I’m pleased to share with you my side project, OTube.co. It’s a random video-sharing site that’s been gaining some good organic traction from Google and Bing lately. It’s noticeably standing out in comparison to my portfolio of other websites.
The idea behind OTube is simple: to share random videos that I come across during my time browsing YouTube, as well as some old-school stuff, music, gaming, and whatever else comes to mind. I love diving deep into my memory of the golden age of the internet and sharing those gems with others.
One of the fun features of OTube is the affiliate (Amazon) store for random products. It’s not something I’m heavily promoting, but it’s a fun addition to the site. All products of course relate in some way to the published content.
While I’m not running ads on OTube at the moment, that’s the plan for the future. For now, I’m content to update the site on the side and see where organic traffic takes it. I’m excited to earn my first £1 from the site!
Now, I want to take a moment to mention a Google update that happened in the second half of 2022 regarding video content. The update focused on improving the quality of video content in search results, specifically targeting low-quality videos and spammy content. This update is great news for sites like Otub that focus on providing high-quality, random videos to users.
Overall, OTube is a fun side project that I’m passionate about. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes in the future and sharing more random videos & products on there. As well as updating here on how the traffic grows over these next months.
I have been creating and managing websites for long enough now to have a backlog of cleaning tasks. Mostly consisting of deleting old blog posts and images from websites that have been in active blogging mode for more than a few years.
This is something we really need to keep on top of, clearing out the junk on your website. Things gather over the years, well… this really depends on the volume of content you upload to your website.
I’m very active, or, as active as I can be. I try my best to keep up the habit, believing consistency is key. Also, slow and steady will 100% win the race!
This blog post here is really just to upload and backup some old web pages I’ve deleted. All personal stuff this is, writing to myself of course.
This post here is a backup of an old timeline I had on another domain, as per RIP Old Web Content.
I used to have this hanging on a page with the Timeline Express Plugin. It gave me some good hands-on practice as I was getting up to speed with developing websites with WordPress.
This is how the Timeline looked for me, followed by the content of each post –
50 Published Posts
Published – August 25, 2018
A milestone to mark in the Timeline, having 50 published blog posts. This includes posts within all categories (Tech Blog, Journal, Timeline).
I’m enjoying writing & seeing some improvements over time. I believe one of the important parts going forward will be to continuously edit and refine previous posts, especially the tech stuff. I’m glad the web traffic on here is very low. It’s giving me plenty of time to practise and up my game.
I have a never-ending list of post ideas for my tech blog. I look forward to covering lots of different areas within SQL Server, and any other fixes and guides on things like WordPress & PowerShell.
I’ll always say the words, a long way to go. There’s no end goal really, so the end is never in sight!
Peter-Whyte.Com Registered
Published – April 7, 2018
Okay, so, those other domain names I bought previously? They were rubbish. This is the one for me. Who even cares about hyphens anymore… Deciding on a domain name can make or break you!
I’m not surprised by the large number of mistakes I’ve made along the way. It takes a long time to get good at something, and every wrong turn is an opportunity to learn what could have been done better.
There is no way projects like this can be a success unless there’s a passion for it. It’s become a genuine hobby for me, which I’m happy about. All I have to show for my efforts so far is the knowledge I’ve gained, so here we go again, a clean slate for the 3rd time!
Second Domain Name Purchased
I had a lot of fun for 4-5 months getting familiar with the WordPress dashboard. Installing plug-in after plug-in and testing every change I could think of.
I wanted to start again. Get a nice clean WordPress install with a new theme (a paid one this time). And why not, get a new domain name at the same time… My domain name changed was then changed to WhytePete.com.
Registering My First Domain Name
Published – March 7, 2017
On this day registered my first blogging domain name, PeteSQL.com, and signed up for an annual hosting plan (CPanel model).
I toyed with the idea of having two domains. I’d use PeteSQL.com for my tech blog, and PetesLQ.com would serve as my personal area. But, why not combine them both??
I’ll insert a screenshot here of what it looked like at this time.
A New Year’s Resolution
Published – January 1, 2017
It was as the title suggests, a New Year’s resolution for me to create a website for the purpose of blogging. I’ve been behind a computer screen since my teenage years and always had a strong interest in tech. The urge to blog grew as I spent more and more time reading the blogs of others. When you end up reading other people’s stories like this one from Brent Ozar, you may also find yourself thinking more seriously about blogging. My mission set from the get-go was to learn as much as possible along the way and to try to make it look as best as I can.
