Sometimes Newer is not Always Better #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop

      Earlier this year, I did something I had said I was going to do for a long time—see if anyone—absolutely anyone—among web hosts supported FrontPage.

      I can hear the tech folks out there right now, laughing their heads off. Still, I was serious. When my, then, current web host quit the FrontPage extensions some years back, they suggested I use FTP. I used one for a few years, even while the web host was pushing me to switch to Word Press. Finally, even the FTP (file transfer protocol) quit moving my update successfully. 

      Okay, I get it. Word Press is what a majority of business web sites are built with, but it’s not that easy to figure out. At least for me. I had earlier heard it was more difficult, and maybe that gave me a bit of a block. Who knows? However, I was told that if I wanted the friendly techs at the web hosting outfit to help me, or do it for me, it was just a low fee. (Now I am laughing!)

      I was also told there were a couple of easier web building platforms and my web host offered them for free. Great! I tried and they didn’t seem that much easier. Besides, the free was for a couple of pages. Seriously? Three pages? For a business?

     So I finally had the bright idea to see if anyone—anyone!—still supported FrontPage. And I found a couple. I picked the one that seemed to have the best reputation and switched my site over to them. The start-up was a bit bumpy at times, but not as bad as I thought it would be. Finally, I (we--their techs were very nice) got it up. Since then, I have realized just how easy it was to fix changes on my web site and load the pages up with FrontPage extensions.

      Don’t get me wrong. At the beginning of this millennium FrontPage was hard for me to pick up, but when I did, it was love! Now I have redone my author site using some “best practices” from one of those online author courses. What bells and whistles I couldn’t add with FrontPage, I built with another service and plunked them onto my pages as jpegs or gifs. And when I’m ready, I just tell my FP to publish the page, put in my password and Bam! It’s there!

      To be honest, I have used the original FrontPage 2000 for almost twenty years. I only recently searched and found a brand new FrontPage 2003 update and loaded it into my computer. It has some nice upgrades from the old dinosaur, but I haven’t diligently looked into them yet. I am just happy to have something that is easy, quick, and doesn’t take me away from the other things that go along with the business of writing—like writing.  

Where there is a will, there is a way. Check out my website and see what you think. 

www.bookscape.net

Ravings 


When I wrote an earlier blog, we were just in the beginnings of this 'new normal.' My cat and writing were keeping me sane. It's the beginning of June and, while there is some normalization, it's not like it used to be. It's not, "Oops, my chicken needs some oregano. I'd better run to Wal-Mart and grab some." My husband and I are part of that 'at risk' group who are supposed to be staying at home and letting someone younger do our shopping. While I do admit that ordering on line and doing curb pick-up is kind of handy at times, it doesn't beat cruising the aisles (for what you forgot to put on the list), at least for my husband. Before the pandemic, Wal-Mart was one of his exercise regimens. Two hours of walking. 

So now what? Most of the time I can talk him into earlier in the morning when it's less crowded, and maybe once a week instead of every day or every other day. (Hey, I like to shop like everyone else!) Or Sam's instead of Wal-Mart. It's not that he believes that his rights are being stomped on. He understands that this virus is deadly. He has his face mask ready as do I, but he can't stand the house after a week or so cooped up. (Gotten rather hot outside, too). On the other hand, even through we watch the scary news, there is still a small part of the brain that sees the virus as remote, off the scope of my internal radar and I'm sure it is the same for my husband. 

And then there are the protests. Again, small part of the brain sees the events on the TV remotely, but then I see what caused it and feel a mother's pain when I hear a dying man call his mama who had passed before him. I think about when I was growing up (without having to be afraid of such a thing happening to anyone in my family) and seeing protests. I am almost seventy now and it's sad to think that not much has changed in 60 or more years. 

I don't want anyone feeling sad or angry with this note, but please just think! Think about those who do feel fear when they leave their house. And think about how we can treat those around us-everyone!-with more compassion. More like we have been taught to treat others. Please understand, looting and breaking others property is totally wrong. Feeling frustration for a system that doesn't treat everyone fairly is totally right. Wanting to fix it is even more right, but I believe that it comes more from the heart than from laws. Laws help, but let's work on the heart at the same time.

Sorry, I had to speak a bit of my piece--publicly.