Retiring the Blogside Toolbar

Change is inevitable, and we all know that as blogging changes and grows, useful features are bound to come and go. Sometimes features that are no longer useful must be retired so that our resources can be used to fix issues and add useful features instead of maintaining a feature that doesn't really bring anything to your blogging experience.

To that end, we have decided to retire the Blogside Toolbar - the unassuming black toolbar that you may have seen atop your blog and other Typepad blogs. We have given this decision a lot of thought, and even discussed it with the Typepad Advisory Panel, a group of Typepad bloggers just like you.

We never want to take a useful feature away from our bloggers, however, the Blogside Toolbar hasn't seen a lot of action from our bloggers for a long time, and it has been causing conflicts with Advanced Template Sets, some slight delays on loading pages, and a minor security concern, which is what ultimately drove our decision to retire it. Together with the Typepad Advisory Panel, we determined that the Blogside Toolbar had outlived its usefulness, and the time had come to put it out to pasture, effective today.

We always want to hear from you, so we welcome your thoughts about the Blogside Toolbar in the comments!

Comments

[Kathryn - Collage Diva]

I will not miss it as I have not once used it.

[Ray Rhamey]

I hate to see it go. I use it all the time, and I have several Typepad blogs. It made it so quick and easy to make changes and update pages and posts. I hope you find a way to bring it back.

[M.R.]

I used it frequently to save myself many keystrokes when wanting to amend/update my landing page. Also, less frequently, when checking (unimpressive) stats.
Have to say that I find it fairly extraordinary you'd do something like this so precipitately! - why on earth didn't you ask us BEFORE doing it? What was the big rush?
It must be this radical change that has made it impossible for me to access my site, as not only has the toolbar disappeared, but also the little cogwheel - I am obliged to log in via Typepad itself if I want to do anything!
Truly, team - this sudden move of yours is simply ... WEIRD. Very unlike you. I can only hope you get it sorted out PDQ, so that I can get in to my own site without having to go through yours.
Btw, I'm only whingeing like this because of being a huge fan.

[David Ewart]

Just went to edit an old post and found the Edit This Post was missing! Sigh. I join the 2 or 3 others who miss this. It was a great short-cut.

[M.R.]

I've begun to feel as if I'm in some kind of space out of time, and there is an answer to a single question that might bring me back ...
Without a toolbar, that Kathryn says she never used, HOW DID SHE LOG IN?
Have I been missing something obvious for all this time?
Is there some way of getting access to one's site - that *doesn't* require one to enter a second URL (as is now being advised by Typepad)?
And if there is not, why in the name of all the gods would anyone be happy with that, when a simple click on the now-defunct toolbar enabled instant access?

[Melanie]

Hi Margaret,

We really appreciate your sentiments about this. I want to assure you that the decision wasn't a quick one at all - it's been on the table for a long time, and it was something we gave a lot of thought to. As I mentioned in the post, I actually did talk to our Advisory Panel, which is made up of Typepad bloggers, and they told us unanimously that they didn't use the toolbar or find it useful. We know that this doesn't apply to everyone, but it does the vast majority of people.

What I'd suggest is that you add a link to your Dashboard to your browser's links toolbar. That's how I easily log in and get to my Dashboard, and it's always there, visible. I don't even have to go to my blog to see it.

You can get directly to the Dashboard and your blog via the direct URL - I'd suggest bookmarking both. The toolbar hasn't actually been around for a very long time, and most people use their Dashboards directly to get around Typepad.

We're always happy to help with anything you need, so please feel free to open a Help ticket!

[Melanie]

There is certainly a possibility that we'll have something similar that our bloggers can opt into in the future. What I do personally is have my Dashboard bookmarked in my browser's toolbar, so it's always just a click away at the top of my browser window. As someone who has to move around Typepad all day every day in various ways, it's really the best option. I actually never used the Toolbar myself.

[Ray Rhamey]

I have my Dashboard open, too, but it’s much clunkier. Once there, I have
to click on which blog I need to work on. Then I have to find the page I want to
work on. With the toolbar, you were already on the page you wanted to work on.
No clicks versus having to search.

Ray Rhamey
editing book design: crrreative.com
published books: rayrhamey.com
writing blog: floggingthequill.com

[M.R.]

OK, I'd already decided that such was the only way to operate, Melanie, and now have no less than THREE shortcuts for my blog on my bookmarks bar. And I must, of course, sign in to each, every time.
Nothing can replace the rapid access afforded by the TypePad toolbar.
I do hope you've finished throttling your advisory panel ...? (grin)

[Cynthia Lee]

I will miss this tremendously as it is THE way I sign in, view stats, etc. It just seems like there will now be more steps I have to take. I guess it;s just something I'll have to get used to.

[Cheapogroovo]

I go to an old post that needs updating (thru search) and then what do I do to edit? This decision was worse that the "new Coke"

[Account Deleted]

There must have been a very serious problem we have not yet heard of to chunk out the Blogside Toolbar. I hate not having its functionality now. I am gritting my teeth as I type now. :(

[Editor]

In other words, a functionality most other blogging services have had for years – long before TypePad added the Blogside toolbar – and continue ot have today, TypePad no longer has.

[Elizabeth]

I actually went searching for what the heck happened to it today because I love how easy it is to jump right into a page and edit!