Now, as I write these back-dated timeline posts, I can say I’ve truly learned to appreciate how much time it takes to convert a vision onto a website. I had little to no knowledge on the way into this journey, which of course had an impact on how long this has taken me. No regrets though, it’s a fun hobby!
I’ve managed to get a lot done in January. Spending a lot of hours working on this & studying during ‘free’ time. Lots to get done and a long way to go! There’s been a few changes on here to the front and back-end, so here’s a quick update post on whassapnin.
WordPress 5.0 Update
My website automatically updated to WordPress 5.0 during December. The first thing I did when I received the email was check if the front-end looked and functioned as it did before, which it did.
During recent weeks I’ve been able to fully test the all new Gutenberg editing experience. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but that was mostly due to having to get used to the new UI I think. I powered through with no desire to continue using the Classic Editor. Move forward with the software and all that.
As I continue to use the new WordPress editor I’m finding myself like it more and more. It is definitely an easier to manage editor and it’s opened up some options for my post template going forward.
One of the things I’m making a change to is how images on posts are displayed. Old posts have all images centred, and if you wanted it left aligned it would have the text in-line as shown below.
Both of the above are centred. It’s good to have the choice now! I’m sure there would have been a way to achieve this before, but I noob.
So, all good with the WordPress 5.0 update in the end… Although, format changes like above have to be consistent, so I’ll need another sweep through old posts. Converting classic posts to blocks can sometimes break a few things too, so this is another chunky task to add to the Fix List!
Fix List
# Fix contact form messages. # Fix broken redirection links (broke after replacing pages with updates). # Hide the ‘Featured’ tag from Tag Cloud widget. # Add index pages. # Improve home page. # Reformat & touch-up all previous posts. # Add a CAPTCHA to site contact forms. # Test subscription (MailChimp) email sends summarising recent content. # Finish my Timeline. # Finalise structure of the Web Traffic page.
The New Fix List
Published – January 14, 2019
In my previous journal posts I would often add a set of issues I have on this website. Things I need to note down to fix when I get time to. I last did this in November.
It’s a never ending gig. New issues or ideas for improvement pop up at every step of the way. For example, I’ve received about 10 messages via my contact form in the last week or so. None of them contained an actual message…
I knew the first place to look would be within the Contact Form 7Form settings.
I then checked what was shown within Mail settings.
Would you have known what to do?
I quickly resolved the issue by copying the […textarea-496] code over to the output settings as shown below.
When I last amended my contact form I obviously didn’t change the mail output settings… More importantly than that though, why didn’t I test it? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
All previous messages were lost. I would have required an additional plugin (Flamingo) for that. Within days after the fix I realised they’d all be spam messages anyway. Here’s a few example messages.
So… a quick fix, that has led to a new addition to the list. I need a spam filtering system in-place on forms!
This here is my list gathered for 2019 so far:
# Fix contact form messages. # Fix broken redirection links (broke after replacing pages with updates). # Hide the ‘Featured’ tag from Tag Cloud widget. # Add a CAPTCHA to site contact forms. # Test subscription (MailChimp) email sends summarising recent content. # Finish my Timeline. # Finalise structure of the Web Traffic page.
I’ll continue to expand on different problems as I go. Hopefully it’ll provide insight into unforeseen considerations during the build of a website.
Here we go 2019!
Published – January 9, 2019
Happy New Year!
It’s a bit late. I’ve been lucky enough to have a decent break during the holiday period though!
I’ve been back to work for 3 days now and so far so good with that. I’m readying myself for the battle with the list we have in Jira after giving the systems a good health check.
It’s now time for me to start planning training, holidays and tech meet-ups for the year. There are a few potential exciting ideas, such as attending the SQL Saturday in Iceland where Brent Ozar is holding a pre-con. If not that, then there will certainly be a few trips for such events held within the UK – it’s a New Year’s goal to expand my tech meet-ups outside of my home town Edinburgh.
That’s one of the New Year’s goals mentioned! Another one of those is for me to continue working away on my blog. Last year, I switched over from whytepete.com (no longer alive) to this domain name. I more or less hit the reset button on content at the time, so this is where I’m at in terms of content as of April 2018:
It’s already been a long time since my last post, and I have a fair bit of work to do before my next tech post will be ready.
