on lengthy redesign efforts

So the Telegram is finally up after almost three months of silence. I can only imagine that you’re reading this a week from today, as my readers slowly trickle on to this new site. You may be slightly disoriented and have dozens of questions, like:

* Why the new URL?
* Why did it take you over ten weeks?
* What’s under the hood of this new site?
* No, seriously, why ten weeks? What could possibly have taken you that long?

After the jump, I’d like to answer some of these questions for the curious and those looking to improve their blogging experiences.

Why the new URL (and blog)?

There are a few reasons for the move. First, I was getting tired of NucleusCMS, the content management system I’ve used since August 2003. After four and a half years of loyal service, it just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. I’d been eyeing WordPress since Kari and Eric moved to the platform in 2005. I hesitated, and so I muddled along with the previous setup until this past December. That’s when, in a fit of rage, I gave up on Nucleus.

Why did it take you over ten weeks?

Installing WordPress was a cakewalk, thanks to Fantastico. Upgrading to the latest version of WordPress (because Fantastico is always a few weeks behind) was also simple. Moving all my posts over to Nucleus? Not so simple.

Let this be a warning to all Nucleus CMS users looking to shift their posts over to WordPress: Unless you particularly enjoy programming for SQL and the half-assed code that is Nucleus 3.1+, DO NOT even bother transferring your posts over. There are no fewer than a dozen sites whose owners gloat about the ease with which they moved everything over to WordPress. They either transferred from a previous version of Nucleus, or they are filthy liars. This single step–transferring my content from 2001 – 2007–ate up three weeks’ worth of wailing and gnashing of teeth. I contemplated the sweet, sweet release of death when the jury-rigged converter stopped in the middle of category transfers for the millionth time.

No, seriously, why ten weeks? What could possibly have taken you that long?

Well, there was that Nucleus-to-WP fiasco. Then I decided to design my own template for WordPress. After three weeks of mangled code, confusion, and heavy drinking, I threw up my hands and found my design savior in Upstart Blogger, whose Modicus theme serves as the basis for this site’s design. After that, it was a matter of customizing the layout to support the widgets I needed, like the lifestream (on the front page sidebar) and inset pictures (in the article sidebars). Finally, I had to flip the color scheme from the black that defined this site since 2000(!) to the new, minimalist white.

What’s under the hood?

I’m glad you asked. WordPress 2.3.3 powers this site (v2.5 has been delayed ’til sometime this week). The lifestream section on the front page is powered by Kieran Delaney’s SimpleLife, which incorporates my Twitter, Last.fm, del.icio.us, and flickr feeds. Beginning this week, you’ll start to see del.icio.us links included in automated daily posts from the site itself.

So there you have it. The site is back up and running, though it will take me a few weeks to smooth out the rough edges and get back into the habit of, you know, posting. Till then, I hope you enjoy the change of scenery.

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