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22 September, 2014

Change Been A Long Time Comin'

For better than seven years now this blog has been resident on Google's Blogger servers and using the Blogger software. We actually started the blog in March 2007, about three months before we left up north.

For those of you who want to read the full story, it's there, from the very beginning - packing, moving, and all. In short, the whole nine yards.
Blogger Logo
Overall I can't complain about how it(Blogger) has worked. It does have some limitations, but for general day-to-day use, the Blogger software has done what I wanted it to and more.

Nine hundred thirty nine (939) posts, well, with this one, 940 posts and I can't say there have been any major problems. Over the years, some formatting issues have come up here and there of things I wanted to do but was unable because the feature wasn't offered in the Blogger environment.

I've drooled for a long time over WordPress. It seemed to offer a lot of features that were things I wanted to do, along with a lot of formatting advantages, and some behind-the-scenes tools.
WordPress Logo
But, it seemed that every time I tried to install WordPress, I entered the foggy landscape of murky instructions, poor brain functioning, laziness and the feeling, kind of like in a dream when you're trying to run, but the ground has become a sea of molasses.

At which point, I just backed out of trying to deal with WordPress and became content, once again, to do my thing using Blogger. That is, till a few weeks ago. Suddenly, the light turned on, the fog went away, along with the molasses, and I was able to set up WordPress and actually start doing some stuff with it.

For example, I was able to import all nine-hundred-thirty-nine posts, including pictures and other images (all told, there were about 4,000 images successfully imported). In addition, all the comments that readers have posted (over 1,700 of those) imported fine.

Right now, I'm working on fine-tuning the indexing of all the posts (I'm about a third of the way through that chore), making sure that all the photos are located as I want them with the right captions, and a myriad of other housekeeping items.

I've picked a format that gives the blog a really clean and up-to-date look that I think readers will really appreciate - I know it's easier for me to look at it.

Not only is there new software, a new look, and all that, but there's going to be a new URL, or address for the blog. It will be under its own domain - which it's OK if that doesn't mean anything to you. It's just that it makes the URL shorter and easier to use and remember. It's part of a domain that I've owned for several years now and really, other than some email stuff, have done very little with it.

The new URL is:

Part of that fine-tuning I mentioned is blowing out some of the cobwebs and dust-bunnies that have accumulated in the domain because of lack of use. Maybe I should get a virtual Roomba to help keep the domain clean.

Anyway, I'm guessing that it's going to be a couple of more weeks, give or take, before the new URL is completely ready. One way I've found to encourage myself to complete a task is simply to dive in and do it. So, that's what I'm going to do.

The only downside is that I'm going to virtually drag you along. You'll just have to put up with some missing things for a bit, as and until I figure out how to do them in WordPress. I've still got several hundred postings to go through, one by one, to get the indexing firmed up, along with a bunch of widgets and other plug-ins that I'm figuring out how they work and where on the blog they need to be stashed.

Even though it's not quite ready for prime time, it's up and functioning (I think). So, if you would, go ahead and change your bookmark for Winjama to the new URL above. I probably won't make but a couple more postings on the current URL. I'll put in a simple page advising folks to go to the new URL and I'll leave that up for a month or so. Eventually, I'll pull the plug on this URL and then it'll be all moved to the new site and that will be that.

We look forward to seeing you at the new site.

Cheers,
Dave and Dianna

2 comments:

Unknown said...

The new blog is looking nice and neat and tidy. I really like the font you've chosen, easy on the old eyes.
I'll have to pop by and give you a bunch of new books I've collected, I've got a few hundred new ones for you.

Dave Rider said...

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you like the new layout. Don't forget to update your bookmark for it to http://winjama.net/blog.
More books -Yay!!!

Cheers,
Dave