My goal for the year is to bump up that post count to 200. It’s an ambitious target but I think it’s achievable. I’ll be spending much less time hacking away at my website for one – I spent several weeks behind the WordPress dashboard rather than working on new tech blog content. I also don’t intend to have such long breaks between posts. Get a schedule going that I can really stick to.
I haven’t put much effort into driving traffic yet, with the exception of the small focus on SEO. I shared my website with a few friends during 2018 and think only once did I mention it online. Here’s a quick glance at traffic so far:
397 total users tracked on Google Analytics with 17,329 page views. The organic traffic started to kick in around September/October whereas it was non-existent at first.
It’s still early days on here, so the most interesting stats are still to come. It’ll be nice watching this as my web content grows, especially if I’m able to reach my target mentioned above.
So that’s where I’m at and what I’m currently up to! Here’s to a good and productive 2019… Cheers!
The Only Blog Updates
Published November 13, 2018
General Website/Blog Update
It’s been a wee while since I’ve posted within the tech blog, but the good news is I’m still making a habit of blogging by writing this eh? Even if these posts are terrible, containing nothing much of worth, I’m still happy to be continuously active with my writing in any form.
I’m finding myself making use of my website every day at work though. It’s serving me well as a script repository and a notepad which makes me happy. If it provides functional use for me, then there’s a better chance of it being useful for others.
Everything I write is aimed at no particular audience. Or shall I say, no audience! I still need to update my web stats section, but there’s still not much to look at really. It’s nice and quiet here, so there’s no pressure.
I do hope to ramp things up with respect to the tech blog. That’s always going to be the juicy stuff in my opinion. Until that happens, I can’t complain about the lack of organic traffic.
Other News
In other news, 3 weeks ago I posted about a new job prospect – An 8-week process including a technical test (SQL Server), a telephone interview and a longish face-to-face interview.
2.5 weeks after the face-to-face the recruiter gave me a call… It wasn’t to be!
My feedback was literally 3 words, “You came second”.
Hey-ho. It’s all positive in the end. An enjoyable experience from start to finish, it really was. I learned and was reminded of a few things too…
I found that one of the most exciting things about the job prospect was that I’d be working with other DBAs. I really want that in my next role.
I was reminded that I should be more selective with who I chose to represent me (recruiter-wise).
I was as calm as I have ever been during an interview, although there’s always room for improvement there.
Now it’s over, I’d say I’m now casually on the lookout for a new role. No rush. Aim to find the right place with some fellow SQL Server DBA’s!
I Fixed the Fix List
Published – November 5, 2018
I’ve gone through another sprint of website changes in the last week, the biggest one being the redesign of my homepage. I think it looks better than it did before. As long there are slight improvements between each pass when making design changes, that’s the goal. Things will eventually work out, in the end, the more you tweak at it.
The full highlights of my recent changes are;
# My homepage now contains all content and the navigation links jump to each area on there, with the exception of the Tech Blog though. I like having that link lead to a page that’s easier to navigate. # I added a subscription widget that works with Mailchimp. I’m still getting the hang of the configuration with that. Another fun thing to learn about. # I went through all older posts, tidying formatting/tags/SEO and re-adding images to some pages that I had linked from my old domain. I haven’t renewed it and pictures eventually stopped showing. # I reinstalled Disqus after trailing another comment system. I change my mind a lot but do feel like I get it right in the end, in some cases.
When I finished with the above, for the first time ever, I had nothing left on my fix list!
There are a few outstanding snags… small ones… not worthy of this list. For example, the homepage header image is proving a tough one for me to get right. But it’s perfectly acceptable just now though, and it’ll be tweaked at random until it sits well.
As my website hammers on with its continuous system & plugin updates, there are always going to be things that break. And there’s no doubt I’ll have more improvement ideas along the way. So I’m not saying goodbye to the Fix List, I’m going to start fresh from this point, just for a bit of organisation.
