Adventures in freakdom.
Robyn and I are in the process of consolidating our sites into one location, a virtual Linux server. Why? Because I know someone who owns a hosting company, and we were able to get this server –
And by virtual server I mean just that: it looks like a complete little Linux machine to me, but it’s really just a section of a much bigger and more powerful machine. Pretty cool stuff, all in all, because now I control everything about the server, so I can start and stop the web server on my own if I need to, or even “reboot” the machine, without having to call tech support. It’s like having our own machine for hosting.
– with over 10x the space, 10x the bandwidth, and full server capabilities, for about half what we pay at the other place.
That’s fucking cool.
In any case, that’s why the URL you got in your notify email looked weird. I haven’t moved the domain yet, so I have to refer to this site by its IP address until the DNS is configured and moved. This is a short entry because I’m still trying to get everything moved and configured. You may notice the site looks completely different. That’s because I’m using WordPress to power it, instead of writing my own PHP and HTML like I did on the original site. Please also note that I’ve gotten all my old entries and comments moved over here–
And please give me some props for that, because I’m insanely proud of the fact that I did it. Being a geek has its perks sometimes. To convert the old entries, I wrote several scripts and little programs to walk the old file structure and parse each entry to pull out the text and formatting, then spit out one big file that looks like it was exported from MovableType (WordPress can import MovableType entries). I then just imported that file into the new site.
Getting the comments was much harder, but also much cooler. HaloScan can export comments, 1000 at a time, into XML files. I wrote a big C program today to first extract all the comment information (entry name, timestamp, poster name, ip address, email address, web site, comment text) then to match the entry name pulled to the corresponding entry in the WordPress database. Finally, and this is the really cool part, this C program output a SQL script (SQL is a database language) which I fed right into mySQL (the database engine) to populate all the comments.
Shit like that rocks my world.
–so you can look around at them in lieu of reading one of my normal exciting entries.
If you’re reading this, you got notified via the mailing list, which I moved off the old site over to this one. Please leave me a comment below to let me know the list is working right. Take a look around, and let me know in the comments if anything’s broken. If you’d rather let me know via email, use fred.anders*n[at]gmail.com, where * is the letter ‘o’. Note: everything isn’t moved yet, notably the links blog. Please try to use the forums (which I also successfully moved, users and all, for my name is SuperGeek) and make sure they work (all I did was move them, I didn’t test them).
There are several things that make this site better than the other. First, you can register if you want to, so when you leave comments your info’s already filled in. Plus, I think once you register a name no one else can use it (but I haven’t tried, so I don’t know for sure). Second, I’ve installed a plugin that allows you to subscribe to the comments for a particular entry, so if you want, you can get notified whenever someone posts a comment on that entry. I don’t think you have to be registered to do that, but you do have to put in a valid email address. Third, my entries are categorized–
Mostly. I imported them all into one big “imported entries” category, and I’m going through them one at a time and figuring out where to put them. If you look at the “imported entries” category, you’re liable to find broken links. I fix those as I look at the entries, so there’s no need to let me know about them. Just let me know if something’s broken in one of the other categories, please.
–so now if you’re looking for something in particular, like a funny entry, you can look via category. Fourth, there’s a search function, so if you want to find out all the times I mentioned my penis in an entry, now you can. Fifth, it just looks better.
Note: The notify email you got may have said it was from an unknown sender. I’m still trying to figure that out, but I suspect it’s due to the fact that I haven’t actually moved the domain yet. Please also note that I will never sell or give your email address to anyone. I’m a privacy-respecting-motherfucker.
I’m having a lot of fun playing around with it, and I hope to add cool stuff as I find it. Enjoy your look around, and when it’s all up and going well, I’ll grace you with some pictures of the inside of my shoulder if you’re nice.
If you want to get notified whenever Fred writes a journal entry, this link will do the trick.
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Jul | Sep » | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
Looks good. My email said it was from Vituperation…went to my regular mailbox & not my Spam box.
So, um. Yeah.
Things look great Fred! There are a few things though - they may be browser specific i’m not sure.
I’m using IE 6.0. The site loads fine until the right most toolbar where the categories, search,
and calander are. The sections are overlapping text and eachother and they change when I mouse over
them. Also, the comment box I am writing in grew an enoumous amount when I clicked in it to comment.
It has grown way past the right hand border of my moniter with no side scrolls so I have to hit enter
(like I just did there) so I can see what I’m typing.
I can email you some screen shots if you don’t know what i’m talking about. heh.
Looks good though!!
Looks good Fred! You truly are a geek! Lucky Robyn. Hee.
Good luck with the new techno stuff.
Major props to you!!! I have a Wordpress blog and I can’t even IMAGINE
moving all the archives from another journal into it, never mind the
comments!! Wowza. Speaking of comments, this comments box is going way
off my screen and I couldn’t read what I was typing over to the right
(couldn’t scroll over) so I am hitting the return button myself. Not
sure if that is the case for everyone or is something you can fix, but
figured I’d point it out. I look forward to poking around here!
