Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Last call for alcohol!

 
Not yet, but we will be.
 
Both Ken and I got an email last night about AOL Journals shutting down. We were skeptical at first, but were able to confirm it with the "proper authorities."
 
I don't know any details yet, other than it looks like the date is October 31st, and we will be given the option to migrate to Blogger (which is Google's blog platform). I don't know if we will be able to move our archives over there or not. We should hear more today, and I'll let you know if I find out more.
 
I think we're all saddened by this. J-Land has become such a community, and we feel like we've made some wonderful friendships here...the kind that LAST. I've felt down about it all day, and I suspect many of you feel the same way. Let's commiserate together!
 
In the meantime, don't be afraid to try Blogger (or whichever hosting site you choose). I've had a Blogger blog for several months now, but haven't been posting in it. It was sort of a test blog, and is currently set to private, but that will change. I wrote about it at some point here on my AOL journal, and said that I felt AOL Journals was superior in many ways, and I still feel that way. We have so much SPACE to post pictures and write stuff! I will truly miss that. However, as my pal Wes says, it is what it is. We have no choice in the matter, so we can either shut down completely, or blog elsewhere. I've got too much inside me that wants to get out, so I'll be blogging elsewhere. I'm really going to miss my Comic Sans font, though. :(
 
As I wrote the other day, Seneca said, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." I hope you'll all join me over at Blogger and that we can continue our "happy little family." I'm hoping that as some of us start to explore Blogger a little more, we'll find ways to hang together--I know that Magic Smoke will be making the transition, so that's a start.
 
Yes, it will take some getting used to, and yes, it's a pain in the ass to have to learn a new platform. But it's not as hard to do as you think it might be. I say we're up for the challenge! Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?! No way! C'mon, J-Landers, we can do this!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

please email ASAP on how to make the blogger blog private. Thanks. XO

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the pep talk...I've been feeling down about it too.  I already had a blogger account but never did anything with it.  I'm thinking now would be a good time ;)
lisa

Anonymous said...

I'm with LJ, I want to set my blog private.
We will keep in touch though, even if it's over there.

I'm sad.

Ellen

Anonymous said...

Love the A-House reference.  I clicked the banner today and printed out instructions on how to download your files.  I will investigate using my test journal and report back.

Anonymous said...

I must be the ostrich.. I noticed the banner this morning, but honestly didn't realize it meant the journals as well.  damn.  Beth, I was happy in my land of denial...  but I do appreciate the head's up.    Estela

Anonymous said...

Post your new address soon. Here is mine and I am going to make an entry giving out my new blogger spot. Helen
http://madcobug-myeverydaylife.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I am so sad about this too!  I will probably be going to blogger also.  I know nothing about it though.  I have been so comfortable with my aol journal it will be hard to get used to another one.  Linda

Anonymous said...

... you are silly ... I was just watching the video for that song ... anyway ... when you mentioned your 'comic sans font', I was so there ... gonna miss my 'verdana' and being able to write in my 'carolina blue' ... I am not into the technical stuff, so I don't know if I will miss not having as much 'space' until I try to do something and can't do it ... this happened to me at the 'Black Voices' message boards too ... one day, it was shut pretty much down, and the few threads that were up, were infested with trolls ...

... I want what I have written here ... Nebraska says she is going to try to get it if she can ... I may stumble through and try ... losing my friends because they are being taken away isn't like when you grow apart from the attrition of life ... sorry for running on ... but this has change the tenor of my entries ... I will prolly be more personal from here on out ...

Anonymous said...

Beth would you go to my Journal and answer the question I meant to put on here.

Lucy

Anonymous said...

Gee whiz, can't a woman take a break without the ceiling fall in all over...And yeah I got one as well. Just haven't wrote anything in it. I promise to send a link your way when I do. You had to know I wasn't going anywhere (winks)...See you on the other side kiddo. (Hugs)Indigo

Anonymous said...

I literally just found out about this and no, AOL didn't send me anything.  I'm a little miffed about that as November 1st I will have been with AOL journals for FIVE years.  Ugh, such a pain in the ass.  I will continue but I used journals because it was easy.  Easy to get my photos on it, easy to make an entry, easy to customize everything.  I'll get started on my Blogger site within the next few days so I can back up every single entry out of five years and don't lose any of them.  It's going to be a long month.  
Jamie

Anonymous said...

I don't know if I can or not....I have just now got this figured out!  I will need a lot of help!!!!

Hollie

Anonymous said...

good luck to you and Ken, Beth; I'm taking this as a sign to get out of journaling; love it, but too consuming on time; it was a pleasure following your journal; I wish both of you well :)

betty

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tips.  I'll be moving over too, and I've already set you up to follow you.  I surely hope we don't lose track of eachother...I've made so many friends here, and though I don't write as much as I'd like, maybe the clean slate will give me the desire to do so.  
xoxo ~Myra

Anonymous said...

dear Beth
hugs
Yeah I'm finding it hard hard hard now
And I am confused on how to subscribe (do you have to attribute a bookmark to each friend?
then I've tried to comment on Guido's blog but they wouldn't let me!
If you have some advice let me know.
Two people have written me that they've had to store their own archives  by adding FTP. is that what you will do?
I have to get you and ken's new addresses
love and hugs
natalie

Anonymous said...

When the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Ha ha!  You're so funny!
Lori
http://lori-dustypages.blogspot.com/
http://journals.aol.com/helmswondermom/dustypages/