Recently in Tech Stuff Category

So I finally broke down and did it...this post is the first one I've made (and made on this site unless someone beat me to it in the last 5 minutes I was junking comments) in the brand spanking new MT 3.34
testing smilies
So far I'm liking the plugins in this thing...very nice!

When it rains, it pours...
for the last 2 weeks this has be oh so very true!!

first off...work stuff...
as I think everyone knows, I work in payroll for a franchise restaurant (not saying the name for obvious reasons here!)
I LOVE MY JOB...don't get me wrong, but damn, as everyone is aware, it's tax time, and even though we don't print the W-2's at our location, we are responsible for getting them out, updating addresses, etc...
if you have had a job in the last year, have left said job, and moved...for goddess sake, don't call bitching at me if you didn't put in a forwarding address, or called earlier to update it with us, and you haven't received your W-2 yet!! :let_it_all_out
it's not MY fault you're incompetent, and personally, I don't really care anymore just how badly you need it, if you needed it that bad, you should have taken 5 minutes to call a toll free number and update your damn address :uhoh3

on what is fast becoming my 'other' job (so it seems people think it is) my bedroom is starting to look like a computer repair shop :hammer
one of which I did have fixed, running great, and the person it belonged to got into a fight with her brother and he threw the damn thing :throwcomp yes, I could kill him...especially since he ruined a perfectly good 20 gig WD hard drive
:jaw
then there is my wife's computer...yes, she finally has her own computer...and one day I might even get it set up (not to mention ME removed from it :scared )
lastly...there is this self proclaimed 'computer genius' we know...who can't get his running, so he brings it to me :rofl I think you can all see where I'm going with this...

and then...3 new domains that I'm hosting :scatter and trying to find the time to set up...
send in the troops if you don't hear from me in 6 months :errrr

**warning, geek speak ahead, feel free to leave an opinion or if you know of something I haven't looked at (or comments on what I have)**

I've been on a mission lately...
My mission is, I've been wanting to get away from MT for some time now...I think it's outrageous the prices they want to charge to continue to have a multi-user/multi-blog setup.
Don't get me wrong, if they had started out that way, I wouldn't have an issue with it...even when it was a free version I still made a donation because I thought it was a worthwhile project, and I wanted to support it, but they've gotten a tad big for their britches IMHO.
So I've been looking around at other options...who knew how many there were out there!! My main problem is finding one that has the features I want, at a free and/or cheap price tag.
I also, have my users to consider...the ones who, without them...well, redeaglespirit.com wouldn't be what it is today...I'd like to have something that will give them a bit more flexibility if they want it, but still be easy enough for the ones that just want a place to write their thoughts to be able to do that, without a lot of complications.

a short (kinda) list of what I would like to be able to give them

1. the option for 'skins' without me having to hack multiple files.
2. the option to choose their own look, I could have several templates set up and they could pick the one they would like to use, (but still have the option of using a custom one)
3. creating pages...for the ones who want more than 'just a blog', much like WordPress's page feature.
4. plugin manageability. or say Jet wants to be able to show her mood on her blog, yet Buffy doesn't...Buffy would have the ability to leave that plugin off while Jet could enable it on hers if she so desired.
5. ease of use. I cannot stress this one enough. I host a lot of blogs on here (19 20 to be exact, (yes, I set up another one this morning) no, you don't know where all of them are! :lol ) and some of them are for...shall we say...'technically challenged' people (my wife is one of them, so no offense intended there!) I need something that they will be able to use with ease...or they won't use it (and the blogging community would lose some great writers IMHO)
6. CMS, to understand what I want with this, take a look at the home page. I want something that will allow me to do this, without interfering with the rest of the operation! (and preferably without having to hack it to death like I did that page)
7. not required, but I would like to have people be able to 'hide' posts...password protect or registered users only...something like that...so they don't have to worry if someone (ie: family member you're bashing, your boss, etc...) stumbles upon your blog...or worse yet, just stop posting because you're afraid of who's reading it!

After a break (no, not my computer) I'm starting to get this WPMU figured out a bit more.
I discovered that the module I was trying to install had nothing to do with anything I had done, but some server settings that are not set in a way that would allow it to run...so it will be a "can live without that" thing
I'm slowly but surely getting things the way I want to on there...I found a plug-in (well, not really a plug-in) that will display my reads the way I want it to on the page (if you're completely confused, look at the sidebar to your right, that's done with MT RSS plug-in, instead of blogrolling)
so once I get all the toys taken care of...I can start on themes...then, (if I understand it correctly) users will be able to sign up for their own blogs, pick and choose what they would like to have on them (as far as plug-ins and templates) and be ready to go!
if I don't understand it correctly...well, it's still a good platform, with much better spam control features...plus you don't have to hack multiple files anytime you want to add something to the platform!

