This post is a look back at my earliest attempts at blogging and building websites, a mix of half-finished ideas, endless fixes, and learning by breaking things. I’ve kept some screenshots from those days, which you’ll find below in this post. This history reminds me just how much trial and error it took to get here.
Timeline (2017 – 2020)
2017 – First Steps
Registered PeteSQL.com as my very first domain. The idea was simple: start blogging about SQL Server while also mixing in personal posts. Very quickly I realised that juggling both under one site was messy.
2018 – peter-whyte.com
After experimenting with a few “rubbish” domains, I finally registered peter-whyte.com. This became my main home for career-focused blogging — particularly SQL Server and database administration. It gave me the practice I needed with WordPress, and a place to grow my technical writing.
2018 – 50 Posts Milestone
Hit 50 published posts across categories. At this stage, I was deep into breaking and fixing WordPress layouts, chasing mobile/desktop responsiveness, and getting comfortable with the constant “fix lists” that come with running a site.
2019 – Learning by Fixing
Most of my time was spent tweaking layouts, fighting with CSS, converting to HTTPS, and experimenting with plugins. WordPress 5.0 introduced the Gutenberg editor, which completely changed the way I built posts — after a short adjustment, it made life a lot easier.
2020 – peterwhyte.com
On May 16, 2020 I finally secured peterwhyte.com (after watching the price drop from £600+ to under £50). This became my personal and portfolio site — a dedicated home for non-career writing, outdoor posts, and my own name online.
Looking Back
Those early years were more about building than publishing. The reality is, I spent far more time making things look right. on desktop and mobile, or in search results, than I did writing blog posts.
It was frustrating at times, but it laid the groundwork. By constantly breaking and fixing, I learned the ins and outs of WordPress, and over time updates made everything easier too.
If you’re starting out with WordPress (or anything creative online), don’t be afraid of the mess. Most of what feels like wasted time is actually the best kind of practice. I did get there in the end!
Update 2025
Looking back now, I’m still glad I kept things split the way I did. peter-whyte.com has stayed my tech/DBA space, while peterwhyte.com is the personal home for everything else.
I also ended up working for a domain registrar, which was more inspiring than technical for me. I’m still very much a DBA, not a web guy. But it did reinforce how much I enjoy having my own corner of the web. WordPress has kept evolving too, and a lot of the fiddly stuff that used to take me hours is much smoother now. Those endless fix lists were frustrating at the time, but they really were the best way to learn.
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