Choosing A Name For Your Blog - The Rules Are Simple

The first task in starting a new blog involves picking an available blog name (aka "URL").

The rules for picking a blog name are reasonably simple.

1. Pick a blog name.
2. If "Create a blog" gives you that name, it's yours. Continue with #4.
3. If "Create a blog" shows "Sorry!", pick another name, and continue with #2.
4. Setup your new blog.

Some folks need even simpler rules.

1. If "Create a blog" gives you the name of your choice, it's yours.
2. If "Create a blog" does not give you that name, you have to pick another.

Which ever rules you wish to go by, the "Create a blog" wizard has the final say.

There are several reasons why "Create a blog" may not give you the name of your choice.

Some people think that deleted and dormant blogs should be subject to different rules.

I see

Sorry, the blog at thenameofmydreams.blogspot.com has been removed.

Who do I contact, at Google, to have "thenameofmydreams" re issued, to me?

and

The blog at thenameofmydreams.blogspot.com has not been updated for over a year. Who do I contact to have it re issued, to me?

There are several reasons why a blog may have been deleted - and each reason produces different availability issues.

1. If you are (were) the owner, and you deleted it under 90 days ago, you are allowed to un delete it.
2. If you are (were) the owner, and you deleted it over 90 days ago, it is gone.
3. If someone else is (was) the owner, and they deleted it, they likewise have up to 90 days to un delete it.
4. If Blogger deleted it, the owner (you, or another person) has eternity to have it reviewed (and possibly, recovered).

Dormant blogs are simpler to discuss - since dormant blogs, in reality, do not exist. There are no requirements for posting frequency or volume.

If the name is made available by Blogger, then "Create a blog" will be able to assign it to you - if it is available, when you request it. If it's not made available, you can't have it.

Blogger Support said it, so simply.

Blogger accounts and Blogspot addresses do not expire. Therefore, we can't take away somebody's blog address to give to you.

If it's not available, they will not re issue it to you.

If you have a blog to start, pick an available name, today - and get started, today.

>> Top

The "Create a new blog" Wizard Is Not Prescient

We're seeing some odd problem reports in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, about blog creation.

I entered just the first letter of the name which I wanted, and I immediately saw

Sorry, this blog address is not available.

How am I supposed to create a blog, if all the names are taken?

What intrigues me here is not that people see

Sorry, this blog address is not available.

It's that people don't ask the next question.

How did it know what name I was typing, before I finished?

How do you explain that you have to type the entire name, and have that name checked, before giving up, disappointed?

Maybe the "Create a new blog" wizard is too good, for its own good.

Too much transparency actually makes it harder, for some people, to use it properly. Having the name checked for availability, as typed, one character at a time, may be a bit excessive.

Had I been creating this blog, long ago, as "bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com", I would have typed "bloggerstatusforreal" - and the "Create a new blog" would have checked, one by one

• b
• bl
• blo
• blog
• blogg
• blogge
• blogger
• bloggers
• bloggerst
• bloggersta
• bloggerstat
• bloggerstatu
• bloggerstatus
• bloggerstatusf
• bloggerstatusfo
• bloggerstatusfor
• bloggerstatusforr
• bloggerstatusforre
• bloggerstatusforrea
• bloggerstatusforreal

And I will bet good money, that I would have seen

Sorry, this blog address is not available.

during much of the typing.

• b Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bl Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• blo Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• blog Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• blogg Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• blogge Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• blogger Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggers Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggerst Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggersta Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggerstat Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggerstatu Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggerstatus Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggerstatusf
• bloggerstatusfo
• bloggerstatusfor
• bloggerstatusforr
• bloggerstatusforre
• bloggerstatusforrea
• bloggerstatusforreal

Since I created this blog, long ago, as an imitation of "bloggerstatus.blogspot.com", obviously "bloggerstatus" was taken. Most likely, the shorter names were likewise taken.

Then again, even if "bloggerstatus" was taken, that does not say, for sure, that "bloggerstatu" was. Or "bloggerstat".

