Joy Wizard » Blogging

Problem posting to my blog.

Alex Webley — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 09:45:36 +0000

Earlier this year I was running a bit behind and did not attempt to write a post until late. I then discovered that I could not log in to post and also that the site (blog) itself was also down. My other blogs were fine.

Clearly this was a concern, however I did not stress over it (what does stressing achieve anyway) and simply phoned my web host (GoDaddy) after running some of my own tests/troubleshooting.

The level 1 support was prompt and helpful, however they could not resolve the issue. The matter was passed upstream to a higher level of support. I was advised that I would have to WAIT. No problem, again I did not stress and got on with something else. When I checked the blog a few hours later, after watching a movie, all was back to normal.

In times past I would have stressed over the issue big time. Not these days. Stressing and worrying about something does no good; in fact it just harms you in various ways. I delegated the problem to my support network (for this issue: my web host).

Some other key aspects of this situation are that I have an excellent web host. They are there 24/7 for 365 days of the year; even with phone support. Waiting times are usually either non existent or low, and if I do have to wait, I am told how long it will be, which is always accurate. Another key point is that I have automatic blog database backups sent to me via email twice a day.

Some keys then are:

Don’t worry
Don’t stress
Ensure you set up good foundations. Spend the time (effort) and money to ensure you have high quality across your life. High quality does not always mean expensive. In fact, in the case of web hosts for example; here on the Gold Coast, in Queensland, we have a local ISP who has been established for many years. These people also offer web hosting; which is way more expensive than GoDaddy (where I host my sites) and yet the local Gold Coast web host support people are unavailable by phone from Friday evening until Monday morning. Yes, I know – it just sucks! And the support I experienced recently from the local web host when attending to one of my web development client’s needs (who had been hosting with the local ISP for years) was atrocious, coupled with a very long phone hold.
Let go – you have delegated the problem to someone. Let them fix it.
Understand that at times, even the best people can fail. I have no idea exactly what caused my blog to go down – perhaps it was some glitch with my web host; I really don’t know. There is no point in getting angry with the perceived offender. Clearly if the problem became rampant then it would be time to consider alternatives – what is the benefit of becoming angry?
Learn from your mistakes. My ‘kick up the bum’ was to restablish automatic website monitoring. Yes, I have been slack on the issue; second rate in fact, because I am well aware of website monitoring and first started using it in the 90′s. No excuses.

Problem posting to my blog. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Fed up with the 45 tag cloud limit on the standard WordPress install?

Alex Webley — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:17:49 +0000

WordPress (.org self hosted) is one of my favorite applications.

It’s really slick – the gold standard for blogging. Well made and thought out.

Besides the WordPress developers, I salute the plugin developers too.

I have one small gripe however…. (well, two)….

WordPress installs with a default 45 tag limit in the tag cloud, along with a larger maximum font than I like.

I alter the code to make the tag cloud more useful for readers; which is why my tag cloud is much bigger than on many other blogs.

Every time WordPress is upgraded the defaults are reset. My tag cloud shrinks to 45 again.

Here is how I change the tag cloud. It is not difficult, but you do have to take care not to botch it up.

On your hosting server:

Look for the wp-includes folder.
Find the category-template.php file.
Open the file in the edit view (my webhost makes this easy).
Use a search tool (I use the one in my browser) to find: wp_tag_cloud
Alter the number 45 to 300. (Or some other number >45).
Consider changing the largest font size (I have changed mine down from 20 to 16).
Make sure you save!

Here is an example of what the code looks like after changing:

function wp_tag_cloud( $args = ” ) {

$defaults = array(

‘smallest’ => 8, ‘largest’ => 16, ‘unit’ => ‘pt’, ‘number’ => 300,

PS: It would also be nice if the Hello Dolly plug in did not keep reinstalling whenever WordPress is updated. I never use it and always delete it to reduce clutter and prevent plugin update messages for something I never use.

Fed up with the 45 tag cloud limit on the standard WordPress install? is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Disclosure Policy added to blog and website.

Alex Webley — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:46:47 +0000

I have added a disclosure policy to both my blog and website, which can be viewed here:

Website: http://www.joywizard.net/Disclosure-Policy.html

Blog: http://joywizard.com/about/disclosure-policy

Should you have any questions please contact me here. Thank you.

When writing this policy, I was assisted by Disclosure Policy Dot Org

To get help with your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Disclosure Policy added to blog and website. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Web usability – blog tag cloud.

Alex Webley — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:58:16 +0000

This post is about user friendly blog tag clouds.

If you look across to the right you will see a section called Tags.

The Tags box shows all the tags that I have used up until now. Clicking on a tag will bring up a list of all the articles that I have tagged with that particular word or phrase.

Currently, my readers are not being inconvenienced by not seeing a relevant tag. Until recently however, this was not the case. Only 45 tags were shown. 45 tags is the WordPress default. There is no easy or obvious solution to this issue.

