A Week With a View: Summertime

Hoping this will chase the gray skies of Boston away.  We’re ready for summertime!

Plus this photo is just so colorful and happy, no?

A small trick to save you time when moving your Wordpress blog (and backup advice!)

Sometimes your hosting just doesn’t live up to your needs and/or expectations.  I’ve experienced downtime and the accidental deletion of my database tables myself.

Eventually if the host is really bad, you reach the point where enough is enough. Maybe because of GoDaddy’s Super Bowl ads or the Network Solutions deal to switch was too sweet to pass up after the controversy.  Either way, you’re ready to make the move, but reading the Wordpress instructions makes you want to hide under the covers.  Here’s some hints that’ll make it easier. (Note: This assumes that you have purchased hosting with the new company you want to move to.)

So what’s my trick?

Ask your new web host company to move your database tables for you. We are not all geeks, sometimes we need help.  You are a new customer and most companies love helping you get set up as a thanks for purchasing their service. Sure you can figure out how to do it on your own, but having the hosting company do it for you saves you time and maybe (probably) frustration.

Install  the WP DB Backup plugin and use it religiously. After you install the plugin, go to Tools -> Backup.  After backing up, make sure to schedule additional backups on a daily or weekly basis.  If your database gets deleted, you’ll always have a updated copy.  See below on the backup steps.

Backup your blog. In detail, you need to export your Wordpress blog by going to your Dashboard -> Tools -> Export.  I was going to make screenshots, but Chris Penn already has “How to Backup Your Wordpress Blog in 60 seconds”.

Backup the actual Wordpress files. Load up your favorite FTP program and download the blog or Wordpress folder/files.  Whatever subdirectory your blog sets on, back it up.  Put these in a clearly labeled website backup folder (ex. chelpixie wordpress backup).

If this is too confusing using a FTP program like CyberDuck, then you can also do this from your hosting Control Panel, but it’s a lot easier using the FTP program.  If you need help on how to setup an FTP program, search your hosting help files.  Most hosting companies put together a tutorial on how to set them up.

These steps will help make the move go easier.  If you need your files, you’ll already have copies ready to go. Having backups in case you need them in the future, almost thought free.

Do you have any tips to make Wordpress moves or backing up easier?  Leave them in the comments!

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Ready to get untangled?

Want to take social media to the next level for your business?  Scratching your head over Twitter?

What do you need?  When you think about tasks you can delegate, what comes to mind?

What do I do?  I consult on social media and do a mean web dev and Wordpress theme customization.  That’s not all though. I also help people save time, energy and money by taking on tasks that tie them up.  Need to get untangled?

More Friday Link Love with Strawberries

I’ve had very little time to write this week.  Oops.  And here we are back to Friday again. How *does* that happen?

It’s also been another week full of great blog posts or announcements I want to spread around a little.

– First off, Matthew Ebel is looking for a band, singing live on Ustream every Tuesday night at 6 PM EST and oh, selling pieces of himself off.

– Congratulations to the Student Loan Network and Chris Penn, who recorded his 900th podcast on Financial Aid Podcast today!  (Update: Chris is traveling today so the show isn’t up yet but should be soon!)

– John Bordeaux continues to wow me with his writing and ‘Raising the Dial Tone‘ definitely fits the bill. Yes, you’ve read blog posts talking about social media before, but never like this.  I promise.

– Chris Brogan often write simple posts that get to the heart of things.  10 Things You Could Do Better Today is one of those.  He gives you clear action items and a chance to break bad habits.  I’m doing some things better since I read this list.  Let me (and Chris) know if it helps you too?

– To even out the week, I want to tell you about my favorite photo blog that always inspires me.  Favorite photo from the last couple of weeks is Peaceful Ending. But Strawberry Fields Forever is genius.

It’s time for me to poof again.  I hope to have a post up this weekend while traveling, some of the best writing time is on a plane.  In the meantime, have an excellent weekend!

From White Noise, Loud Silence: Learning to Be Social

A very warm heartfelt thanks to Jon Swanson, who contributed to this post.  This post is cross posted to my hearing impairment blog at http://chelpixie.com/hearing.

Socializing is a huge part of most childhoods. We invite friends for sleepovers, watch movies, play games, among other things. In early childhood we learn to converse with other children and make conversation. As we grow the conversation turns into more interesting and intelligent discussions about the world.

Some of us were extremely shy, couldn’t talk and still have problems interacting with others as adults. One of my resolutions for the year is to open up, experience the world. Talk to people I wouldn’t ordinarily, go to events I wouldn’t ordinarily. Have fun, embrace being social.

Lots of people have this kind of resolution. But they are afraid that they won’t understand the in jokes. They are afraid that they won’t pick up on all the interactions that matter.

You know that feeling?

Now, imagine that you just can’t hear the in jokes. You physically can’t hear the in jokes.

That’s my challenge.

Living with hearing loss sort of amplifies the shyness that I experience. To those of you that have seen my public presence at Podcamp Boston, that’s when I have a mission. Inside I’m scared I won’t hear that thing that makes everyone laugh or a question that needs an answer and it’ll take me back to the childhood I despised.

One of the most common interactions I have involves not understanding what a person has said to me. They react–not knowing of the loss–by shaking their head, walking away or yelling as a way to get their point across.

However, there is also the reaction that someone grabs his podcasting microphone before getting on the road, hooks in the headphones, hands the headphones to me and puts the mic in the front so I can hear the conversation from the backseat.

Interacting with me sometimes requires patience. Most of the time, it’s just as normal as having a conversation with a hearing person. Because I’m a person. Maybe not normal, but neither are you. That’s why I want to get to know you.

As with any conversation, how you react to me influences how I react to you. I’m still learning about how to react. I’m still learning about how to walk up to you and start talking, about how to pull you out of the loud conference crowd so I can hear what you’re saying.

With a few events coming up I wanted to post this in hopes that you’ll see me and we’ll talk. If I ask you to repeat yourself, you’ll know why but you won’t let it influence our conversation. It may influence the location of our conversation or the need to focus on our conversation. But I’ve discovered great value in being very focused on conversation and interaction with others. I’m excited to practice what I’ve learned in conversation with you.

Related posts:

The Beginning of a Story