I’m happy to report I’ve reached a milestone for preserving blog history: last month I finished republishing the last of my articles syndicated elsewhere. As a quick recap, since 2009 I’ve published articles on:

• App.net (Twitter alternative, discontinued)
• Disqus (via Thurrott.com)
• Facebook
• Google Blogger
• Google Maps
• Google+ (discontinued)
• MySpace
• Squarespace
• Twitter X
• Windows Live Spaces (discontinued)
• Wordpress (initially hosted by 1&1 Internet a.k.a. IONOS, then by HostGator)

Prior to blogging, I created & maintained web sites on a few platforms, most notably:

• Cox Communications (complimentary ISP hosting, discontinued)
• FreeWebs (discontinued)
• Yahoo! Geocities (discontinued)

The Internet has changed so much since my first attempts at web development in the late 1990’s. At the time, I used a (blazing fast!) 56k modem and analog, wired phone service to connect through a local dial-up Internet Service Provider. Before the Internet was available in my area (yes, I’m that old), I briefly explored a few local bulletin board systems, but I digress.

In some cases the changes in technology (e.g., mobile broadband Internet access) are a vast improvement; in other cases (e.g., social networks) not so much. In all cases, I have learned from my experiences with using (and creating content for) the Internet. In fact, I’m still learning as global communications technologies continue to evolve (for better or for worse).

Site changes and improvements

I’ve implemented some changes and improvements to my current blogging technology stack:

• added links to previous/next items at the bottom of articles
• added pagination (10 items/page) to the blog article index
• clarified/updated content on the ‘Profile’ page
• customized the ‘404 error’ page (attempted to add some humor)
• expanded the RSS feed to include entire articles instead of summaries
• modified the text styling for list items
• removed extraneous content

My work here is never truly finished. For now, I’m pleased with the current state of my blog and I’m considering adding more features as well as more historical and original content from my writing life. Until then, take care and I hope you find opportunities each day to make the most of your time.