As you’ve probably heard, the popular Google Friend Connect (“GFC”) is going away March 1st for non-Google blog platforms like WordPress, and the scuttlebutt is that it will be eventually phased out completely to be replaced by Google+.  YES you read that right. It has been on national news reports –all about how Google is phasing it out and not providing a service to move our followers–even saying the new Google+ will not be what the GFC was.  {If you have not heard that news – sorry to be the one sharing that news with you but before you start hyper ventilating–KEEP READING — I also have some GREAT NEWS.}  GFC was never really so much an “I follow this blog” tool as it was an attempt at the whole Facebook “friend, like” concept.

Bloggers know a good “follower” tool is really needed and we’d like to have one that is not tied to a million other services (seems like Facebook, Twitter and Google are linked to everything else on the Internet). In addition I get tired of Google buying up stuff and then getting rid of it or changing things up.  When I moved from Blogger to WP no one had figured out how to move your followers so I started all over again at ZERO and now I am faced with loosing all of my followers again.  (insert SAD FACE)

We wanted a simple, fast, easy-to-use and reliable service. Those of us who use Linky Tools and know the owner/creator (Brent Riggs), realized he would be perfect for developing some kind of really easy to use “follower” system. So I contacted him, and he loved the idea.

Introducing LINKY FOLLOWERS (www.linkyfollowers.com)

Brent has created a FREE service that a group of us mom bloggers have tested and helped develop. He is launching it today. You’re the first to be invited to try it out. I was part of the test group and I love the new tool! I highly recommend it to you.

Keep in mind this is DAY ONE of the service… there will no doubt be some bugs that the test group didn’t catch. Just contact Brent (brent@brentriggs.com)… he is great about fixing things fast. Don’t let a bug or an “oops” hurt your first impression. You’re being invited to be some of the first users of this great new tool, and your feedback will help him iron out any problems very quickly.

One last thing, the inevitable question: can my GFC followers be automatically moved over? NO. Google won’t allow access to those accounts but more importantly, YOU really shouldn’t sign up someone to a new service. They should voluntarily sign up themselves. You’ll need to ask your GFC folks (and all your blog readers) to follow you using Linky Followers but its easy, quick and did I mention, free? They’ll love the tool. It’s a cool way to organize and follow the blogs you love.

There are really cool features that you did not have with the GFC tool.

You can get started by FOLLOWING ME from my Linky Followers tool –you can find it up towards the top of my right side by.

Once you sign up you can navigate around and look at everything. 

Come back this afternoon and I will tell you show you some of the cool features of the new tool.

I also have a give-a-way

that I will be posting this afternoon.

Come back this afternoon!!!

ALSO please be sure to go over to the DIY Club and follow over there too.