In my view, having such a limited number of tags is a violation of good web usability policies. For more on web usability check out Steve Krug’s book:

Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition

I decided to find a fix for this problem and started by asking for advice in a key forum. One helpful member suggested I alter the wp-includes/widgets.php file by changing the wp_tag_cloud(); code to read wp_tag_cloud(‘smallest=8&largest=22&number=100&orderby=count’);

This suggestion did not work, despite later research indicating that:

The advice was sound.
The advice worked for many people.
The advice is commonly offered as a solution.
The method is preferred over the solution I eventually had to employ.

Prior searches for, and tests of, a number of tag cloud WordPress plugins were unsatisfactory (either did not solve the issue or created other issues and/or problems). I had to find a solution.

Fortunately, my determination to solve the problem was bolstered by some old computing principles that I learnt long ago in a 1981-82 computer programming course I studied. I knew that, as computers are ‘stupid’ and are designed to do exactly what they are told, some higher logic was ‘telling’ the blog not to alter the tag cloud, despite my making the suggested change**. (**I might add that many people suggesting this change, as outlined above, have much more knowledge of WordPress coding than I do, so the fix clearly works for many). I reasoned then that there must be some other file affecting the situation.

Indeed, there was. It is the category-template.php file in the wp-includes folder. I had to find the function wp_tag_cloud area and adjust the settings accordingly. Once I had done that, my issue was solved and my readers were able to view all the tags. I made the maximum font size smaller too, as well as increased the maximum tag number.

I hope this post helps some of you look after your blog readers better.

I may have to alter this file again when either my blog theme, or WordPress itself is updated, so bear that in mind if you use this solution. Please also bear in mind that I have the impression that the first suggested method is considered preferable to the solution that I had to employ – I am not sure why though.

Make sure you back up your blog before fiddling with code (see my article here: Backing up your WordPress blog).

And; if you are not confident in what you are doing, don’t do it – get someone else on the case.

Don’t risk destroying or damaging your blog.

Web usability – blog tag cloud. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Blog reading made easy.

Alex Webley — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:20:56 +0000

Reading blogs is becoming an increasingly common pastime. It will become even more so as we move into the future.

This article is to help those who do not know what RSS is or how to use an RSS reader, or even those who have no idea that you can subscribe to a blog via email. Some people still bookmark blogs and keep checking back for more content.

Personally, I use the Google RSS reader (Google Reader) for keeping my list of blogs and for reading the entries. This way I never miss anything and neither do I feel pressured (by blog emails for example) to ‘catch up’.

Using an RSS reader is the most time efficient and easiest way to read blogs.

Google have some excellent resources about RSS and Google Reader:

Getting started with Google Reader

The Official Google Reader Help Videos

As far as my blogs are concerned, the RSS button is in the top right area. You can subscribe via an RSS reader or by email. (There is also a subscribe button in the right panel under the heading: Social Media & RSS.

Blog reading made easy. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

General information.

Alex Webley — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:47:07 +0000

To start off… a quick note to say thank you for reading my blog.

Blog posts on my Black Shaman blog will progressively increase in frequency from now on.

Recently I have been busy with other things, including the organisation of my BlackShaman.com ,website which is still under construction. I have some extra pages/plug ins to add to this blog too.

This blog, and the associated website, will be a mixture of extremely powerful life changing stuff as well as the more general, ordinary type of content.

In due course I will be uploading videos – most likely to the .com website rather than here on the blog itself. In these videos I will express things which are harder, or impossible to put into the written word.

As you will see from my other blogs and websites I am a multi-faceted personality with a diverse life experience. Some people would say that I am a member of the “Intelligentsia” and also very logical. Yes, I am very logical. I am also very creative. Humility and the teachable mindset is something I not only cherish; it is something that I in a sense ‘worship’; as it is one of the beautiful guiding principles of the Wisdom of the Universe/Cosmos.

I am not some sort of crackpot or idiot. Shamanism is not about being crazy. You will see why as articles unfold on this blog.

General information. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Backing up your WordPress blog.

Alex Webley — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:38:58 +0000

Backing up digital media is essential.

You may have read my earlier article about backing up computers:

Are you worried about losing the data on your PC?

If you have a blog, or website, it is very important to back up those as well.

One of the key problems with backing up can be the hassle and time involved, which means that it can be ignored, put off, missed or forgotten.

This article will give you some insights into backing up your WordPress blog. Because I use Go Daddy hosting the article will also contain information specific to their service. The article will still be of some value to people hosting elsewhere however.

Before I go on, I will explain why I use Go Daddy hosting.

There are a wide variety of differing opinions about which web hosting company is the best. There are vast multitudes of choices. I have looked into the issue in depth because a key principle of both life and business is to ensure that things are built on a solid basis.

Go Daddy are my first choice for web hosting, despite having been a Webmaster since 1999, trying a large number of alternatives and conducting in-depth research of many more. Many of the alternatives I tried, and found disappointing, were leading companies including Hostgator, Lunar Pages and Superb.

I have personally found Go Daddy support very good and it includes 24-hour, 365 day telephone support. Does your hosting company offer this level of support? If not – why not? Doesn’t your business deserve it?

Go Daddy web hosting plans have excellent features, many of which are free and their control panel is fantastic – intuitive, customer centered and easy to use.

