The new design on the "My Blog. co.uk" page is muddled and misconceived.  It uses "media" to squeeze out more useful content and it assumes the only posts we'll be interested in are our Friends'.

I resisted blogging about it straight away, but the more I use it the worse it seems.

1  Only one of my Friends takes interesting photographs on a regular basis.  My own "media" are embarassing and I do not want to see them each day I check for new posts.   Why "media"?  No sign of audio being incorporated into the jolly mix.  This is certainly not a good location for a podcast.

Meanwhile there's little room left for anything else.

2 The "Recent Posts" list is now a click away - and only half the previous lists' length.  Refresh the "Recent Post" list (aka blog.co.uk) and the page reverts to the Friends list,

Similarly, without clicking, the only people on line shown are Friends.

Lets Face it.  Our "Friends" are not (necessarily) our bosom pals.  We choose Friends mainly because we like reading and commenting on their blogs and the feeling (at the beinnning at any rate ) is mutual.  If I wanted "mates" I would use Facebook or Messenger or whatever.

I'm sure I'm not the only BCUK blogger who regularly reads particular non-Friends blogs on the site.  One, in particular doesn't want Friends at all.  Yes, one can set up outside links on one's browser - but that means they might as well be blogging on another site - surely against the whole spirit of Blog.co.uk.

For me, one of the principal attractions of this site up to now has been the ease I could stumble on stranger's interesting material.  Serendipity. They have made this harder, which is a shame.

I don't want to exaggerate.  There are several people here that I have grown fond of over the last 22 months.  One or two I have met or spoken to on the phone.  Some I do regard as real friends. Other blogger's reaction does a far greater part (on this site) in the blogging process than I realised when I started, and that's not bad

But the song, not the singer.  I blog principally because I want to say something, and I want to read what a whole lot of other people want to say.  If this is going to turn into a purely social (and snapshot) site, I think I'll be looking for another home.

PS
3 And what is the notebook about?