January 25, 2024

Announcement: Having to Discontinue My Blog Newsletter

Hello sweeties,

just a quick post to inform you (or remind you, since I've already mentioned it in a recent monthly recap) of a change that will affect my email followers: starting next month, I'll be forced to stop sending you email updates when a new post goes live ☹️.


Since the Blogger "Follow by  Email" gadget was retired in 2021, I've relied on MailerLite in order to send blog updates to my (few) email followers. The company advised its users to purchase an email domain, but allowed free ones, so I was able to use Gmail to send my campaigns. But in October I got an email from MailerLite saying that Google and Yahoo had announced new rules "to combat spam and enhance inbox safety", which means that...
Bulk email senders are now required to adhere to authentication protocols by authenticating their email domain (the domain address used for sending). [...]  So with these new rules, you won’t be able to use a free email domain as your sender address. You will instead need to purchase your own domain.
So, in brief: since I have a free email domain and sure as heck I'm not going to purchase one, I won't be able to send newsletters anymore (the new rule will be implemented next month). It's not a MailerLite issue: it's a Google issue, which means it's a Blogger issue, which means...we Blogger users are left to fend for ourselves once more ðŸ˜¤. Anyhow, I don't have the means to fix this situation, so you will have to find a different way to get alerted of my new posts. I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, and I hope you'll be able to follow me regardless. Thank you for your understanding and support!

22 comments:

  1. I blamed google for discontinuing their 'follow by email' gadget or else us Blogger users wouldn't need to resort to third-party services.

    I was going to set up with one of the services but at last, they decided to discontinue their services just when I settled on them which means no 'follow by email' for my blog either. This actually wouldn't be a problem but some readers really prefer getting emails instead of going to a blog to read.

    Email alerts of new post is a nice feature but I wonder if readers simply prefer to read posts in an email. I don't but mostly I think we should cut down on email. I have about 1000 emails I haven't clean out so...

    Have a lovely day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1000 emails?!? 😱

      I guess we should be contented with Blogger continuing to exist altogether...but still. And I don't know about other blog readers, but I don't mind following by email, even if on Blogger you still can follow any blog or site just by adding it to your reading list. I know there are 3rd-part services like Feedly where you can add your favourite blogs and get updates, but I hate them...posts should be read on blogs, especially if bloggers rely on traffic in order to get ARCs (which I don't, though).

      Delete
  2. I never tried making a newsletter. I've seen way too may bloggers have problems with them. I just visit all the blogs I like every couple of days to see if there's a new post. Works for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like to have alerts of some kind, but thank goodness for fellow bloggers/readers who take the time to do what you do! 🧡

      Delete
  3. Google always makes it so hard for us, sighs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I mean, until Blogger continues to exist...😱 😂

      Delete
  4. I didn't know you a newsletter. Oopss...course I don't follow by email much, so may have missed it. I just swing by here regularly... :)

    So... tentacles from the sky. I loved the idea because how frealy would THAT be? And this image really motivated me...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvTsUs0n9zw

    Also... the Ancients built the Gates. An ancient (ha) race long gone. They also built immense stargates but that's more of an On The Run thing... the technology is not well understood. Many of the ruins they find throughout the series are Ancient...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dude, I devoured DAW books growing up!

      Delete
    2. I love when you randomly reply to my comments on your blog under a post on my blog, and only me and you understand what's going on 🤣.

      I didn't even know DAW existed before Seanan...

      Delete
  5. I'm sorry to hear that! I will try to stop by anyway!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I hate when they change the rules. Boo!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The spam thing is just an excuse. You have to pay for everything these days 😬.

      Delete
  7. Ugh. I'm sorry this is happening. Rest assured, I'll still get your updates because I added you to my Feedly blog list. Maybe you can do a post on how your readers can add your blog to Bloglovin or Feedly. That might help. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, NOT Bloglovin' - I made war with them when I was still a newbie blogger and I managed to have my blog hidden from their list. Here's the post where I explain why:
      https://offbeat-ya.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-bloglovin-ate-my-blog-and-yours-too.html

      I realise though that all the feed aggregators are alike - they offer you the chance to read a post right in the app instead of going to the actual blog...so thank you for reading, whatever the means!

      Delete
  8. I had no idea why Blogger blogs wouldn't allow me to follow by email. Now I know! What other options do you have?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alas, none. Blogger blogs are left to their own devices. I suppose people can use Feedly, though I'm not a fan of feed aggregators...(see above). I know there are push notification services, but personally, I hate them...I'm not sure they would be a hit with readers 😂. Of course, I promote my posts on Twitter (and BlueSky, which is more like a desert LOL), for all the good it does these days...

      Delete
  9. ""planes of existence crashing together""

    Right??????

    ReplyDelete
  10. I don't do newsletters but THEY HATE US lol

    I have a basic dropdown blogger list on my browser and that's pretty much how I follow blogs these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It sounds like I'm in the minority with using the Blogger reading list and the WP email gadget. At least I know I won't lose you people LOL.

      Delete

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