Fixed Impressions now moves fully into the fall season. I actually could see some of fall today as the two weeks of cotton-wool weather subsided. It actually looks like fall now, with some color showing in the trees.
Anyway, to the first thought: Some of the changes you’ve seen in style in the blog will continue apace. I’ve been, well ok, way off topic here. I just wanted to focus on some non techie-fixed stuff for a bit. But, the focus will shift back to the point. Fixed works.
Also, as I have mentioned previously, I registered the domain name www.fixedimpressions.com. I did this so that I can have complete control over content, and because neither Blogger nor .Mac support any dynamic server-side web services. Up to now that hasn’t been an issue. But my ability and interest has grown. Complemented by growth in traffic on the site and my vocational ambitions as web designer/developer, I’m going to take it up a couple of levels. Without getting into too much techie detail, let’s just say I’m getting my DHTML and server-side AMP act together. Mind you, I’m no pro. But I think you’ll like the new stuff.
I’ll be moving the static images and other fixed content off of Blogger first. Then, I’ll create my own server-side blogger app. Blogger has been great and makes learning to do it yourself much easier by giving you a good starting point. One of my only complaints is that html forms for writing are not cool. I suppose some people like it because the form has image, link and other tagging shortcuts. Having lost two posts due to my stupidly closing “all” tabs in Firefox, or because Blogger crapped out, I use an editor and cut and paste. Highly inelegant. I believe that you can email your posts in too, but I so depend on blogger preview to “alter my consciousness” that the email thing just doesn’t sound too appealing either.
After exhausting a bunch of energy figuring out how to host my site myself, I decided to look for a commercial host. I’ve been handicapped as most cable internet users are, by our ISP/Cable provider shutting down all common ports. I’m about to move, and haven’t really checked with my new housemates too much about their set-up. Though its possible to get a routable fixed IP address and Synchronous DSL with very good upstream bandwidth, there are issues of cost and security with that solution that are out of scale for my hosting plans.
For now that is.
OK.
G.