I've been using Blogger since 2004. As a basic blogging platform, it works. But when I read yet another account of spammers taking over the service, it made my blood boil. The problem isn't just that Google has failed to put all of the security and anti-spam pieces together. No, what really bothers me is Google has neglected Blogger for years, while concentrating its efforts on newer acquisitions and higher-profile services, such as Google Maps.

That's not to say Google hasn't allocated resources to Blogger. You can see on Blogger Buzz that the team is still plugging away at bug fixes, and even finds time to organize a party at SXSWi. But when it comes to security, spam blogs, and fixing other issues that have bedeviled users for years, the pace of change is glacial. For instance, Blogger is just now rolling out a feature that lets bloggers publish in the future. The lack of this basic feature isn't just an irritant to power users -- it actually hurts Blogger, and Google, because many new and existing users have turned to Wordpress and other services to find it.

I -- and others -- don't hold out much hope for Google. Even though Blogger is used by millions, the company clearly has more important priorities. And, thanks to the popularity of Google's AdSense service among spammers, the company has an incentive not to clamp down too hard.

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