• b Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bl Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• blo Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• blog Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• blogg Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• blogge Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• blogger Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggers Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggerst Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggersta Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggerstat Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggerstatu This blog address is available.
• bloggerstatus Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggerstatusf This blog address is available.
• bloggerstatusfo This blog address is available.
• bloggerstatusfor This blog address is available.
• bloggerstatusforr This blog address is available.
• bloggerstatusforre This blog address is available.
• bloggerstatusforrea Sorry, this blog address is not available.
• bloggerstatusforreal Sorry, this blog address is not available.

Yes, I actually checked, one character at a time - and that's what I saw.

The bottom line here is that you have to type - and check - availability, one character at a time. And, you have to be persistent.

What would have happened, if I had given up, immediately.

• b Sorry, this blog address is not available.

Dammit, all the names are taken!!

Well, you would not be reading "bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com" now, would you?

>> Top

URL Availability Competition, During "Buy a Domain", Is Similar To "Create a Blog"

Some Blogger blog owners, trying to setup a new blog, discover the hard way that other people are trying to do the same thing.

When I try to use "Create a blog", I keep seeing

This name is not available.

or

Blogger is saying it's available - but as I begin to register, it says that it has already received a request for this name.

Other blog owners discover that the competition between Blogger blog owners, when using "Create a blog", also applies to "Buy a domain". And worse yet, "Buy a domain" involves competition with would be website owners outside Blogger / Google.

Besides the competition with other buyers, there's a problem that the domain purchase process takes time - and during the purchase process, someone else can be purchasing the same domain also.

The longer the purchase process takes you, the greater the possibility that someone else may "steal" the domain from you. You, and the unseen other person, may start the purchase at the same time - but the person who gets the money to their registrar first gets the domain.

Let's use "Create a blog" as a simple example of an address selection process.

1. You type the blog name, of your choice.
2. With every character you type, Blogger checks for availability.
3. Initially, with not enough characters typed, you see bad news.

   Sorry, this blog address is not available.

4. When you have typed enough characters so you are now requesting a unique name, you see good news.

   This blog address is available.

5. Since you have, hopefully, already entered a Title and selected a Template, you now hit the "Create blog!" button.
6. Hoping that you were fast enough, the address which was available half a second previously is available as you hit the button - and the blog name of your preference becomes your new blog name.
7. If you were not fast enough, someone else might have snuck in front of you. Instead of seeing your new blog, you now see the bad news.

   Sorry, this blog address is not available.

The "Create a blog" wizard is simple.

1. You see good news.
2. You hit "Create blog!".
3. You are done.

Even with a "Create a blog" selection period of 1 second - and if your reflexes are not that good, it could take you longer - you could lose out. What if the selection process was longer - instead of 1 second, say 5 minutes? The "Buy a domain" process is a bit more complicated, than "Create a blog".

1. You enter an available domain URL.
2. You hopefully see the good news.
3. Now, you pay for the purchase.
4. You enter all of the details, about your bank account.
5. Google charges your bank a token amount, to verify that you actually entered a valid bank account number.
6. You hopefully see more good news.
7. Now, Google passes the purchase to the registrar.
8. The registrar sends the actual purchase to your bank.
9. Your bank credits the account of the registrar.
10. The registrar then registers the domain, in your name.
11. Google can then setup the addresses in the domain.
12. Blogger can then publish the blog, to the domain.
13. And hopefully, the blog is now live (and In Transition) with the domain URL.

The "Buy a domain" wizard is not simple.

1. You enter an available domain URL.
2. ...
3. The registrar registers the domain, in your behalf.
4. You are done.

Unfortunately, during the amount of time that it takes your bank to pay your registrar, somebody else could be buying the same domain, from another registrar. The longer that it takes your registrar to get paid, the greater the chance that someone else may register the domain, which you have supposedly paid for, before your purchase is complete.

Unfair? Certainly. But, based on the worldwide Internet based domain registry system, it can happen. What's worse, the symptoms of an unsuccessful domain purchase are similar to an attempted purchase restart.

And that leaves you with the uncertainty, when you post in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.

Blogger is saying it's available - but as I begin to register, it says that it has already received a request for this name.

And sometimes, after you wait the legendary 2 to 3 days, you find that someone else bought the domain, while you were waiting.

>> Top

Renaming Your Blog Requires Choosing An Available Blog Name

Like creating a blog, the task of renaming your blog involves one very important step - choosing an available blog name.

