Gmail Problems!

As my main blog details, my Gmail accounts have been disabled out of the blue.

Not happy.

PLEASE have a read and let me know of any solutions I haven’t tried.

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Technorati Tags: Gmail, Disabled

WordPress 2.0 Installed and working!

Well, I finally got around to it today, and ‘upgraded’ my main blog to WordPress 2.0 as I had planned.

It is the first time I had tried anything like this so I did it with some trepidation! initially I tried it on a development/trial site, then went for the live version.
The steps I took are listed below.

Quick version : downloaded and unzipped WordPress 2.0, changed the wp-config.php to point correctly and up-loaded all the files. Ran the upgrade script.

Longer version:

Backed up my MySql wordpress file and my .htaccess file
Deactivated all the plug-ins
COPIED the details from my wp-config.php file
Download WordPress 2.0 from here and unzipped it locally
Updated WP 2.0 ‘s wp-config.php with the database name, user name and password I had copied.
Uploaded the files & directories using FileZilla, to the correct directory (root in my case) and allowed the new files to replace pre-existing files of the same name.
Ran the upgrade script in the wp-admin directory.
Had a gin and tonic to celebrate……

It really was that simple. I admit I then deleted some redundant files/directories that had been relocated in WordPress 2.0; but that was easy. I also added a line to my .htaccess that I needed from before.

Reactivating the plugins waited until I had checked them against the “official list” of known compatibilities. I only had one that failed the list and it was redundant given the new features of WP 2.0 . (I think that list is official anyway )

BTW – there is no doubt that some of the best guides to wordpress issues are written and available at Podz wordpress guides, and there is a great one on upgrading to WP 2.0 here too.

So – off and running. Will Blog the changes I notice, likes and dislikes as I come across ‘em.

Let me know what you have done, the problems – if any.

The Internet Cognoscenti – what are you up to?

Well, as I’ve said before I have recently returned to the fold and started re-investigating the ‘net.

After several weeks of looking, trying, learning, being confused and experiencing sudden enlightenment (!), I have come to these conclusions about the way the well-informed, net savvy person is using their Internet!

Firstly, you have your own domain name. Preferably a “vanity” one that is immediately identifiable! Smith.com has more cache than albertsmith.com and far more than albertFsmith.net! At the very least, this allows you to have a persistent email address despite changing ISPs over time. Make sure you have bought a 5 or 9 year lease on the name. Quite possibly you have also bought domains for your family, relatives, and acquaintances.

Coming to terms with it all. -RSS

Well, its been a steep learning curve. I mean – What is RSS all about?

RSS feeds are novel for me, but I have installed Feed demon (trial), got a Newsgator account and subscribed, subscribed, subscribed. I must admit it is fascinating to see where things are up to now-days.

I also note that google has now opened a Google-reader – jumping on the band-wagon – its a sign of the times.

Content delivered to your desk BUT you get to choose the content! It even includes Podcasts! I think I like this system.

Certainly I will want my blog/site to have RSS capabilities, just as this one does!

By the way, I gather from Newsgator, that they will be integrating their online services with FeedDemon – allowing you to synchronise your casts between the two – and now they have acquired a Mac client too, so that makes it even more useful for the multiple platform family!

Yep – RSS – a new (?) way to receive content that I want.

Firefox at last

O.K. I give up – I am now officially Firefox ‘ed. After avoiding it for so long I agree its preferable to IE. More secure BUT especially – I LOVE tabbed browsing! WHY has it taken so long to make it to the “mainstream” ? I gather Microsoft is going to introduce it in IE7 too. Anyway – better late than never.

Where am I heading?

Where am I heading? Well – I want my own place in the Blogsphere – and this isn’t it! I love to tinker and “get under the hood� of things and Blogger does not have the degree of customisation that I really want. I am also considering some form of content management system that I can migrate my website Diving the Blue to – and it would be great to have one platform do both. So:

• Blogging
• Photo albums
• Customisation of appearance
• rss feeds
• trackbacks
• comments
• spam control
• good categorisation of posts
• easy theme/appearance changes
• permalinks
• Cheap/free

Are all a priority. any other suggestions?

Where am I starting from?

Where am I starting from you may ask.

Well, I have been a computer user for about 30 years. Initially the old PDP-11/10 (and in-fact an old punch tape Monrobot…) then the SDK 80/85 – you know the all- machine code with octal/hexadecimal readouts.

I learned FORTRAN, BASIC, COBOL and “machine code� over the years, but never did much outside of BASIC. OOP is a new concept for me.

I started a website in 1996 on Geocites.com and then migrated it to its own server a few years ago.

More recently, I erased it and started Diving The Blue , a digital underwater photography site. That has been my main foray into the internet.

I am familiar with Domain name registration and DNS redirection, and have set up multiple email accounts with various redirection; BUT I have no experience of UNIX/LINUX or APACHE.

To date, all my sites have been managed with LAMP type systems and a CPanel interface using Microsoft FrontPage as my web designer / publisher. Throw in some judicious direct access to my files with HTML and occasional direct server access….

Along the way I have developed a smattering of PHP, CSS, MySql, DHTL. XML is NEW to me. RSS is new to me as well. No Idea at all about Pearl…

This could be fun then!

Welcome

Hi! Well – this is it – your chance to see me stumble around the net, coming to terms with Content Management Systems (CMS), various sorts of “blogware” and generally discovering digital life.

I have been a “Geek” for years in many ways, but never really got into the Blogosphere.

Join me as we TRY to find what I need to enter the fray!