From e417a818e207a6cca6e2f3c471611673ab836a62 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bradley Taunt Date: Sat, 25 May 2024 16:14:03 -0400 Subject: Initial commit for Jekyll testing and conversion, updated --- _posts/2020-08-13-hello-jekyll.md | 32 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 32 insertions(+) create mode 100644 _posts/2020-08-13-hello-jekyll.md (limited to '_posts/2020-08-13-hello-jekyll.md') diff --git a/_posts/2020-08-13-hello-jekyll.md b/_posts/2020-08-13-hello-jekyll.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ab2fd09 --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2020-08-13-hello-jekyll.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +layout: post +title: "Goodbye WordPress, Hello Jekyll (Again)" +date: 2020-08-13 +--- + + +For the past four months this blog has been running on WordPress - but that ended today. I've officially switched back over to Jekyll. I'm not going to spend too much time delving into *why* I made the transition back, but I'll leave some cliff-notes for any interested parties. + +## The big issues with *my* WordPress setup + +I have to state that these problems existed based on *my own* setup / hosting choices with WordPress - this is not a direct reflection of WP itself. + +1. **No theme editor access** + - I was using EasyWP (Namecheap etc.) for my web hosting. It only cost me $3.88/month, which was very cheap for the quality of service provided. Unfortunately, this low price came with some setbacks. EasyWP doesn't allow users to edit `header.php` or `functions.php` files directly in the theme editor. Having to resort to FTP for simple one-line change was annoying. +2. **Super cache** + - Caching web pages is wonderful for users on subsequent visits, but EasyWP took this to the extreme. Making minor styling updates sometimes required code changes in the `header.php` file directly in order to persist (see problem with editing these files in point #1). +3. **Monthly cost** + - As I stated above, spending $3.88 on a monthly basis was peanuts in the grand scheme of things. Still, an extra monthly subscription for a side hobby seemed overkill for my use case. +4. **Future proofing** + - In the end, having the core website generate itself into static files means it will stand the test of time on the interwebs. HTML & CSS FTW. + +## What I lost in the switch + +1. **Comments** + - I loved the concept of owing / hosting comments directly on each post but this seemed like a fair trade-off when compared to the positives listed above. I might circle back around and use something like [Commento](https://commento.io/) or [Gitment](https://github.com/imsun/gitment) +2. **Blog anywhere** + - Having the ability to hop on any machine, log in to my site and blog was awesome. Over time though, I found myself not doing this very often. Most times when composing an article I found I would write it out, edit and publish all in one sitting. Cool concept - just not as useful. + +## Moving forward + +I've learned to stick with what keeps me productive (and in this case, keeps me writing consistently). I still love WordPress and won't hesitate to reach for it when the need arrives. Unfortunately, it seems my personal website isn't one of those instances. -- cgit v1.2.3-54-g00ecf