When you rename your blog - as in change the blog address - you have to pick a name (address) that's not in use. Both creating a blog, and renaming a blog, suffer from one key detail - you can't identify an available address before you get started.

When you create, or rename, a blog, you can only get to the task at hand, and start with the best choice.

Like "Create a blog", you'll only find out about an available URL after you have successfully chosen that URL for your blog. Unlike "Create a blog", the Blog Address wizard does not verify availability in real time.

1. Paste or type the desired blog name (Only the "yyyyyyy" in "yyyyyyy.blogspot.com").
2. Hit Save.
3. If the name was available, you'll be looking at the initial Blog Address display, with the new address "yyyyyyy.blogspot.com" identified - and "yyyyyyy" will now be unavailable.
4. If the name is not available, you'll get the sad news

   Subdomain: yyyyyyy is not available.

   And now, go back to Step #1, and try again.

If you want to do the rename with the least stress, you make a list of possible choices before you start, and sort the list in decreasing preference. Decide which names you like the most, before you start. Then start the above process with Step #1, and your top choice. If you end at Step #4, pick the next choice in the list, and go to Step #1, again.

As with "Create a blog", you should plan to go through your list as promptly as possible. Hesitate too long, when making the next choice, and your alternate choices could be unavailable.

If your choice of name will affect design work on the existing blog, yet you wish to change the blog design before renaming the blog, setup a stub blog - and pick the best available name for the stub blog, now. Once that's done, make the necessary design changes on your current blog - then swap names between the stub blog and your current blog. You'll likely use the stub blog, later.

As with creating a new blog, please note that addresses previously taken will not be reissued to you by Blogger - a 10 year old blog remains valid, whether published once daily for 10 years, or once 10 years ago and never again.

And as soon as you get the new name successfully chosen, be prepared to continue the renaming process, as promptly as possible.

>> Top

Blog Owners, Unable To Request Restore Of A Deleted Blog

One of the more intriguing issues, seen in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, involves people unable to recover control of their blogs.

I recently changed ISPs, and now I can't login to update my blog.

Occasionally, this issue becomes more complicated, because the blog is deleted - and the owner can't request that it be restored, using the automated review request wizard. Sometimes, the would be blog owner may to try to bypass the current blog recovery policy, by claiming special circumstances.

The blog has been deleted. I received no suspicious activity or password change notification emails, or emails of any kind related to my blog.

What is the story here? Can blogs just disappear from the Blogosphere, without the involvement of the blog owners - and be unrecoverable?

Recovery of a deleted blog starts with the requirement that only a blog owner can un delete a deleted blog - and this is where many mysterious disappearances start.

Since a Blogger blog is the property of the owner, and the owner is allowed to delete a blog any time required, it would not be right to let people who are not the owner un delete a blog - or demand that the blog be un deleted. To enforce this requirement, Blogger added the dashboard based Restore wizard.

Since only the owner will have the deleted blog listed in their dashboard "Deleted Blogs" list, only the owner can request restore of the blog in question.

The dashboard Restore wizard serves blog owners, with blogs deleted under various circumstances.

• Deleted by the owner.
• Deleted by Blogger, as a suspected spam host.
• Deleted by Google, for TOS Violation.

Any deleted blog will appear in a special dashboard list, "Deleted Blogs" or "Locked Blogs" - when it can be recovered. If the blog is not recoverable by the owner, there may not be a link.

There are specific cases where a deleted blog may not be recoverable using the recovery wizard.

• The blog is locked, pending integrity check (following account lock for suspicious activity).
• The blog is owned under a different Blogger account, and is listed on another dashboard, under "Deleted blogs".
• A blog owner deleted the blog, long ago - and the blog is no longer recoverable.

A blog locked, pending integrity check, cannot be requested for restore. The owner has to first have the owning account unlocked. Similar to the account recovery process, Blogger / Google will require that the owner provide proof of ownership, before the account will be unlocked. With the account unlocked, security specialists will inspect each blog owned by the account, and verify that each does not contain evidence of tampering by a temporarily successful hacker.

While a blog is under integrity check, it won't be listed on the dashboard of the owner - either under "Deleted blogs", "Locked blogs", or "My blogs". Neither the owner, nor any third parties, will be able to do anything except wait, patiently.

