I've been writing this blog for a long time. Since 2004, to be exact. Over the years, I've been able to roll with the occasional updates as they launched. Until now.
For months I've been receiving emails from Google, which owns Blogger, that I need to "install Google tag." There was some message about "sunsetting the current Google Analytics." Not only do I need to install a new tag; I need to "configure" it. And, because Blogger isn't one of the supported platforms that will automatically update by "scanning the new code," I need to manually "copy and paste" the code below into each section of my website:
<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-9ZZNZ0WP65"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-9ZZNZ0WP65'); </script>
Looks like fun, right? I'm instructed to insert this code "immediately after the <head> element," which can't be found--at least by me. Need some help? Google's got me covered. Their offered solution? Go ask the other users.
So I've dutifully been to the "community forum" and read dozens of the bewildered comments and questions of other exiled Bloggers who are all totally ignored by Google. Odd that Google doesn't support one of its own platforms, but who am I to question a mega-zillion dollar Big Tech giant? Certainly not a software engineer, I've come to find out.
So that's why I've been MIA for a while, and most likely will remain so for a while longer. I've been navigating the maze of instructions, diagrams, screen shots, pages of Q&As and articles. I'll keep hacking at it until I either figure it out or move to a different blog platform. Stay tuned, if you're patient. Unlike Google, I'll make it easy for you to find me.
