Sunday, January 6, 2013

Updating the website

I have a couple of different websites.    If you look at my sidebar, you'll see them.  They're fun - go take a look around. 

Confession:   I do all my own web design.   I know enough programming code to be really dangerous.   I learn how to do cool stuff, do it, then promptly forget that last little trick that made it all work.    Which makes updating the websites a little tricky sometimes. 

So I let typos and broken links sort of linger on the website for way too long.  

Especially when we've updated the program I use to do it all in.   A few months ago I put the newest version of Dreamweaver on the computer.  [Real programmers are now rolling their eyes that I even say the name of that program, much less depend on it.   What can I say?   I'm a dilettante. ]  Unfortunately, when I got on to start the edits, it didn't recognize all the files I used in the last version of Dreamweaver.

So I had kind of a heart attack.   Between the bouts of hyperventilating, I'm pretty sure I said some bad words, too. 

Then, I squared my shoulders, poured some more tea and went at it one problem at a time.   
  • I found the files.   
  • Figured out how to put them in the new program.
  • Figured out how to connect to the site's host server.
  • Actually connected to the server.  [Extra points for that one!]
  • Remembered how to insert and resize photos.  [Huge!]
  • Remembered how to make a link open in a new tab. [Huge!]
  • Made the changes.
  • Saved the changes.
  • Got the changes to the site on the server so that you can see the changes. [More extra points!]
  • Figured out how to find the template to change the copyright date.
  • Changed the template.
  • Got stuck figuring out how to get the template changes on the individual pages.
  • Swore a lot during this section.
  • Figured it out.  
  • Did it.
  • Double checked every page online.
I did it all myself with no online chat help.    This is huge.   Usually I get to be great friends with the live help folks.    I love them.   Especially early in the morning here because my live help is two time zones to the west so it's totally the middle of the night there and I get a lot of reasonably undivided attention.    But I didn't need them this time.    [*sniff*.  Their little programmer is all grown up.]

It took me two days to get it all done.  I had to keep going back to add all the stuff I kept forgetting.

So,  if you've been irritated by that broken link on the left sidebar of the textile gallery page of my website, then it's fixed.   Also, the calendar is updated.   Also, there are new pics of some of my new work and products.   Here's the site so you can see for yourself.    www.robinjedmundson.com

If you find any other problems, let me know.   Soon, while it's all still fresh in my head.     


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