“So, I started a blog.”
“Why?”
I’d like to say a quick happy 10-days-old birthday to this blog.
Reasons I Started It
So, a lot of people are asking me what I actually want to accomplish with this blog, or why I started it.
Writing
I forgot how much I enjoy writing. I write papers all the time for classes, but it’s hard to enjoy writing on a boring topic, especially when you have to cite every sentence. Recently I got to write a paper that was entirely personal, and it reminded me how much fun writing is. Plus, in my career I’ll have to do a fair amount of writing, and probably content creation. I need to get back in practice for that.
WordPress
See? WordPress!
I’ve played around with WordPress from time to time, but never actually done anything with it. U.osu.edu is a customized WordPress platform, which means it uses the same setup, layout, tools, etc. After these past 10 days, I’ve got the basics down. OSU’s platform is a good starter, but it’s very limited (only 3 themes? Booo.) For my intentions to really learn the ins and outs of WP, I have to start using the real thing. Hence, the next steps!
Next Steps
I’m working on exporting this blog to WordPress’s official platform. Actually, I already did this, at jonsaxton.wordpress.com. But the .com version of WP is also a bit limited, lacking plugins and other key features. More robust than OSU’s version, but I want the real deal, the .org version. That means I have to host the domain myself. Or, rather, through Bluehost.
Right now, I own jonsaxton.com through GoDaddy. I was using it essentially as a fancy 2-page resume page, and a cheap way to reserve my domain. (If you want to see the page that was formerly there, it’s still live at jonsaxton.webflow.com.) That domain is currently down so I can transfer jonsaxton.com to Bluehost (again, more robust, and the hosting service I’m using for work right now.)
That should be up this week. Once it is, I’ll be able to play with themes, plugins, and a lot more customization, possibly even a static homepage with a blog tab. Whatever I do with it, I’ll be learning a good deal about WordPress and hosting an active domain.