Blogs found to contain malware can be locked as TOS Violations, with the owner later required to remove the malware found. This requirement will apply for malware installed by the owner (intentionally, or unintentionally), or for malware installed by a hacker.

With a blog locked pending malware removal, the owner is given the benefit of the doubt, and allowed to simply remove the malware, no questions asked. In some cases, Blogger may be able to assist by providing specific identification of the malware found - but this won't happen, consistently.

A blog owned under another account must be un deleted by the owner of the other account. Again, only a blog owner can have a blog restored - whether deleted by an owner, or by Blogger / Google.

A blog deleted over 90 days previously cannot be recovered. It won't appear on the dashboard of any (former) owner, since it can't be recovered.

It's dead, Jim.

The basic rule is simple. If your blog was deleted, and if you're able to un delete it (or request un deletion), you'll have a link on your dashboard. If a blog is not listed on your dashboard, you can't request, with any predictable success, that it be un deleted - any more than you can demand that a non deleted blog be restored to your control.

>> Top

When You Create A Blog, Only Type The Blog Name, To Check For Availability

Too many would be blog owners are unable to create a blog, because they don't understand how to check for availability.

I can't seem to type in a URL, without it saying it's not available.

Some people don't understand that you do not type a URL - you just type a blog name, when checking for availability.

This is the (BlogSpot) URL of this blog.

http://bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com

This is the (BlogSpot) name of this blog.

bloggerstatusforreal

If I was going to use the "Create a blog" wizard, and create this blog, I would type the name - "bloggerstatusforreal". If I typed the entire URL "http://bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com" - even if "bloggerstatusforreal" was available (and no, it is not ever going to be available), I should expect to see

Sorry, this blog address is not available.

It's that simple - only type the name, to check for availability.

>> Top

A Blog Deleted, As A Suspected Spam Host, Is Not Subject To The 90 Day Limit For Restore

We see signs of panic, periodically, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, about blogs deleted as suspected spam hosts.

My blog was deleted for spam 2 months ago. I need my blog restored, this month, as I don't want to lose it!

This is a common misconception, about spam deletions, and the mysterious 90 day limit.

There's no deadline for either the start, or the completion, of the review process, when a blog is classified as a suspected spam host. The owner may request review a year after the blog is deleted - if he's willing to wait for a year without concern. Alternately, he may ask for review the same day that he discovers the blog is offline. When the review is requested, Blogger Support may be immediately available, and may return a blog to service that same day - or they may be busy, and require a month to respond.

When the blog does get reviewed, the rules are simple.

• If the blog is judged to be righteously classified, the blog is deleted, with the URL locked to the deleted blog.
• If the blog is judged to be spuriously classified, the blog is restored, and control is returned to the owner.

In either case, the URL is not made available to the public.

This is either good news (if you are the owner), or bad news (if you wish that you were the owner).

You cannot gain control of the blog, or of the URL, by reporting the blog as a spam host - whether the blog has 1 post (one post published 10 years ago), or 3650 posts (one post published daily, for 10 years). If the blog appears to be inactive, your only option is to contact the owner, directly. If Blogger classifies an inactive blog, following your reporting the blog as a spam host, the blog will remain deleted or locked, until the owner requests review.

If the owner deletes the blog, the URL may - or may not - be made available.

Pick an available URL, and start your blog - and concentrate on the interests of your readers.

>> Top

How You Should Backup Your Blog Will Depend Upon How You Plan To Restore It

We see signs of naivete, in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?, from blog owners concerned with malware / spam deletions, and with other unexplained disasters in Blogger.

How do I backup my blog, to protect the contents against unfair spam deletions?

Not many concerned blog owners realise the first principle of backups, known by any experienced network administrator.

• Never plan a backup, without first planning the restore.

How you backup your blog depends upon several details.

• What problem do you expect, to require a backup?
• How do you plan to recover, from a problem?

One of the simplest solutions for a backup, which some Blogger experts will suggest, is to use the Export / Import wizard, in Settings - Other.

• Before disaster strikes, Export your posts and comments.
• After disaster strikes, simply Import your posts and comments, from a convenient backup.