Fix List (April 2018 – November 2018)
# Move away from the Crayons code display plugin (or look into the updates of it). # Pictures don’t open in a new tab when clicked on blog post loop thumbnail images. # Add labels (tags) to all old tech posts (I’ve been adding them for new posts). # Add subscription functionality, exploring options for full customisation. # Go through older tech blog posts to check for formatting issues. A lot of WordPress changes have happened since they were published. # Get the Disqus comment system in line with post widths. # Text hover-over bug on the Journal & Web Stats blog filmstrip featured images. # Change social media icons. # Add exclusion filter to Tech Blog navigation. # Reduce Disqus width to fit within post width. # Add post navigation to footers. # Fix SiteOrigin plugin (Custom CSS site display after HTTPS change) # Some links differ in hover colour, amend from green to red # Convert to HTTPS. # Fix Google MAP API issue, mobile devices get an error. # Change highlighted text from green to red, or black, or to anything other than green. # Explore new themes of images on posts. # Remove self (all devices/networks) from Google Analytics. # Switch to using Crayons for code display. I’m not feeling GitHub.
How Social To Be
Published – October 27, 2018
I added a bunch of social links to my About Me page when gearing it up a while ago, but you’ll see that there’s little to no activity on any of them. I wonder why too… I love a lot of places like Reddit, Quora, MSDN, StackExchange and many others – I just never post on them!
It can’t be such a rare thing. In the technical world, the general rule for me is to try to understand the issue before asking about the Internet. Check the question hasn’t already been asked… try to figure it out for a while with the help of Google… think of a workaround… test it!
This is something I’m working on though. Running this website is helping me structure my favoured social platforms and I’m sure my various social media profiles will soon see some updates. This post is dedicated to informing you nobody of this.
Time to Suit Up
Published – October 22, 2018
5 weeks ago I decided to have a very quick look at the job market. I flicked through what S1Jobs had to offer under within the land of SQL Server and found something of interest. A job that ticked all the boxes!
But, I wasn’t really looking to switch jobs at this time. I closed that tab down. End of story…
Once every month or so, I do as many others do and have a look at what’s out there. Checking for things like, how frequently jobs within my skills area are posted and what kind of companies are hiring. Usually, there’s at least one job I’m interested in and would like to know more about. But I don’t probe any further if I’m not looking to move!
With that said though… I’m being truthful when I say, within 2 minutes of closing the Chrome tab, I had an In-Mail on LinkedIn from a recruiter asking me if I was interested in that role. I was confused and was immediately thinking if it could’ve been tracking cookies or something like it. I couldn’t believe it. But after speaking with the recruiter, she informed me that it was a manual send – just a massive coincidence then!
So, I sent along my CV and thought, let fate take the lead on this one. It’s a win-win situation. If I don’t get the job, then maybe I’ll know more about my weaknesses. Improve on interview skills? If I do get the job, then I hope the decision is an easy one!
During the time since this, all first came through, I’ve taken a technical test (SQL Server based) and had an hour-long telephone interview. It’s taken some time but gone very quick.
Tomorrow is the face-to-face!
Hello October
Published – October 7, 2018
In the month since my last update, I’ve had a focus on tech blog content, with a 1-week blip of restructuring/expanding my About > Web Categories section. Still moving along slowly but surely, and I’m happy to see that I’m sticking to my word with the tech content – that being increasing the frequency of posts once I considered the design stage to be over with.
There are many areas that I plan on updating in between working on tech stuff too though. Such as; # Expand on Fix List below. # Update on Web Traffic. # Complete my Timeline. # Continue to add to my Random Area.
But there’s only so much that you can get done in the week!
Fix List
I’ve successfully scored zero off the list! I haven’t added to them either, so it’s all good.
I’m glad I wrote them done though. The only 2 I’ve put thought into recently are the tags and formatting issues. I’d like to refresh the old tech posts soon… And after that, I think I’ll look at Subscription functionality. No rush though eh?
To be fixed #– Move away from the Crayons code display plugin (or look into the updates of it). #– Pictures don’t open in a new tab when clicked on blog post loop thumbnail images. #– Add labels (tags) to all old tech posts (I’ve been adding them for new posts). #– Add subscription functionality, exploring options for full customisation. #– Go through older tech blog posts to check for formatting issues. A lot of WordPress changes have happened since they were published.
