The weekend weblog transition

Another in a series of thinking-out-loud posts about what is required to move from my old weblog host (using UserLand Manila) to a new one.

I'm no longer posting on the Manila site, I'm posting here, using Movable Type on TypePad. My Manila arrangement had a dynamic server that created static pages. There are two parts to this transition. One is simply transferring the static pages I've got a new hosting home and when I'm ready, I'll sign into my Domain Hosting place and point to the new domain. www.2020hindisight.org/somepage.html will be the same at the new place as it was at the old.

So what all do I need to do in order to make sure I'm ready?

This section of this post will be changed and updated as new tasks appear, and as other tasks are completed.

Tweaking static html pages themselves. This involves one last re-do of site design in Manila in order to do one last site render of static pages into their New Site Format.

1. Convert the included style sheet (which goes in the header of every page -gah!) to an external style sheet and lose the header styles. Oughtta make pages slenderer, more flexible!


2. Omit the Manila specifics from site navigation. Things up for consideration:




• Membership: Join/Login


• Mars links post; it's a Manila include, investigate another style include.


• RSS/XML Syndication link: Omit for now. What will my new link be?






3. Create a custom 404 page. I figure my visitors will see that a lot while I'm getting up to speed.
   

Well, after I've done this, any changes will happen in BBEdit using search and destroy. Plus, the idea is to be able to edit the dynamic posts and then post them as static again. That will be a tough little nut to crack.

1. Directory structure.
2. learn to do htaccess to redirect things. I view this with fear and loathing. Let's hope I'm wrong.
3. Don't know yet what to do about the subdomain discuss (dynamic site) vs. plain ol' www
4. RSS link. Right now comes out of discuss.2020hindsight.org. Figure out how to redirect it.

Oh, and figure out which software to use. I'm leaning toward Word Press. It's PHP/MySQL and open source and, like girls wearing lipstick in 6th grade, Mom, Everyone's doing it!

Comments

[Donald Larson]

Hi Susan,

Happy 4th of July!

I think you're doing a good job on the weblog transition.

Please consider offering the RSS feeds too. :-)

Don