I should’ve known it was too good to be true. I decide to suddenly and unexpectedly foist wildbelldotcom’s new look upon you dear visitors this morning and it just went waaaaay too smoothly. So smoothly that there should have been a realization of the possibility it would all come crashing down hard — and boy howdy did it.
Welcome to the world of database failure.
See, what do I know from databases? Nada. With my old web set-up I opened up a page in my HTML editor, typed in whatever breathlessly intriguing thing was on my mind that day, maybe changed a smidge of code or two, saved the page, uploaded it onto the server, and I was finito. Granted it wasn’t the most hip way to go, but it worked for me.
But now came the end of the year and I’m thinking it’s the time for something new and the next thing I know I’ve somehow managed to rig up a three-column format with the WordPress system, personalize it with a bitchin’ banner, forge my way through a couple installation false-starts and voila… she went live a bit after 8 a.m.
Four hours later instead of the home page I’m getting an error message along the lines of “Dude, your database is seriously fuuuuucked up because your wp_config.php/diddly_dee.doink file isn’t righteously syncopated with your wp_*jinglybob.db/whozit.loozit permissions!”
OK, so I paraphrased a little bit there. But you get the picture: nothing but huuuuuunh? An attempt at an answer from my webhost was wholly unsatisfactory so after hours of trial-and-error attempts to resolve the lack of righeous syncopation, you know what I did? I killed everything. Deleted all the files from the server, axed the offending database, and started over. Fresh.
And the same shit happened again. So after another couple hours of failing to fix it I adjourn to the livingroom near tears where in dire need of a diversion I actually find myself trying to get interested in “Johnson Family Vacation” on HBO until I realize the shit has a stupid-to-funny ration of 4600:1, and shut it off before tripping back to my desk somewhat reloaded for bear.
Where I killed everything again. And reinstalled everything again. And held my breath.
Now, don’t know if I need to chalk it up to the third time being the charm, or perhaps I should wait to declare victory until four hours go by and I don’ t get that nightmarish error message again, but so far the new site’s back up and holding, albeit minus the original post explaining in more detail why the abrupt change and the nice comments from Cybele and Hexod welcoming the new look.
Let’s just hope it lasts.
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