Fixed #– Get the Disqus comment system in line with post widths. #– Text hover-over bug on the Journal & Web Stats blog filmstrip featured images. # Change social media icons. # Add exclusion filter to Tech Blog navigation. # Reduce Disqus width to fit within post width. # Add post navigation to footers. # Fix SiteOrigin plugin (Custom CSS site display after HTTPS change) # Some links differ in hover colour, amend from green to red # Convert to HTTPS. # Fix Google MAP API issue, mobile devices get an error. # Change highlighted text from green to red, or black, or to anything other than green. # Explore new themes of images on posts. # Remove self (all devices/networks) from Google Analytics. # Switch to using Crayons for code display. I’m not feeling GitHub.
On-going Website Maintenance
Published – September 3, 2018
It’s been a good week… here are the highlights!
Plugin Updates
I’ve done my regular plugin updates which I aim to do at least once a month. I’ve always said to myself, that as soon as I see issues with updates I’ll change my awful strategy. That strategy is, to select all plugins that need an update and hit go!
Today was that day. I was presented with the following when trying to load any page after trying to update my plugins.
After about 5 minutes I started having a quick google on this message. Luckily, when I checked back on my website again it was all good again.
I managed to get them updated individually without issues, but this certainly triggered the thought that I should improve on my plugin update process for next time. The thought of having to fix it via FTP makes it one to be avoided.
Security Scan
I’ve had the Wordfence security plugin installed from the get-go, although I had yet to run a scan on here. I had one issue flag when I ran it;
The Crayons syntax plugin hasn’t been updated since May 2016. Long enough to merit steering else-where I think, so I’ll add that to my fix list.
Fix List
I’ve smashed a few off the list this week and changed a few things (again). I’ll expand on each of the below as I go. For now, that’s it!
To be fixed #– Move away from the Crayons code display plugin. #– Pictures don’t open in a new tab when clicked on blog post loop thumbnail images. #– Add labels (tags) to all old tech posts. #– Add subscription functionality, exploring options for full customisation. #– Go through older tech blog posts to check for formatting issues. A lot of WordPress changes have happened since they were published.
Fixed #– Get the Disqus comment system in line with post widths. #– Text hover-over bug on the Journal & Web Stats blog filmstrip featured images. #– Change social media icons. #– Add exclusion filter to Tech Blog navigation. #– Reduce Disqus width to fit within post width. #– Add post navigation to footers. #– Fix SiteOrigin plugin (Custom CSS site display after HTTPS change) #– Some links differ in hover colour, amend from green to red #– Convert to HTTPS. #– Fix Google MAP API issue, mobile devices get an error. #– Change highlighted text from green to red, or black, or to anything other than green. #– Explore new themes of images on posts. #– Remove self (all devices/networks) from Google Analytics. #– Switch to using Crayons for code display. I’m not feeling GitHub.
This post here is a backup of some old personal blog posts I had on another domain, as per RIP Old Web Content.
These posts are very useless personal notes during the creation of my original blogging space. It has taken years of learning and reiteration to get things right. I always had a vision of how I wanted things to look but it took years to gain enough experience to make desired design changes with ease.
Some of these posts include the tasks I was working on at the time which is cool for me to reflect back on. I’m including all their feature images which are free open-stock images from pixabay.com.
Hello. So. Here we go, 6 weeks on from my last post, I’m only now just getting the chance to write one up.
It’s been an interesting period. I turned 30 last month and followed through on a goal to quit smoking the day after. It was tough at first then it got easy pretty quickly. There was a break from work included and I had a proper chance to enjoy the scorchio weather… such a crazy year we’ve had in Britain. We’ve actually had seasons instead of rain & rare openings of sunshine!
dav
About 4 weeks have gone by after that break and I’ve spent a lot of that time improving the webpage layouts. Everything has been changed… and I’m happy with the result! I added this as a milestone on my timeline as this is the point where I need to turn my attention to content. That content isn’t just tech blog posts though, it’s also;
#– Update/add more links & code to tech pages. #– Finish writing historical timeline posts. #– Update web stats posts. #– Future web blog posts.
Anyway… Blah Blah $Blah! That’s my recent ramble of things for the journal. Fix list as always below;
Fix List
Now, my fix list has changed a bit since last time…
To be fixed #– Get Disqus comment system in line with post widths. #– Pictures don’t open in a new tab when clicked on blog post loop thumbnail images. #– Change social media icons. #– Text hover-over bug on the Journal & Web Stats blog filmstrip featured images. #– Add labels (tags) to all old tech posts. #– Add subscription functionality, exploring options for full customisation. #– Go through older tech blog posts to check for formatting issues. A lot of WordPress changes have happened since they were published.
