An update on Google Friend Connect

"In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs. 

As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers."

 Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer (Blogger Buzz)

Lucas CRANACH 1509

via

Lucas Maler, dit Lucas Cranach l’Ancien, né le 4 octobre 1472 à Kronach et mort le 16 octobre 1553 à Weimar, est un peintre et graveur de la Renaissance allemande. Son patronyme dérive de celui de sa ville natale. Il est le père de Lucas Cranach le Jeune (1515 - 1586).

Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472 - 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. 

Gustav KLIMT 1917-18

via

Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) est un peintre symboliste autrichien, et l'un des membres les plus en vue du mouvement Art nouveau et de la Sécession de Vienne. Peintre de compositions à personnages, sujets allégoriques, figures, nus, portraits, paysages, dessinateur, décorateur, peintre de cartons de tapisseries, cartons de mosaïques, céramiste, lithographe.

Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was an Austrian symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. Klimt is noted for his paintings, murals, sketches, and other objets d'art.