HEY! What gives with the the account-set-up-so-I-can-read-a-WPress-blog process?

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  meteorologistdavidjones · Member · Jan 30, 2014 at 3:28 pm

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  Hi there:

  I’m a civil servant in the federal government (Canada). I created a WordPress blog as a collaborative tool to inform and serve clients in the Emergency Management Community and the Media in British Columbia and Yukon. The uptake and response to the blog has been fantastic…quite unbelievable really. Thank You WordPress!

  I was then forced to password-protect the blog. (I am not self-hosting and I am new to blogging)

  Invitees to my newly password-protected blog are constantly getting tripped-up when trying to follow the instructions to set up an account in the invitation to my blog. At first I thought the problem was the user. However, after sending 600+ invitations (limited to only 10 at a time!@!##Q$%#$@!!…that’s another issue), hearing tens of complaints and sign-up horror-stories AND, walking through the process on the phone and even looking over the shoulder of many invitees while they attempted the process, I’m more or less convinced the account-set-up-just-so-I-can-read-a-damn-blog process has multiple issues that need addressing.

  But probably, it’s just me. And them.

  Here’s a list of what appear to be random and sometimes non-replicable outcomes encountered by many clients in the sign-up process:

  – if an invitee inadvertently goes to ‘step 2’ before step 1 (that blue button is pretty damn inviting!) they are screwed and cannot reverse direction or complete the account set-up.

  – If an invitee uses a wrong symbol or doesn’t include a number or includes a Capitalized letter in their username or password, the account set-up process hangs.

  – a completely different screen sometimes appears when an invitee clicks on Step 1. This screen leads the invitee to believe they must create a blog. (this was my impression the first time I sent an invite to myself)
  – I have had invitees tell me they already have a WordPress account, but after accepting my invitation, they cannot access my blog

  First impressions are so important when it comes to an introduction to new tools or technology. I fear I’ve lost a bunch of clients due to the complicated (?) and inconsistent (?) bewildering (?) sign-up process.

  What gives…? Are we all unable to follow simple instructions?

  Thanks!

  deejay

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  raincoaster · Member · Jan 30, 2014 at 3:43 pm

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  It does not sound like you password-protected your blog at all. That option is not available to WordPress.com blogs. You can password-protect individual posts and pages, but not an entire blog.

  You’re right about the various glitches in the sign-up process. It’s a common refrain, and a lot of it could be avoided with better guides. I think it took me four hours to get my blog started here specifically because there were no warnings about usernames and URLs and what they could or could not contain. The process should be better.

  But please do not use the expression “Password protected” for your blog. Not if a smooth sign-up process is what you want.