Fixed #– Add exclusion filter to Tech Blog navigation. #– Reduce Disqus width to fit within post width. #– Add post navigation to footers. #– Fix SiteOrigin plugin (Custom CSS site display after HTTPS change) #– Some links differ in hover colour, amend from green to red #– Convert to HTTPS. #– Fix Google MAP API issue, mobile devices get an error. #– Change highlighted text from green to red, or black, or to anything other than green. #– Explore new themes of images on posts. #– Remove self (all devices/networks) from Google Analytics. #– Switch to using Crayons for code display. I’m not feeling GitHub.
Another Tech Blog Update
Published – July 13, 2018
I’ve been sinking recent time into tech blog posts, trying to get into the swing of it. It takes time to write though… I find myself drafting up one new Word doc after another, scoping in on truly random snippets of my key areas. Those areas are mostly SQL Server, as it’s what I use daily, but eventually, I want to expand on other areas such as;
#- Windows Server #- WordPress #- Azure #- Windows Client OS’s (7/10 mostly) #- Microsoft Office #- SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) #- PowerShell #- Other (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Paint.NET & many other random tools)
I want to blog everything that I consider is note-worthy. Whether it’s a random error in Microsoft Word or a test of a SQL stored procedure, I want to have some info I can refer back to if I do it again.
Fix List
I fixed the hover-over colours within no time, as well as the SiteOrigin Custom CSS plugin issue. Both were fixed by Tuesday, however, I had less time to get stuff done on here as the week progressed.
This week, I have 3 tasks to add.
#- Stop the right-hand sidebar from scrolling down with the page. I’ll make the date of the post on the left side stick too. I have a feeling that would work better as the majority of my posts are not terribly long anyway… We’ll see though!
#- Add post navigation to footers. Ideally, it should navigate to the next and previous posts within the same category.
#- Reduce Disqus width to fit within post width. Currently, it’s as wide as the left-hand sidebar.
And here’s the full list…
Done #- Fix SiteOrigin plugin (Custom CSS site display after HTTPS change) #- Some links differ in hover colour, amend from green to red #- Convert to HTTPS. #- Fix Google MAP API issue, mobile devices get an error. #- Change highlighted text from green to red, or black, or to anything other than green. #- Explore new themes of images on posts. #- Remove self (all devices/networks) from Google Analytics. #- Switch to using Crayons for code display. I’m not feeling GitHub.
On-going #- Add exclusion filter to Tech Blog navigation.
Not Started #- Add subscription functionality, exploring options for full customisation. #- Go through older posts, amend formats and code displays.
One Quick Week Later
Published – July 7, 2018
It’s been a quick week… Am I right? It’s been quick eh? Quick one for you too? Oh really? That’s cool.
I was able to cross off most of the things I hoped to do since my last post. One thing on my mind has been the structure of my tech content. I want to be able to post up long-winded tutorials as well as a quick one-sentence resolution to a particular error message. Varied depths of content on the varied softwarezies I use. It may all appear a bit random at first, but in the end, I hope the vision is clear.
One of the problems for me is, that going in with the intention of posting something simple always leads to deeper dives. Even if I’m posting a quick fix, I want to make sure it covers the need-to-know info and that it’s accurate. Often I’m led onto further reading and tests, gaining extra bits of info for the post along the way. Beefing outposts which I didn’t picture doing in the first place!
Currently, I have many unfinished posts and zero scheduled posts for the future. I’ll drive the tech post count up soon and get a schedule going one day. No rush though, it’s sunny outside…
In the next week I hope to #– Publish 2 more Tech Blog posts. #– Tick off one more from the Fix List. #– Post again on Monday!
Fix List
Published – July 2, 2018
I’m glad to have ticked off converting to an HTTPS site. I must have spent 10x more time thinking about doing it than actually configuring it! Using the CPanel model, it literally took 2 minutes to perform the certificate change. A short wait after the certificate was valid on my home machine.
It has broken something though… My SiteOrigin Custom CSS window no longer displays pages.
If I change the URL to HTTPS, this error shows.
Ah well, another to add to the list eh. Also, new this week is a task to clean up older posts, particularly spacing and cleaning the old GitHub code displays.