Similarly, some experts may suggest backing up the template.

• Before disaster strikes, use the dashboard Template "Backup / Restore" wizard, to backup the template.
• After disaster strikes, use the wizard to restore the template.

There are many components of a Blogger blog - not just the comments, posts, and template.

• Accessories.
• Comments.
• Decorations.
• Gadgets.
• Posts.
• Layout.
• URL.

Before you plan how to backup your blog, you need to decide which of these features is most important to you, and what problem from which you wish to recover.

The accessories (decorations, gadgets) is one component of the blog which is most frequently missed, after a deleted blog is recreated / restored using a "comments / posts / template backup" restore strategy. Both graphic decorations, and XML based gadgets, may not be easily backed up, and may present a challenge when the blog is restored, or recreated.

XML gadgets, such as bloglists and linklists, may contain a lot of detail, which is installed into the blog one entry at a time - and there is no known way to automate a backup or restore of these gadgets.

Recovering the URL is one of the most subtle details, that may not always be considered by many blog owners. The URL is relevant in two ways. Most blogs which are important enough, for the owner to want to backup, have acquired reputation - both with people (readers, subscribers, and viewers), and with search engines.

Some blogs will link the various posts to each other - as I do with this blog. In either case, the recovered blog is not as useful, unless the URL is also recovered.

If the blog is deleted by Blogger - or by the owner - the URL may not be available, for blog recovery. When Blogger deletes a blog as a suspected abusive content host, the URL is locked to the blog. The only way to recover the URL is to have the blog reviewed, and restored to availability.

When a blog is deleted by the owner, the blog must be restored by the owner - within 90 days after deletion. In either case, a backup is useless.

If you have a personal blog, containing just posts (and maybe comments from known family or friends), backing up the comments and posts makes sense. For a publicly known blog, containing various accessories, and having a known URL, you'll want to plan your backup / restore strategy using a bit more effort.

>> Top

Would Be Blog Owners Report Inability To Create A Blog

We are currently seeing frustration, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, about new blog creation.

Would be new blog owners have various concerns

I can't create a blog - the "Create" button is grey (inoperative)!

or

It keeps saying

Verifying availability

when I enter a blog name!!

or even

It said

This blog address is available.

until I hit "Create blog!" - then it changed to

Sorry, this blog address is not available.

Each of these problem reports - and others - may come from people who don't read the instructions, for using the wizard. Alternately, some folks may be complaining about yet one more case of over done layered security.

The most obvious problems, in the blog creation process, come from people who don't understand how to use the "Create a blog" wizard.

Not every would be blog owner understands that 3 things must be done, to make the "Create blog!" button operative - and all 4 must be done, before the blog is actually created.

1. Enter a Title for the blog.
2. Enter an acceptable and available Name for the blog.
3. Select a Template for the blog.
4. Hit "Create blog!", with "This blog address is available." displayed.

When you choose a Name (aka "address" or "URL"), enter your choice properly.

• Only enter the "xxxxxxx" part of "xxxxxxx.blogspot.com".
• Only use lower case alphabetic characters ("a" - "z"), numeric characters ("0" - "9"), and dashes ("-").
• Do not use a trailing dash (You cannot publish "xxxxxxx- . blogspot . com").

Besides the syntax issues when entering a blog name (URL), there is the unfortunate issue of competition in the creation process. Blog owners who are anxiously creating a new blog, based upon a current event - maybe a popular movie star, or an important political campaign - will be dismayed to see

Sorry, this blog address is not available.

If you are competing in real time, with other would be blog owners, for the name of your choice - and you take too long between Steps #1 - #3, and Step #4 - you may still see

Sorry, this blog address is not available.

Many people want to setup a blog, based on that blog name. Some may see the bad news, repeatedly, leading to one frequently seen complaint.

All the good addresses are taken!

And sometimes, to a more imaginative suggestion.

How do I get Blogger to re issue me the dormant address?

The latter question is one of futility.

Finally, the anxious blog owner may see

Checking address availability

for some time - possibly forever - if an overly ambitious cookie / script filter, or an intrusive security add-on is installed in the browser. In this case, the magical advice to

Clear cache and cookies!

or

Try a different browser!!

will be effective - though absent any attempt to diagnose the problem, one may not ever know what actual underlying problem may have caused the plaintive cry

I can't create my blog!

