Backup a blog? Say what?
It was the equivalent of the blue screen of death for me (except that it was white). I had a blog on my other site that had amassed over 100 entries (www.mygraphicsnotebook.com). Then, one day, I saw the words “Can’t select database” when I went to update my blog.
I was proud of that blog. I’d done everything right. I’d set it up and branded it to my website. I had a posting calendar, was posting almost everyday, and I was slowly finding my voice and allowing my personality to shine through.
WHAM! One minute it’s there, the next it’s gone.
I went to the site to post and get hit with “Can’t select database.” What does that even mean? Of course, one of the possibilities according to WordPress is “Are you sure it exists?” REAL NICE! It existed yesterday!
Well, apparently, the server that my blog was stored on crashed. Now, the rest of my site is fine (as it was stored on another server), just my blog was “virtually” gone. Ironically, I would have preferred it the other way around: I’ve got my website backed up 5 ways to Sunday. My blog however was another matter. I never even conceived of something like this happening.Ironically still, the backup that my server was on “malfunctioned.”
Now part of my backup strategy
I backup my data. Not as often as I should, but I do.
I should know, with the 2 MAC computers that I own, BOTH hard drives have died on me. For my first computer, I was unprepared. I’ve got the $129 bill to retrieve and backup my failed drive to prove it. The second time, I was fine. I had a back up. Plus, in both these cases, my computer was acting very strange before they completely failed. On the internet? THERE WAS NO WARNING!
Adding insult to injury: so what are 100 entries worth?
My web hosting company initially thought $50 bucks worth. Now, this is not real dollars but a fictional amount applied to the “plan” I have with them. I eventually got an extra year of hosting for free or roughly $100. Hoowee, each blog posting was worth a whole $1!!!
Just like starting over
So, I’ve got a new website with a somewhat different look. I’ve got my notes from my previous blog postings so I’ll be recreating those and then eventually working my way up towards newer posts.
Enough about them… Now, about me…
My name is Maria G. Nozza and I’m a graphic designer. I’ve been one for over 10 years. As you’ll soon notice: I – L O V E – D E S I G N. I was doing it for far longer, but I never knew there was an actual field for it.
I was in University studying Commerce and absoluting hating it. I used to spend more time with the presentation of my assignments than with the actual content of them. I considered this part “secretarial” work.
One day, a professor rather off-handedly remarked that I should be in design or in an art related field. Funny enough, I wasn’t really insulted. Serendipity stepped in in the form of a poster on the metro (or subway for everyone else) advertising a graphic design program. The rest, as they say, is history. I enrolled in a design academy and have not looked back.
People have said to me that I should start a blog since I have so many opinions and knowledge to share. Maybe that was to keep me quiet but I figured “why not? Everyone else is doing it.”
Now the hard part begins: Where do I start? What should I write? What do I want to share?
Inspiration came from 2 different places: one when speaking to my mentor, Roger C. Parker (I still can’t believe he knows who I am. On the off-chance you don’t know who he is, check out his brand new site here.) The other was something my big sister keeps asking me (sorry, no website for her — yet.)
Roger thought I should deal with one design topic a day. My sister keeps asking me where I get my “eye” for design. So I thought of attempting to combine the two. So, I’ll be putting down my musings and meanderings right here in this blog.
I just hope I don’t bore you too much…
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