Done #– Convert to HTTPS. #– Fix Google MAP API issue, mobile devices get an error. #– Change highlighted text from green to red, or black, or to anything other than green. #– Explore new themes of images on posts. #– Remove self (all devices/networks) from Google Analytics. #– Switch to using Crayons for code display. I’m not feeling GitHub.
On-going #– Add exclusion filter to Tech Blog navigation.
Not Started #– Add subscription functionality, exploring options for full customisation. #– Some links differ in hover colour, amend from green to red
New #– Fix SiteOrigin plugin (Custom CSS site display). #– Go through older posts, amend formats and code displays.
Remember Content Yo
Published – June 25, 2018
The title is a note to self, and FYI, I always add a yo at the end of all my self-notes. It’s the best way to grab myselfs attention!
Since my post last Monday, I’ve been focusing on role-based security, membership plugins, and private pages & danced the dance to make some pages look good. Learning by doing all the way, and whatever crazy idea comes to mind I immediately try to implement it.
The problem with the above is that I still feel like I’m improving the picture frame but there’s only a sketch inside. I need to get back with some SQL & lab stuff and get the tech blogs flowing. I think I’ve made good progress for the first 20, but now it’s time to get some consistency going.
In the next week, I hope to #– Publish 2 more Tech Blog posts. #– Update the Web Stats page. #– Tick off one more from the Fix List. #– Build on the Web Blog post template for next week.
–
Fix List
That’ll be the 3rd time I include a fix list to these web blog posts. It’s something I hope to expand on soon, posting fixes and quirks on the tech blog, as is the plan for any other software I touch. Hopefully, I can cross off one week.
Done #– Fix Google MAP API issue, mobile devices get an error. #– Change highlighted text from green to red, or black, or to anything other than green. #– Explore new themes of images on posts. #– Remove self (all devices/networks) from Google Analytics.
On-going #– Switch to using Crayons for code display. I’m not feeling GitHub.
Not Started #– Convert to HTTPS. #– Add exclusion filter to Tech Blog navigation. #– Add subscription functionality, exploring options for full customisation.
New #– Some links differ in hover colour, amend from green to red
Note; some of the above is subject to edits.
Big Updates
Published – June 18, 2018
I’ve blasted through several changes to the design since my last update. It’s looking much prettier (probably) however it’s always at the sacrifice of content. I’m readying myself for zoning in on content soon, although it is rather fun levelling up my WordPress skill tree.
I have a number of fixes that I’ll note down here. It’s always nice to check point where I’m at and better plan the changes ahead.
#– Convert to HTTPS. #– Fix Google MAP API issue, mobile devices get an error. #– Add exclusion filter to Tech Blog navigation. #– Change highlighted text from green to red, or black, or to anything other than green. #– Switch to using Crayons for code display. I’m not feeling GitHub. #– Add subscription functionality, exploring options for full customisation. #– Explore new themes of images on tech posts.
I’m sure there’s more. I’ll update you throughout this week!
Back From a Break
Published – June 13, 2018
I’ve been offline for 2 weeks, so nothing much has been done on here since my last post. I had a week off work to recharge, spend time with my daughter and do other things like… drink… paint the flat… drink… and even do some website work for my family. For a break to really kick in, no thoughts can be focused on work. So it’s been good breaking away from my blog stuff too.
It’s now time to get back on track. Having a break from whatever repetitive action in life is always a healthy thing to do. Because you’ll has burnout right?
There’s not really any traffic on here yet which I like. Nobody’s going to pick me up on things that are rubbish… Still, a long way to go!
Official Hello World!
Published – May 12, 2018
It’s been a while since my Hello World post, the moment http://peter-whyte.com changed from showing a banner ad of the domain name being for sale… to this!
I’m pretty happy with the progress I’ve made within the last month. Blog posts will improve over time as my templates get more solid. The challenge for me though is getting the overall layout of my website to look decent. I want to add a bunch of different stuff to my website while using as many WordPress features as possible.
I hope to try to keep to half my time on web design and the other half on content creation. No promises there though.
Some of my current website tasks include; #– Convert to HTTPS. #– Fix Google MAP API issue, mobile devices get an error. #– Remove self (all devices/networks) from Google Analytics. #– Add exclusion filter to Tech Blog navigation.