>> Top

Your Blog Address Is Unique - Though Many Other Identities Are Not

Occasionally, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, we see signs of people who don't understand the concept of unique Blogger identities - or contrarily, Blogger identities which won't be unique.

I can't publish my blog to the name that I want.

or

Another blog is using the same name as mine!

or

Someone is impersonating me!!

Some of these complaints are reasonable - and could keep a team of judges and lawyers very busy, for a while, when properly reported. Other complaints come from people who don't quite understand what identities in our Blogger blogs are uniquely our property - and what identities are not uniquely ours.

When you setup a Blogger blog, one of the first things that you must choose - and choose carefully - is the blog Address. Once you have chosen the Address for your blog - and until you successfully give up this Address, the chosen Address is yours, for eternity. Nobody else can use this Address, in publishing their blog.

You can change the Address (also known as the URL) of your blog, whenever convenient to you - but any change that you make is subject to availability, based on Addresses which may have been chosen by other people. And it is worth your while to plan any Address change, carefully.

When you setup a Blogger blog, and choose the Address, you also choose a blog Title, and Template. Anybody else, setting up their blog, may choose the same Title, and / or Template. Many people will choose the same Template as you do (and later customise their template, using the Template Designer). Similarly, anybody is free to choose any Title (and later change the title, whenever convenient to them).

A blog which simply uses the same Title as yours is probably not Impersonating you. A blog which contains content scraped from your blog, and with the same Title, may constitute Impersonation. Contrarily, a blog which simply contains content scraped from your blog, without impersonating, may constitute a copyright, or DMCA, Violation.

The Internet, in its ability to bring people together, is going to cause conflict. Some conflict will come from many different people, simply not understanding other peoples lifestyles and traditions. Other conflict will come from people intentionally abusing you.

You need to understand the differences between the various abuses, before attempting to report any perceived offense. You are responsible for reporting any offense to the right agency.

It's up to you to report impersonation, copyright violation, or other abusive content to the right agency - and it's up to each individual agency to decide whether or not to act upon your complaint. You must report any problems properly, for any action to be taken.

Comments, posted to various blogs, are handled differently. Blogger / Google considers comments published to blogs (and not dismissed as spam) to be a freedom of speech issue. Comments are jointly the property of the blog owner, and the publisher of each comment.

If someone else, publishing a comment, offends you, that is a concern which can be handled only by the blog owner. Blogger / Google, without a court order, will not get involved. If the blog owner permits anonymous comments, anybody can use any identity that pleases them. This may lead to apparent impersonation - but any impersonation conflicts will be up to the blog owner to resolve.

The bottom line here is that some Blogger / Google hosted problem content may require discretion and patience by you, for you and other people to receive appropriate treatment.

>> Top

You Cannot Have The BlogSpot URL With Your Business Name, If That URL Is In Use

We see the naive queries by small business owners, in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?, about setting up a blog with their business name, too frequently.

The BlogSpot URL for my business is in use. Can Blogger have it re issued to me?

and

I own "xxxxxxx.com", can Blogger give me "xxxxxxx.blogspot.com" so I can publish my Blogger blog to match?

These are all people who do not understand the reality of the Blogger policy

First come, first served.

If somebody already owns the Blogger blog with your desired URL, it's their blog - and it's their blog until they tire of owning it.

The Blogger "Create a blog" wizard assigns BlogSpot URLs based on availability - and it identifies unused URLs in real time. How quickly could the wizard work, if it was required to search every country business directory worldwide, before assigning an unused URL to a person trying to setup a new blog?

What would happen if a business owner from England demanded a required BlogSpot URL, which was in use by a business owner in the USA? Should Google setup a URL assignment court, for deciding upon the merit of anybody demanding a given BlogSpot URL?

If you seriously believe that the identity or reputation of your business is threatened by the existence of a Blogger blog which you don't control, and you can convince a judge of that fact, then you (or your lawyer) can serve a properly issued court order to Google. That's not going to get you the BlogSpot URL of your dreams, unfortunately.

What a court order will get is a deleted blog, with the URL locked to the current owner, for eternity. And neither of you will have a blog, published to that URL.

