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Sunday, 3 November 2013

Can Blogging Make You Crazy?

I received a message about two weeks ago informing me that my domain name purchase (for www.happymuslimah.com) would not be renewed.  This happened to me once before years ago when my blog used to be at www.happymuslimmama.com and I had to think of a new domain name and register that instead (many years later, I still get e-mails and the occasional call asking me if I want to buy the old domain name back at silly prices.  So far they haven't accepted my offer of $10 maximum, I'm not paying $500 either).

So I have spent two days trying to find out why and how to rectify (I needed to update my payment details).  Blogger has been bought up by Google who have created a dashboard to manage all their apps.  They created an account for me which I didn't know and a Google Wallet payment method, which I also didn't know.  After trawling through numerous online blogs and forums I found out how to login and after two hours of trying still hadn't accessed my dashboard to update my payment details and renew my domain name.

I was so fed up and ready to pull my hair out by this point that even the kids had noticed.  Little Lady instructed the boys to get into bed and leave me alone.  She was probably more concerned than me when I told her I would lose my blog and six years of writing.

I decided at this point that I would think of a new blog address, buy the name and move to Wordpress.

Next morning, I prayed two nawafil for salat hajat (prayer for difficulty or need) and another two for istikharah (the prayer that helps you make a decision), to ask for guidance if blogging was a good thing to continue with.  I tried looking at the blog sign-in instructions again and found a link buried in a blog that let me sign in straight away with a password and username that I remembered from many years ago.

I managed to update my payment details, verify them to Google and renew my domain.  I also set it to auto-renew every year.  That solved one problem and caused another because my bank noticed a $1 administration fee and a low value transaction by a foreign organisation (Google) looks suspicious.  They blocked my debit card.  Once I had called them and unblocked , I was happier.

It's made me think though, about blogging in the future.  I would like to use a platform that is more professional and joins up my various blogs better and doesn't drive me crazy as blogger has on a number off occasions before with its changes that cause all sorts of problems.  It also mad me rethink the purpose of my blogging and refresh my desire to write insh'Allah.

Can any readers/bloggers who have experience of Wordpress or both Blogger and Wordpress please advise on whether it is worth making the move to Wordpress or if that has its problems also?


2 comments:

  1. Assalamualeikum sis!
    Looks like you've had quite the struggle :(
    I had somewhat the same feeling when I found out my limit of photo storage on blogger had finished... But then alhamdulillah, I got some help and found some solutions :)

    I wish I could help you with your problem. But I'd actually love to get some help myself! So I'll tag along on to this blog post to read the other inshaAllah helpful comments :)

    Aysha @ www.thecreativemuslimah.blogspot.com

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  2. Assalam aleykum sis,
    Sorry to read of your struggles. I'm afraid I don't really have any helpful advice regarding blogging, but I do definitely think you are doing the right thing by praying salat hajat and istikharah alhumdulillah
    I used to think that I shouldn't bother Allah subhanahu wa ta'alaa with my little worries and decisions, but I came to realise that He actually loves it when people turn to Him for help and it really helps to know that you have consulted Allah whose wisdom is beyond our comprehension. That way, you can move forward with full confidence, knowing that you are acting in accordance with Allah's will.

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