Where’s the Beef!

The “beef” is in the bun. Some of my readers sort of ask me that question.

I have received a number of emails wondering what my latest project might be of if I still like or use such and such a tool that I published in my now aging website. I think it is mainly because I have not made any major updates in the old style web pages for awhile.

The truth is I still report rather actively but not in the same way as I have in the past. I started my THMS web page before there were such things as dynamic web site Blogs and CMS (Content Management Systems) like Joomla. There is actually quite a bit of work building a pure static HTML web site.

I still like the old format when I want to publish a full article with lots of pictures. The total control is awesome. But I am finding more of a liking with the high level presentation format available in dynamic publishing.

Most of my web pages now have both a URL identified server where the management code is stored and lives but also requires the services of an SQL database server to hold and provide the dynamic data. It sounds complex and it is. My several blogs (WordPress), one Bulletin Board (TEDEX), and multiple Joomla sites all require two remote computer servers to provide the viewer the content you see, like this very page.

The result is that publishing content is 10 times easier once the website is set up. I love the design complexities and that creative exercise, but when I want to post something like this, it only takes five minutes or less, just the time to log in and upload, and the world can read it fully formatted and professional looking.

The end result is most of my little workshop activities are now posted here in this blog. It is just so much quicker and better looking than taking an hour or sometimes many hours to cut and paste up a new static HTML page in the old website.

I don’t work full time in my hobby machinist workshop. I am currently building a family reunion web site for a friend (using Joomla) and it will combine both a fully typical web site and a blog into one package. The site will be fully integrated into dynamic presentation and fully searchable because it is built into a database. The best part is the user will only have to plug in the content. No building of pages. If he wants a new function, it is simply installing a new module and defining all the variables.

Wow! If only machine work was that easy, but then where would be all the fun? Some things need to change with the tools available. For example CNC seems new but it isn’t. There is one heck of a lot of new skills required to use it.  But there is still enjoyment in doing things the “old” way, with a manual lathe and mill. A lot of the fun is getting there, not the finished product.

So for me I want a fast way to publish. Then I can get back to the workshop sooner and more often. Now where did I put the mustard?