Help me fix my library blog, please.

October 25, 2006 1:18 PM

What's wrong with my blog? Using Blogger, everything appears normal and functioning within the Blogger "Dashboard", but the content has turned all wonky on me. Help!

I don't have much experience with Blogger, so there's a strong possibility this is a stupid question. I've checked the Blogger help site and forums, but I thought before I try to get involved emailing them, maybe someone here can gently tell me what's gone wrong and how I can fix it myself.

Firstly, here's what it looks like: http://duboislibrary.blogspot.com/
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As of very recently, there was content here. I don't even recall doing anything to change it, and everything I've posted has posted as normal. If I go into Blogger to edit the posts and republish, it seems to work fine and says it's published successfully. If I try to make a new post, it works fine and says it's published successfully. However, nothing actually shows up and nothing changes on the main page. This, unfortunately, makes me look like a dumbass to anyone who tries to view it. Odds are good that I actually am being a dumbass, but there's still a chance it's not my fault...? Maybe?

posted by booknerd to computers & internet (4 comments total)

Try going into Dashboard->Templates->pick new template. Select a template (any of them, you won't be staying with it long), and republish your entire blog (not just the index page). View your blog to see if your content came back. If so, then go back through the same steps to return to your Minima Black template.
posted by jamaro at 1:44 PM on October 25, 2006

Thank you! Why on earth did that work?
posted by booknerd at 3:26 PM on October 25, 2006

You aren't seriously expecting a rational answer for why Blogger does the things it does, are you? Blogger is black magic. You didn't sacrifice the appropriate number of calves and chickens to its dark gods.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 3:35 PM on October 25, 2006 [2 favorites has favorites]

At some point, your blog's template got messed up*. Picking a new template brings in un-messed up* template code/mark-up and applies it to your content. Republishing the entire blog forces the template changes through every post in your archive, not just the ones on your front page.

In the future, if you decide to intentionally customize your template (such as adding a counter) then doing as I advised will erase your modifications but I figure when that happens, you can just post another question and I'll answer it ;)

*Voodoo technical terms. Mum's the word.
posted by jamaro at 4:48 PM on October 25, 2006