Blogger -> Tumblr?

November 2, 2007 9:40 AM

I need advice about how not to screw up switching my blog from blogger to tumblr.

My blog has been with blogger for four years, hosted at my own domain name by godaddy.com (e.g. not blogspot). I am thinking of switching over to tumblr, and am 99% sure I will screw it up. My questions in approximate order of importance:
1. Do I need to do something fancy with DNS? Would it be easier to use a subdomain?
2. What happens to my feed? Am I going to instantly lose all my subscribers unless they subscribe to a new feed?
3. What should I do about the archives, including the archived comments (Haloscan for the last 2 years or so)? If possible I'd like to maintain deep access to my archives by the Googlebots. Do I have to accept a sort of rift in the archives and the formatting between old blog and new blog?

posted by roofus to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

All around, you're doing something that's inevitably a frustrating experience.

(1) I think using a sub-domain would be easiest. It would also allow you to keep your old blog as an archive, and just have your last post refer to your new Tumblr blog at blogs.yoursite.com or new.yoursite.com or whatever.

(2) Unless you switch the domain name over and keep the feed name exactly the same (I don't know that works with Tumblr), yes you will. I don't know how either site names their feeds, so I can't help you there.

(3) If you set up a subdomain and keep the old one going to Tumblr, it'd be automatic. Otherwise, can you export from Blogger and import into Tumblr? However, exactly as you say, this may likely pose problems with links from other sites no longer working... It all depends on how the two sites do URLs, which is something I'm not qualified to answer.
posted by fogster at 9:52 AM on November 2, 2007

I've got both types of sites, and it's my understanding that they have very different purposes. Blogger is for the more traditional long form posts, while Tumblr is more for postnig links with short comments.

I don't know how to migrate, but for the feed, you could sign up with Feedburner. My understanding is that you can change the site that Feedburner is picking up, but that subscribers will not have to change to another feed subscription.
posted by reenum at 9:54 AM on November 2, 2007

I second the sub-domain suggestion - it's easier, quicker and far less hassle.

I've been playing with tumblr for a few months and it's not a Blogger (or any other blog platform), replacement.
posted by Nugget at 9:59 AM on November 2, 2007

I use it as a link dump, for stories that I don't feel like posting on del.icio.us. Then, when I have some block of free time, I read the articles I save.
posted by reenum at 11:32 AM on November 2, 2007