>> Top

Claiming A Brand Name Based BlogSpot URL

Periodically, in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?, we see a hopeful query.

How do I claim the brand name URL for my clients blog?

Many merchandisers are unaware of the simple Blogger / Google policy

Blogger accounts and Blog*Spot addresses do not expire.

Another way of saying that would possibly be first come, first served.

If the clients brand name is a registered trademark, you may be able to report a DMCA Violation. This action will likely get you two things.

• The offending blog may be deleted - with the URL locked to the current owner, for eternity.
• You (your clients company) may get some bad PR.

You probably won't get a third thing.

• The immediate use of the trademark URL.

To avoid bad PR, you might make up for the inconvenience, and compensate the current owner to have the URL transferred to you - but you may have to provide compensation, imaginatively. Traditionally, Google forbids us from selling Blogger / Google resources - including URLs.

Blogger supports our right to publish our blogs, anonymously. If the current owner, of the blog in question, can't be contacted directly, you may have to do some research to find the owner, or - again - get a court order.

If you do manage to contact the owner, and arrive at an understanding where you are offered control of the blog, have the URL transferred to you, properly.

>> Top

Blog Control And URL Availability Hacking - Four Sides Of The Same Story

Occasionally, in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?, we see various queries about our blogs, and how to gain or regain control.

• How do I get a blog, which is attacking me (impersonating me, insulting me, publishing my secrets), removed from Blogger?
• How do I claim a dormant URL?
• How do I recover control of my blog?
• My blog is now under somebody else's control! How do I get my blog back?

In some cases, all of these queries are simply one more attempt to gain control of a blog, or a URL. As we gain experience in reading between the lines in Blogger Help Forum, and as Blogger Support gains experience in researching blog histories, we can start to see patterns, and signs of multiple attempts to assume control of the blog - or the URL - in question.

Many blog or URL hacking attempts start quite innocently. Two of the more common ones are quite naive, and completely separate, tales.

• Some people want to recover control of their blog, after having forgotten the username / password.
• Other people want to start a blog - but find that the desired URL is not available.

Some people, denied recovery of the blog, because they can't prove ownership, will try another tactic.

I'll tell them that the blog was stolen from me. Surely if they think the blog was hacked, I can get it back, since I used to be the owner!

People trying to gain control of a dormant blog will likewise use their imagination.

If I get the blog deleted as spam, I can grab the URL. Surely a Dormant blog is just another type of Spam, in Blogger!

Unfortunately, these techniques have been used, already - and have resulted in still other tales of anguish.

It requires the wisdom of Solomon - and the patient persistence of Gil Grissom - to sort through the problems reports. Claims

I just graduated from college, and I can't use my email address to recover the password!

and

I just woke up from a 7 year coma, to find my family blog under control of a hacker!

and let us not overlook

My friend just died. Can I please have control of the blog, so I can put a notice to all of his friends, on the blog?

and

I never updated my Blogger only account to a Blogger / Google account - and I never got any email, warning me of the impending change!

All of these tales have enormous human interest - and seem to justify mercy for the plaintive requests.

Unfortunately, these stories - and others like them - are not always what they seem. What we sometimes see are the other side of the story.

• Attempts to steal control of an active blog.
• Attempts to gain control of the URL which would be perfect for their new blog, if only the URL was available.
• Attempts to probe and reveal the identity of a blog owner, who is guaranteed anonymous blog ownership, by Blogger policy.

So, if you beg and plead for attention

None of these tools help me, in the least. Can I please speak to a live human, so I can explain my special need?

Please, do not be surprised to be directed to read about why Blogger Help is the only contact, and why you absolutely must prove ownership of the blog, before being given control. And even the ultimate insult, you must provide a copy of the death certificate plus get a court order, as you grieve for the loss of your friend or loved one.

The bottom line here is that, if you intend to publish a Blogger blog, it is your responsibility - and only your responsibility - to maintain control of your blog. You are an adult (or are presumed to be one) - and you have responsibilities, as an adult.