Keep having fun.
Everything looks good to me and I got notified with no problem. Though I’m noticing as I’m typing this comment that the comment box keeps expanding to the right to accomodate my comments, and now I can’t see what I’m typing anymore because the comment box goes off my screen even though I maximized my window. But, other than that, everything looks cool. Also, you’re cooll Geeks are so 1337!
I also wanted to mention that I clicked the “send me an email to receive replys” button at the bottom
of the page and now all of the comments on this entry are being sent to my hotmail!! ahh! I though it would be if
YOU replied to me. heh.
Hopefully I don’t get you blacklisted or something.
Ah, the joys of Internet Explorer.
If it’s any consolation, it looks perfect in a W3-compliant browser (ie, Firefox). I’m having the same problems in IE, so I may be able to fix them. Thanks for letting me know.
I just unsubscribed myself. Nevermind. OY technology!
Looks great, Fred. Notify worked just fine, as well!
looks good..
Looks good. I’m getting the expanding comment box as well, but I see there have already been other comments about that. I put a test post on the forum, and that worked fine. Great job!
Oh yeah, maybe I should say I’m using Firefox and it still looks good to me. Easy to read, 3 columns across, no expanding comment box. Registered & name was automatically entered, like you promised. Heading over to the forum now…
Have fun!
Notify worked for me too, although there was a weird little line in it (Content-Type: text/plain; charset=”UTF-8″) that didn’t seem to hurt anything.
You did great Fred. Everything seems good here.
Mad props, O Super Geek. Got notified just fine!
Well this is good! I have subscribed and unsubscribed from your notify list many times in the last few months with no avail to get back on your notify list. Now today I get a notify, wahoo!
Looks great Fred!
Fred “SuperGeek” Anders*n, you rock!! Hope your shoulder is much better.
Notify came thru great (no name in the header, tho) and the site looks great
(I use Advant), however, when I entered my first keystroke into the comment box,
it expanded by twice the size and it didn’t word-wrap.
Your SuperGeek status is awesome. Writing C as something fun. I can’t even fathom.
Oh it’s beyooooteeful!
My scam blocker is giving your site a BRIGHT-RED thumb’s down though.
I got two emails from you,so that’s working.
Cheers,D.
Hey Fred…looks awesome! As for the notification, the first one went to my spam folder the second was fine and went to my inbox. I really like the layout and look of the whole thing. Hope you’re feeling better.
UnknownSender@UnknownDomain that’s what the address said but I knew
it was from you because it had the info below.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=”UTF-8″
From: Vituperation
Reply-To: notify@vituperation.com
Glad your feeling well enough to work on the new site and server.
A long time Reader that misses your posting in your journal.
Mary
Fred,
I received both of the notify emails - so I guess it’s working, one way or another. The new site looks real nice (viewed in Firefox on a Mac). Congrats on what appears to be a successful move!
FanFuckingTastic!
Looks good!
Hey Fred,
So glad to still be on your notify list. I’ll follow you to whatever site!
Wow. Nice site. I got the notify email - no problem.
Notify working just fine.
Great stuff, Fred. I love the new look!
No problem with getting notification either, it came through as Vituperation rather than notify at vituperation.com
Looks excellent! Notify came in just fine, too.
Looks awesome! I’m a total geek too, so reading entries like this one rocks my world…
Got the notification with no problem.
Got the notification, no problem!
Everything worked here too. It looks good Fred.
Other than the fact that I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about (and couldn’t possibly care less about geeky stuff), I guess things are OK. Apparently you did good! Good for you!
I done been notified. Geek props to you.
Looks great, and you’ve already fixed the comments issues in IE? You’re so efficient.
)
Christy, I think I’ve fixed both of the IE issues. The comment box tends to re-size a tad when you start typing, but I can live with that. I still wish Microsoft would get their act together on being compliant with standards.
Oh, and the “crazy links” blog is up now, and working.
Note: there is a separate email subscription for the links blog, because I figured people wouldn’t want to be flooded by those posts unless they specifically asked to be.
Huh, weird. I didn’t get the unknown sender thing, it said it came from your notify address:
Subject: Vituperation: Movin’ on up
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=”UTF-8″
From: Vituperation
Reply-To: ******@vituperation.com
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.2 (2004-11-16)
X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.0 required=5.0 tests=none autolearn=ham version=3.0.2
Got my notify just fine Fred. I am in awe of you..everything looks great!! If I didn’t love my hubby so much..I’d run right out and get me a geek too
Notify came in fine - looks good!
Notify came through for me just fine too. The site looks great Fred!
This is the first email I have received from your notify list. I signed up about a year ago and have never been notified of an update. I have your site marked in my favs and just check it every now and then. I’m glad you got things up and running over here!
I received both notifies. The site looks great!
Got my notification just fine, although it said it was from an unknown sender. But the next one said it was from you.