I think I need a break...:bullet
no, not from 'home' life, since that's as wonderful as can be...

I've been working today on setting up
WPMU, all seemed to be going well...after reinstalling it about 10 times, it was finally doing what I wanted it to do...
until I got lazy...
as you can see...I host a lot of blogs here, those on the sidebar don't even begin to list all of the ones there are here (since I haven't cleaned it up in a while)

one of the things I like about MT is that I can edit the files in the browser, if I want to change a template or stylesheet I don't have to open up FTP or Cpanel and edit them, I just log in, make my changes, and viola!
I thought I had found a plugin that would let me do this same thing...I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong...but I keep getting an error message once I activate it (everything else seems to be working correctly) :hammer
let me once again state how much I really DON'T like php :uhoh3

Why am I doing this, you might ask, since I have this platform hacked to the point that it does pretty much what I want it to?
I'm asking myself that same question...
I don't know if it's the challenge, the fact that this version of MT is no longer supported, the comment spam we get on a regular basis if I don't keep on top of it (since I deleted all ability to trackback any and all posts here, we don't have to worry about that anymore) or what exactly is making me so obsessed over getting this to work...
And when (yes, when) I do get it to work...thats still no guarantee that I'm even going to want to use it! :shakehead

yea...I'm definitally a geek

for those that noticed I was missing...
yes, I have returned...and boy do I have a funny story to tell...
okay, well, it's honestly not that funny to me right now, but I'm sure it's one of those that in time will be (I hope)
it all started a few months ago, my computer started rebooting at random times, not all that often at first, then started it more and more.
before we moved, it was doing it a little more frequently
after we moved, it was doing it VERY frequently :pummel
I'd replaced the CD-Rom, hard drive, processor, memory, power supply, and finally the motherboard...which just came in earlier this week...was still doing it
before the motherboard got replaced, it started giving me a stop error/blue screen, which basically said the boot sector of the drive was corrupt :scared (most likely attributed to all the random restarting)
get the new motherboard, put it in...nadda, nothing, zip, zilch
:wtf could it be??
so I pull out the books...yes, the 4 in. thick ones that I got from the A+ course I took...and started reading...
I came across a part that said to do a memory test when hooking up a new motherboard...basicly only putting in the memory, CPU and fan, and video card if the MB doesn't have it on-board (mine doesn't) and ONLY hooking up the Power SW wire from the case...then turning it on to see if you can get to the BIOS, etc...
so I gave it a shot, figured what the heck have I got to lose at this point?
powered up just fine...where before I had just gotten a blank screen...:hum
So I start wondering about the wires on the case...which one of those would cause it to keep doing this...
the Reset SW ones of course!!
so now I have enough spare parts (except for the case and power supply) to build another computer...since there was apparently nothing wrong with the old ones...:uhoh3:let_it_all_out
I swear, this was testing my whole theory that nothing could go wrong with a computer I couldn't fix :angry

In other, better news, now that I've gotten my computer fixed, I've managed to get everyone else that lives here networked where we can all use our own computers :biggrin

well, it looks like I was finally able to get password protected entries on here! :banana
for my hosties, if you would like this feature on your blogs, leave me a comment...and for everyone, if you see anything wonky, please let me know!!

If anyone pays attention to the sidebar, you'll notice I've added another to the Redeagle continuum...please all give welcome to YoureFavFemme of "I know you are, but what am I?"
She's a bit 'in your face' for some of you, I'm sure :wink, married, with 2 kids...and she's a lesbian
not sure exactly what her site is going to be about, but it should make for interesting reading to be sure!!

I've been looking into changing over to wordpress...but I have a question I can't seem to find an answer for
does anyone know if it will allow mutiple blogs? I have a 'few' :biglaugha on this site that I host, and I need to know these things! :rofl
so if someone can answer my question, or point me in the right direction, I would be eternally grateful!!

yep folks, we've assimilated another one...:rofl
Please go welcome Kat to the Redeagle continuum...this is a friend of mine and the roomies from a site we frequent and also in 3D land :smile

so go wish her a welcome to blogging like only my readers can!