So an entry of (another?) gripe about how WordPress works. Its a bit alien to me, its a bit troublesome to me, but I wanted to replace my WIP site with a site that’s got a CMS system, since its easier to update and everywhere else is going CMS. Plus for mobile use, its rather flexible.
So I came up with a few ideas and the original one was to use a single WordPress site, then I messed with template, then I struggled to deal with templates. I used Joomla! before and that was OK – until I had no access to my site and thought I’ll start from scratch. It was all over blue, so the new idea is to have blue bands top and left.
Kind of like my first example:
Still online, but may not be for much longer, although I don’t know for how much longer as it comes to the big problem of time. Splitting my time up dealing with IT issues at home, developing, gaming (I don’t do much of that these days), work, travelling and being a carer. This is is why I started rebuilding the site it as the original site which ironically is on its own folder I guess you could call it, looks like this:
Also, it was made with NetObjects Fusion and I can’t open the original file in the latest version, so I can no longer update it. Great! Its one of these WYSIWYG and if I am totally honest, like back in the day, I could of done the whole site from scratch with just HTML coding and a little Javascript here and there – its not hard if I am brutally honest.
So, I tried many plugins (I love WP plugins!), many ways and if I am honest, I am not sold on the “Blocks” idea as I am looking at freeform – as in the page is a drawing board. But many items of software to develop the site and the templates and I got to a point where I was going to use my static webpage as a site. However, I also wanted to split off my WIP entries and my personal entries for a good reason, firstly I keep getting HTTP 500 error on this site, the second is to make it easier to find. So I opened another WordPress blog for that purpose.
I was going to amalgamate both into one site with folders that are addressed from a static webpage. It looked like a good idea until you realise that it doesn’t look right (the tool is my dads suggestion by the way):
(Through a remote connection)
The trouble with the blogs is that the separate page, you would have to scroll down horizontal pages – from a user perspective, this is not good. Its awful in fact! It would certainty not look very professional, but does my site do anyway? Then there is the issue of accessibility, this is going to be a bigger concern going forward. Unless I create static pages for every single condition, its not going to work, so hopefully, WordPress has a plugin for that. Normally, I use really small text size which a lot of people can’t read, its just what my eyes are used to, then someone goes “I can’t see it, its too small”.
The argument shouldn’t be “Well change your monitor settings”, it should be “how do I make the site work for them?” A temporary increase in text in the site, would work, along with being able to accommodate those who are colour blind.
Then came the next idea after messing around on my WIP site, still a lot to do and I’m working an hour at a time figuring things out.
Ok, its a little more advanced than that, but this version has different plug-ins installed which this blog doesn’t have. Why couldn’t I have access to them earlier?
Anyway, theres a LOT of work to do, considering I’m spending less than an hour a day on it, mostly as I write this, the train to London and back (hence why one is over an RDP connection). There also will be a HTML site and that will be my CV, I’m working out how to produce a HTML version and link it to my LinkedIn profile for future employers – which I don’t think it will be that popular. Also on that site, the email form (surprise surprise) doesn’t work yet and I am looking into why
I’d love to hear what everyone thinks and if you can add a comment, please do. Is it too blue? I might also try and add a button for dark mode as I don’t like black on white, but white on black instead.