>> Top

When Using "Buy a domain", Prevent Interruptions

One of the saddest problems reports, seen in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, and mentioning the custom domain purchase process, starts with

I had a problem with my credit card, and had to get my bank to allow my purchase. But now, I see

We found an existing order for this domain. Please contact support.

or maybe

I had to answer the phone after I started my purchase, and now the domain that I wanted isn't available. How do I get the domain that should be mine?

These problem reports are from people who did not understand how simple the domain purchase process is.

1. Select an available domain.
2. Provide registration and payment information.

That simplicity is based on a monolithic restriction.

The purchase process does not allow for interruption.

It is to your advantage, when purchasing your domain, to complete the purchase, quickly.

The domain purchase process is similar to the blog setup process, as you choose an available blog name. When you identify an available and useful URL (or domain name), you need to select (or pay for) that URL (domain name) immediately. As you purchase the domain name of your dreams, remember that there are, at any time, up to 3 groups of people looking for a domain.

1. You.
2. Other Blogger blog owners, looking to buy a domain for their Blogger blog.
3. People outside Blogger / Google, looking to setup a website.

Unfortunately, only one of you can have the domain name of your dreams.

Look again, how simple "Buy a domain" is.

1. Select an available domain.
2. Provide payment information.
3. Done. Get to work, planning the migration process.

The longer you take, between starting Step #1 and completing Step #2, the greater the chance that you may see

Sorry, this domain is not available.

as you complete Step #2.

In some cases, and when you specifically see

We found an existing order for this domain. Please contact support.

we can offer you an alternative.

1. Clear cache, cookies, and sessions (all 3!), restart the browser, and try again.
2. Wait 48 to 72 hours, and try again.

This alternative allows you to "try again". It does not guarantee that the domain that you chose will still be waiting for you, when you try again. A popular domain name, based on some major cultural news event, may be gone in a matter of minutes. Wait 48 to 72 hours - and your guess is as good as mine.

Maybe, we should rewrite the purchase process.

1. Prepare.
   • Call your bank, and get your credit card cleared for the purchase.
   • Get a cup of coffee.
   • Unplug the phone.
   • Close the door of your office.
2. Select an available domain.
3. Provide payment information.
4. Done. Plug the phone back in, and rinse out the coffee cup.

Take 15 minutes out of your busy schedule, and get the purchase done. Then, return to normal life.

>> Top

Creating A New Blog

In terms of questions which seem, to me, to be on the level as the legendary question

Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?

the question, asked by some folks in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?

How do I setup a new blog?

would seem to be at the top of the list. But, it's not necessarily so, for everybody.

The process of setting up a new blog, using the New GUI "New Blog" wizard, seems reasonably obvious - for those who have already done one, anyway.

• Hit "New Blog".
• Enter a Title.
• Enter an accepted and available Address.
• Pick a Template.
• Hit "Create blog!".
• Get started - develop your blog - and make it valuable.

But, there are details, which not everybody gets the first time. And Blogger blogs are all about the details - unpleasant at they may be, sometimes.

If you're like me, and create new blogs periodically, note the limit of new blog creation per Blogger account.



The Title

The Title (sometimes referred to as the "Name") is entirely your choice. Any number of blogs can have the same Title - and you can change the Title of your blog now, or any time in the future.

The Address

The Address (also sometimes referred to as the "Name" or "URL") is your choice - but subject to acceptability, and availability. Even with an acceptable and available address verified in real time, if you take any more than 0.00 seconds to hit "Create blog!" after verifying availability, somebody else may steal your choice.

You can change the Address later - but again, subject to acceptability and availability. And if the Address / Name / URL acquires any reputation, you will do well to plan the change, before making the change.

The Template

This is the most daunting selection, for many people - but it's easy enough to change, later. One mistake made sometimes involves people creating a blog intended to be private, and selecting a dynamic template ("Dynamic Views").

Just remember, the longer that you take to get from entering the address, to hitting "Create blog!" - even 1 second - may be too long for some popular blog names.

The Button

One of the most mysterious parts of "Create a blog" is the button

Create blog!

Sometimes, you hit the button, and it does nothing - just sits there looking at you. What now, is Blogger broken? Most likely, you have failed to enter an acceptable and available blog address. Go back to The Address, and try again.

More Advice

You may find more advice, in Blogger Help: Getting Started Guide, and Blogger Help: About URLs.

>> Top