For more information click the link below:

GoDaddy.com Hosting Plans

Anyway, back to backing up your blog….

Firstly, it is important to understand that there are two key components to a blog that require backing up:

1) MySQL database – all your posts and comments etc.
2) The blog theme itself – which may include customized files. (You should be backing up these files anyway so as to take care of restoring your customizations when the theme you are using for your blog is updated).

Up until quite recently I have been using the Go Daddy Quick Blogcast service for my blog and have recently changed to WordPress. I have been very pleasantly surprised by how easy Go Daddy have made the blog MySQL Database backup process.

An example is found by visiting this page: http://help.godaddy.com/article/3383

You’ll see that page explains how Go Daddy performs an automated system backup of your database files every night. I always like to verify things, not in the sense that I’m doubting Go Daddy, but from the perspective of checking to see how things work. I was able to easily find the method of restoring the database. Now, I have every confidence in Go Daddy and their backup procedure, however even with the best will in the world things can, and do, go wrong. As the database is such a valuable component, it makes sense to have a separate backup.

One of the reasons I particularly like Go Daddy is that they make things very easy for their customers. It means that we can focus on more important things than “administrivia”. Because I try and seek out a quality straightforward method of getting things done, I was told about a key WordPress plug-in for backing up the database by Martin, one of the really helpful people at the Solostream theme forum. Alistair, also from the Solostream theme forum, was also very helpful. The forum thread can be viewed here. (Note: I now use a different theme for my blog).

You can find the plug-in here: WordPress Database Backup

I installed the WordPress Database Backup plug-in and found it very easy to create an additional backup of my database to the one that the Go Daddy system had created. The plug-in makes it very easy to download the backup to your computer, or even e-mail it somewhere as an attachment.

When I was examining the Go Daddy methodology for storing backup I noticed a comment in their help files: “Alternatively, you can upload MySQL database files to _db_backups folder on the root level of the hosting account”. (The same files additionally mention a user activated backup feature within their admin tools, though when I looked at this I realized that using the plug-in would be more straightforward and easier).

Having used the backup plug-in mentioned above, and downloaded the file to my computer (as a Zip file, which I then decompressed), I uploaded the database backup file to the _db_backups folder on the root level of the hosting account. My next step involved checking to see whether I was able to view the additional backup file in the Go Daddy database restore manager. I could indeed see the additional file, alongside the original night-time automated Go Daddy system backup file; which was the only one visible before.

Obviously, for maximum security of backup data, the best policy is to store the database backup created with the plug-in, either on my own computer, or somewhere else other than the Go Daddy hosting account.

Moving on now to backing up the blog theme itself….

To effect this, I quickly created another folder in my Go Daddy hosting account and named it “My Backups” (partly so that it was more obvious that it was a folder I created). I then navigated to my theme folder, which of course contains not just the standard theme but my customized files as well, and quickly copied the (theme) folder to the “My Backups” folder. Once I had done this, I used the quick and easy Go Daddy facility to “Archive” the folder; which created a zip file for me. I was then able to download the zip file of the theme back up to my desktop for secure storage away from the hosting account.

In summary then:

Go Daddy’s automated nightly system MySQL database backup means that all my critical posts, comments and so on are being automatically backed up. Whilst a customized theme is important, it would be much easier to rebuild from scratch than all my posts, so this automated MySQL backup aspect of Go Daddy’s service is very useful. “Lazy” people, and those who like living “dangerously” could just rely on that I suppose.
A key WordPress backup plug-in enables quick and easy creation and download of my MySQL database file. (We are not able to directly access the Go Daddy automatic system database file; it can only be used for a restoration).
A few clicks within my hosting account enables a backup of my theme files (folder), including customizations, to be created and downloaded. Because the WordPress theme does not get altered that often, these files are only backed up on an as needed/changed basis.
If backing up is difficult, involves hassle, time-consuming or otherwise bothersome, then many people will not do it. Some of course will then go on to regret that decision. It is best to get the foundations right with a simple and efficient method which really works and have one less thing likely to go wrong and cause you major hassle.

PS: If you have a Go Daddy hosting account you can upload theme files as a zip and then use the “unarchive” button within their control panel. I find it much easier than using FTP.

Addendum – Feb 08, 2009:

A quick update…currently I have set up the WordPress Database Backup plug-in to email a copy of the backup file every day.

I run my email via Google Apps and therefore have plenty of online storage capacity. Emailed back ups are set up to go straight to trash, which is emptied every 30 days automatically.This means that I have 30 recent sequential backups of my blog database sitting in trash at any one time. Should the need ever occur, then I could access these backups very easily.

Backing up your WordPress blog. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Joy Wizard » Blogging

Problem posting to my blog.

Related Posts:

Fed up with the 45 tag cloud limit on the standard WordPress install?

Related Posts:

Disclosure Policy added to blog and website.

Related Posts:

Web usability – blog tag cloud.

Related Posts:

Blog reading made easy.

Related Posts:

General information.

Related Posts:

Backing up your WordPress blog.

Related Posts: