I have not been a very good blogger of late. Oh, I am still good (as much as can be) but my BLOGGING has lagged.
A recent thread on Facebook made me wonder why that is (thanks Jayne Sexton Trapnell). And I think part of the reason is that I have been distracted (preoccupied?) with learning new tricks.
Here's part of the story. I am the webmaster/ mistress/ meister for my church's website. When I first took over the website, maybe 10 years ago, everything I needed to know about creating and maintaining a website I self-taught. A few years ago, I had to change the software I was using to do the website--and so I learned yet another software program.
It is time, I think, for yet another change. This resolve came about when I sat in a recent meeting and learned about WordPress. Now, some of the fellow bloggers I read use WordPress, but I do not. What I learned about excited me, though, because it might make maintaining the website easier AND allow me to share the task with other people.
See, I am in the 65+ age bracket. (Don't you just love it when you are asked to check which age bracket you are in when you get all the way to the eldest category possible and you see "65+"?) Anyway. From time to time I wonder...why am I doing this? Shouldn't some much younger whipper-snapper (see, that proves I am in the 65+ bracket) do this?
In a related vein, last summer I was persuaded to take the plunge and buy an Apple computer. I had previously gotten an I-pad, then next I caved and got an I-phone--so the jump to a MacBook seemed like a continuation of technology. And it is. I should hasten to add, I am still learning. And will be for a long long time (maybe not so long for those of us in the 65+ group).
So what, you might ask. Well, because I maintain the aforesaid website, and because the software to do that is PC specific, I have to keep using my PC as I learn my MacBook. Let me tell you, it can be a bit schizophrenic. Do I scroll up or down to make the page move? Do I use the delete key to erase the characters on the left side or the right side of where the cursor is? How can my cursor on the Mac disappear suddenly--that never happened on the PC. Why does the track pad on the Mac work so much more responsively than on the PC? Why does the PC take FOREVER to run the virus scan, and the Mac seemingly blinks and it's done?
As I contemplate switching the website to a WordPress site, I know that I will have to learn new tricks.
Any sympathy yet? I acknowledge--I am an old dog. And I am learning new trick. Care to toss me a bone?
10 comments:
Wow, Donna, I applaud you! I can't imagine taking something like that on and teaching myself all I needed to know, and I've not reached "that" bracket just yet. Definitely pat yourself on the back and toot your own horn, girlfriend! We switched to Mac probably close to 15 years ago, and I can't imagine going back. It's one of those "you get what you pay for" adages really. Performance and stability out the wazoo. I actually even migrated my blog to Wordpress several years back, so it's out there on both Blogger and Wordpress. Navigating Wordpress seems a bit more confusing to me after being on Blogger for so long, but those in the know say it's so much better. Time will tell. It's good to see a post from you. I hope we can revive our little circle of friends. xo
About 10 years ago, I was somewhat proficient with web sites. That knowledge is now gone.
Way to go, Donna!!!
Since I retired, I no longer have to switch back and forth between a Mac and PC because we have all Apple products at home (iPhone, iPad, and iMac). Yay! My blog is Wordpress, the new Historical Society website which I manage is Wordpress-based, and I haven't found it too much of a slog to figure out (after all, I too am in the 65+ category). After having managed three websites (on two different platforms) at one point in the latter years of my work life, I am happy to be down to one platform. And I like to think that keeping up with technology like this is one way of forestalling dementia!
From this old dog: I get it. I'm impressed with your even thinking about changing over. During my years in Blogger, I didn't even attempt to change my template. Is that the word? Template? ;)
Thanks all for the encouragement.
Harriet--OK you have outdone me. THREE website? I guess I shouldn't complain about one.
Mary--nice to hear from you--I do miss your blog.
Jayne, AC, and Beth--thank you for the applause.
You won't get any sympathy from me ... I've got almost 20 years on you and am way behind on everything but the blogging. Lucky for me it seems to be enough.
PS: I've missed your input ...thanks for coming back !
All that PC to Mac and back ought to keep you young!
;-)
I love Apple products, but use PCs at work, so share your constant confusion about why some things just wont work like I expect. Keeps me sharp, maybe.
I switched to Wordpress almost two years ago, attracted by all the bells and whistles it offers. Blogger hasn't updated anything in years and years!?! But I find that I miss Blogger and my blog there which just feels like "home" - it may not be as pretty, but the bells and whistles are just distracting me from what should be the point... writing! I have so few posts on the Wordpress site, I may just copy and paste them into the old blog and delete it!
If you do think of switching, it's easy enough to learn, I think. I didn't opt for the free version, which complicated things a bit, but I'm sure you're tech-savy enough to figure it out!
I so wished I had taken the offered training when we bought our mac priducts...but, like you, figured things out over time by hit or miss...good for our aging brains!
Here's your bone. Kudos to you, especially for maintaining the Websit for the church. But as long as you are learning new tricks you are definitely not an old dog. I researched MacBooks last year and decided to buy one. The delay has been my indecision as to what I want Apple to transfer from my laptop. I'm beginning to think I should simply have the iTunes transferred and slowly do the others on my own with a flash drive. Or perhaps put all the date on a portable drive just in case my old laptop crashes.
Our local community college offers lessons on using the MacBook and I will probably take those rather than make the tedious drive to the nearest Apple Store.
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