Another WordPress upgrade. Ho-Hum.

New WordPress DashboardWell, I decided to live dangerously and upgrade the version of WordPress this runs on again, even though I was not at home and relying on the wifi at UPMC. The way things have been at home lately with my internet service, it’s probably just as reliable.

It seems to have worked, and I got through it without much trouble. I use a plugin, WordPress Automatic Upgrade, which does most of the heavy lifting for me, so it didn’t take long.

Ther plugin used to work really well, but the last time I used it, there were a few glitches with the database backup. That uses another plugin. I found out that by disabling all other plugins and changing to a default theme first, it all works and the upgrade proceeds smoothly.

The problem is, they do disable all the plugins during the upgrade process, they just do it automatically at a later point. If they would just move it up sooner, it would work without my intervention. They also put the site into a maintenance mode, which probably accomplishes what using a default theme does too.

But that’s all minor. The main thing the update seems to do is change the Admin interface, the part of the site nobody else sees except the privileged few. The screen shot shows part of the new Dashboard. They did clean it up and organize it really well. I like it, but there isn’t much for the user to see.

New theme

If you’ve been here before, you’ve noticed a new look. I found a theme I liked called Tigopedia Reloaded. It’s got a clean, three-column look and I think it makes the site a bit clearer. Hope you like it…

Traffic report

unique visits in Oct 2008I was curious how many people have been visiting this site since Albert’s surgery. I know a lot of you have left comments and well-wishes, so I know there is interest.

There has been a definite surge in traffic here since the 23rd of October, which you can see in the chart. I almost never check this and I don’t have a page counter on this site. They’re tacky and unreliable anyway. Most of the time, I don’t care if I have 3 or 3,000,000 viewers. But this is interesting.

This chart is Unique Visits, in other words individual people, no matter how many pages they read. We hit a peak of 1,930 raw views on the 28th. Wow! Continue Reading…

Why I comment on my own articles

Before someone asks, and I’m sure eventually, someone will, I’ll explain.

I often add comments to my own posts. Not just a reply to someone else’s comment, but stand-alone comments. The reason I do that is to be clear that what is in the comment is an addition to the post, not an original part of it.

I often correct my posts – spelling, grammar and unclear syntax – but I’m reluctant, once published, to alter the actual content. By putting something I’m adding into a comment, it’s clear it was added later.

Actual corrections to content of any significance, such as when I make a mistake (I know, that couldn’t happen) will be made in the article, and duly marked. I like strike-outs for the old, wrong stuff!

You might not care, but there are purists out there who think blogs are just like mainstream media and should follow rules like they do. I’m not under any illusion that my ramblings fall in that category, but I still aspire to some higher standard.

But don’t sit there waiting to see what I add as comments, add you own! I’m happy to have anyone reading my blog add their thoughts to any article. Just go to the bottom of the whole post, or click the little comments icon with the little cartoon talk-balloon symbol, and use the Leave a Comment box. You’ll have to leave a name and email and answer a captcha so that the site doesn’t get spammed into oblivion, but don’t let that scare you away. First posts are held for approval, but subsequent ones are automatic.

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