Issues with Typepad's inability to redirect visitors and other venting.

2006-08-16T23:52:14Z

I've nearly completed, I hope, a series of domain remapping between GoDaddy and Typepad. In the long run, I think it will be good for the Blog and overall I must say I'm happy with Typepad as a blog host. For now, I just have a couple of issues I want to vent about

Mapping sub-blogs: Told by tech-support that it is possible, but not recommended. Want www.thedisneyblog.com to be the main blog and www.thedisneyblog.com/store to be MouseGoods.com. I'm trying to think a work around for this without moving to another hosting company or having to start up seperate typepad accounts for every blog, which defeats the purpose of a having a PRO level. But mapping is crucial for any blogger to get the pages indexed properly for the long haul (and avoiding the mess outlined below).

One possible solution being. Host TheDisneyBlog.com domain somewhere then map that domain to the typepad URL. Then use subdomains store.thedisneyblog.com and movieland.thedisneyblog.com. But I think I would have to leave typepad to make this work unless Typepad offered some domain hosting capabilities and could offer subdomains as part of this.

Let's go farther and say that Typepad should consider only hosting blogs that have their own domains. Put another field for domain registration on the sign up form. Partner with a domain hosting company if they don't want to do it themselves. But the best thing to do is not to leave customers stranded with these problems in the future. Heck, go even farther and get ICANN to reckognize a .blog extension.

Redirecting from old pages: right now thedisneyblog.typepad.com shows up in a number of search engines (although not Google, getting delisted from Google was the reason I started this whole project), the main page redirects to www.thedisneyblog.com, but any sub directories or pages still resolve to the old pages that typepad doesn't delete (which is a good thing) or redirect (which is a bad thing). Google recommends using a .htaccess file 301 redirect, but Typepad doesn't support that or offer any work arounds that I can find.

Based on this report, it does not look like my efforts will be fruitful either.

Aside: Is there a Google Sitemaps equivilant for Yahoo, Technorati, and other search engines?

Technorati (and other blog search engine) issues: Old Typepad URL is still indexed, as above, and since Typepad continues to publish files to both URLs (essentially), both URLs are being index separetely. This has resulted in some sidebar items (like the calendar) being linked to the new URL even on the old URL's pages. So every post results in at least one Technorati Link, which I'm worried might get me in trouble with Technorati's anti-splog technology).

Another problem is that links to old URLs are not counted in the links total for the new URL. Truthlaidbear's Ecosystem counts both so I know it can be done. Blogs changing URLs is not unusual, wouldn't it make sense for Technorati to detect this somehow... or does it rely on 301 redirects like Google and other search engines?

In a related matter, links to www.thedisneyblog/tdb directory are indexed separately from links to www.thedisneyblog.com. So I have to claim both URLs, but outside links to www.thedisneyblog.com don't count toward the claim with the subdirectory, which is the directory that gets updated when Typepad auto-pings Technorati's content scraper. Oy!

Someone put me out of my misery.

* * *

All these issues (starting with the unexplained Google delisting) have caused my page rank, technorati rank, and blogroll status to fall precipitously. In a world where search engine rank determines about 2/3rds of my traffic flow, this has seriously damaged my ability to monetize my blogs and pay for hosting and other features I've been considering.

I blog because I love the subject matter and consider myself somewhat of an expert. The little flow of money that came with blogging allowed me to justify the more serious time expenditure. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, I now have to spend some of the time I would have spent blogging doing something else less fun and less interesting but that brings in money. And that's what bothers me the most about this whole mess.

I'd love for my world to be magically put back in order before all of this started. But that's not going to happen. I know it will take time, better writing, better design, and more interesting subjects to get back to where I was before. So in that way it's a good thing that will challenge me to improve. In the meantime I'd like to think that the above issues are being worked on so followers in my footsteps won't have to sink so low before they rebound. So this was my rant, each company mentioned above has been informed separately of these problems and where I see room for improvement. I hope they listen.

Next on my agenda, CSS improvements to my blogs and Adsense text targeting. It will be interesting to see if I have to switch to advanced templates to get the CSS changes I want. I did switch one blog so I could run a three-column layout with the blog entries in the left column, but changes have come slowly on that blog because of the advanced format.

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Google does the Dalles

2006-06-15T02:23:05Z

A Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that Google is building two or three data centers up in The Dalles, Oregon. I spent a few summers in nearby Dufur, Or (pop 242) working at a Boy Scout Camp (Archery is fun!) and can offer some advice to anyone at The Googleplex looking to transfer to the peace and quiet or rural Oregon.

First, remember those lovely days of dragging the strip. Well, be prepared to enjoy them again. Cruising is the only way for teens to entertain themselves weekend nights in Rural Oregon. The Dalles attracts kids from all around for the fun.

Second, learn to Windsurf. The Columbia River Gorge is one of the world's best venues for the sport. If Windsurfing isn't your thing, buy some wine from one of the gorge's fine vineyards then hike up up the gorge and enjoy all the incredible waterfalls to be found there.

Third, Winter. They actually have a winter (meaning snow and ice) in Oregon. Especially along the gorge and in eastern Oregon, which The Dalles is the gateway too.

Hope this little bit of unsolicited advice is useful to anyone looking to make the switch.

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Awash in Disney

Issues with Typepad's inability to redirect visitors and other venting.

Google does the Dalles