapydoc said...

I forgot to tell you she's got a great blog, peops.

therapydoc said...

RAK, maybe that's it! Let me check on it. Thanks!

Tanya said...

FYI: There is no "calling Google" for blogger help. All help is provided through an online Q and A forum and answers are, at best, hit or miss. I never have been able to get an answer to why my "links to this post" option has never worked. Ever. It's exceedingly frustrating and one of the few reasons why I've considered changing to Wordpress.

Dreaming again said...

My feedreader gave me the choice of whether I wanted it truncated or not.

cb said...

I wasn't getting the whole feed so thanks for this! It makes it easier to read when I'm out and about.. I have no idea how these things work on a more technical level.

Anna said...

I see the whole post in Google Reader.

Syd said...

I just go to your site from Google Reader. It's no big deal. Maybe there is a maximum amount of text that Reader allows. Not a problem for me.

Anonymous said...

Checked your Feedburner settings, Doc? That's how I control whether mine appears truncated or not...

It can just depend which aggregator/reader someone is using to subscribe to your feed, though.

Laura said...

Just my $0.02...

I use Google Reader and had always found it a little annoying that I had to click through to the website to read the entire blog entry.

That said, I went into Google Reader, deleted my subscription, and then re-added it using the link that Leora provided above and VOILA! it works just peachy now.

therapydoc said...

Hey hey! That's great! I went back to Feedburner and became so confused that I shut down my browser and actually worked the minutes I would have been talking to you guys, reading blogs, etc., between patients. It wasn't so bad!

Anonymous said...

not truncating for me...

I recommend deleting the feed and resubscribing with the one up the top if your having troubles people

Unknown said...

You can log into Blogger, then click on "Settings" and "Site feed" to check your settings. You have a choice of making your blog posts feed "none," "short," or "full." Hope that helps.

Linda

therapydoc said...

Thanks, Linda. I checked. That wasn't it, I was set to full. I give up. I think what I'll do is,somewhere up top on the side bar, refer people having problems to the comments on this post!

Jenny said...

I've been able to get subscribed through firefox by clicking on "Subscribe to feed" and it works like a bookmark. I don't know if internet explorer works that way though.

Brandice said...

I am still having an issue and I'm not sure why... When I click on your subscription/RSS link:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/everyoneneedstherapy

I am taken to page where you can even preview the feed and it's truncated, saying "Hi. Please click above the date, on the title of the post to read the rest. Hope you enjoy it, TherapyDoc" at the bottom.

I've tried putting the blog url directly into Google Reader with the same results... I've unsubscribed and resubscribed several times now. :(

Perhaps the issue is not with the Blogger settings but with the Feedburner settings? Make sure both are set to display full posts, and past that, I'm not sure what's going on.

Brandice said...

Update: It is definitely your Feedburner settings. The link posted in the above comment: http://everyoneneedstherapy.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default, when I put that directly into Google Reader it works untruncated. I would definitely recommend updating your Feedburner settings, since that's what you link to in the right column for people to subscribe and when you put in the main blog url it redirects to the Feedburner feed, which is why I kept getting truncated, I believe.

Hope that helps - Brandice

therapydoc said...

I didn't see any problem with the feed, my settings are fine. Why not subscribe with the email option (at the top of the blog proper there's a rectangle). That seems to always work.

Sorry.

Brandice said...

Your blogger feed is fine, yes, but Feedburner remains truncated. I've successfully subscribed via the manual link provided above, but you may want to stop using Feedburner or ask them for help if you're not able to find the setting to adjust. A quick Google search should yield some helpful tips on adjusting Feedburner.

Good luck with this. :) It might seem like a small thing, but for a successful blog, you want to have all the parts working properly and in the easiest way possible for readers to maximize readership. Readers just won't accomodate you... you've got to accomodate them most of the time(which I've had to do as well), because if reading isn't convenient and in the space they want it in, readers eventually wander away.

Good luck!

Michael Kopinsky said...

I don't see the point in using feedburner. Why not just use the blogger URL for the feed?

therapydoc said...

No clue. I like the email subscriptions from readers so that I can contact people, should I ever need to talk, not that this ever happens, since writing and working leeches out most words. But you never know.

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