This morning the Chinese cabinet was collected by Oakhaven Hospice staff.
I then spent most of the day attempting to improve access to categorised blog posts for my readers. This involved creating
Categories List
- A Knight’s Tale (150)
- Books (177)
- Streets of London (59)
- Uncategorized (3,596)
which I managed to do with the help of a Happiness Engineer.
My next step was to begin changing the categories of relevant posts from 10 years going back to 9th May 2012. I began with “Payback” from 21st May. Now, there is no point in using the Books in the list because you won’t find it there. Should you feel so inclined you will find it on the link above.
So why couldn’t I add it to the Books in the Categories list? After struggling with it again after lunch, I girded my loins and sought more Happiness in a chat with an Engineer.
A lengthy exchange, involving an amount of checking with the adviser’s team resulted in the somewhat reassuring statement that I had taken all the right steps. Less reassuring was that the hopeful bestower of Happiness didn’t know what was wrong.
The important aspect at this stage was that the frustration/panic ensuing from thinking I was at fault subsided into the necessary patience.
Ultimately the problem turned out to be in my Jetpack which had to be fixed at their end and would require more time. I was asked why I had not activated my Jetpack Backup. I replied that I didn’t know what it was. For some reason it was “greyed out”. I was asked to check whether I saw the same. I did. I am to expect an e-mail tomorrow.
Readers may be relieved to know that I didn’t ask if “I need to install a plugin on your site to activate something on your backend” would be painful.
This evening we dined on roast pork; sage and onion stuffing; Yorkshire pudding, carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and meaty gravy, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden, I drank Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, and Flo and Dillon drank fruit cordial.
I am impressed with your perseverance in dealing with the issues on your blog.
Thank you very much, Maj
The cab sav would have been most welcome after such a day!
Especially when it comes from the Coonawarra.
WordPress brings me out in a rash every time I use it!
Thanks very much, Yvonne.
It was. Cheers, Anne
After giving up a beloved artifact, working on organizing your blogs and dealing with WordPress, you earned a couple of glasses this evening! Cheers and success in completing your endeavors.
Thank you so much, Pat
A droll take on the neverending quest for WordPress-engineered happiness.
Thank you so much, Liz.
You’re welcome, Derrick.
This is not funny…to go through so much to deal with WordPress. 🙁
But, it did bring me a few chuckles…like when I read “I girded my loins and sought more Happiness in a chat with an Engineer…” and the part about the backend.
I admire your stamina in dealing with WP, and your ability to understand all of this stuff. I hope it all is the way it should be…and stays that way. 🙂
(((HUGS))) 🙂 ❤️
Thank you very much, Carolyn. Don’t credit me with too much understanding 🙂 X
Ha. Okay. 🙂
PS…the categories are so cool! I’d love to spend some time reading some of your oldest book reviews! YAY! 🙂
Thanks again, Carolyn 🙂
I admire the equanimity with which you contemplate the possibility of a plug in to your back end. Searching past posts is such a chore on WordPress that I have mentally consigned my past pasts to some nameless nether world. I rely on looking through the images, which are all titled, to find anything I need to know.
Many thanks, Tootlepedal 🙂
Resolving technical problems on WordPress can be quite frustrating. Wishing you the best in achieving your desired “Happiness” level of functionality 🙂
Thank you so much, Rosaliene
Mind-boggling Derrick. That sort of Techno stuff is way beyond me … I usually cry for help from my brother, he’s a ‘computer engineer’ …
Good idea, Ivor. I steer well clear of WP help normally, but I thought this would be more straightforward. Wrong! Thanks very much
I’ve used WP help before, both times they were able to help …
Whew! Nothing bodily intrusive is always good.😉
Thanks very much, Val
Food and drink much more pleasant than the machinations of plug-ins and why they never do what they are supposed to do.
Thank you so much, Gary
My hat is off to you, Derrick; you have unlimited patience.
We’ll see how long it lasts, Dolly. Thank you very much
I am sorry to hear of the WP issues, Derrick. You do seem to have the patience of a saint.
Thank you so much, Lavinia. Once I know it’s not me at fault I can calm down considerably 🙂
I wouldn’t know about the Jetpack Backup either. This stuff is way more complicated than it needs to be. I loved the part about girding your loins to chat with the WP engineer.
Much appreciated, JoAnna
Yikes! To go back over 1000s of post to allocate them a category shows you must have great optimism for longevity. Or, you’re trying to get out of dead-heading for the rest of your life.
Sussed, Gwen. Thanks very much
Oh, gosh! What a rigermarole.
Thanks a lot, Laurie
Personally, I live in denial, but I am sure I will have to pay for that one day.
Let us hope not, Sylvie. Thanks for reading this
This gave me a bit of a chuckle
We have to laugh, don’t we. Thanks a lot, Sheree
Absolutely Derrick
I keep it simple and stick with the classic editor.
Thanks, Andrew
Quite a job, and WP doesn’t make it easy. I’m sure you enjoyed that cab sav at the end of the day.
Indeed, Merril. Thanks very much
I see mentions of Jetpack from time to time, but I haven’t a clue what it is or whether I should be doing something with it. Since everything seems to be working satisfactorily on my blogs, I’m sticking with the old wisdom: if it ain’t broke, etc.
They sent me an enlightening link – of course I don’t understand it except that it does it’s stuff without our intervention. Thanks very much, Linda
Sounds like you got it all in order 🙂
Almost. Thanks very much, Bridget
You deserved that wonderful meal and the lovely glass of wine. I think it depends on which Happiness Engineer we may encounter. My experience with WP’s support team was quite pleasant plus they sent emails offering more help if needed and even follow-ups. I had domain issues in addition to my other woes, and they fixed that as well. Good luck moving forward.
Thanks very much, Eugi. I have now received a partially successful e-mail. More anon
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Wow! What an impressive undertaking! I hope you get a positive email form the engineer. Yesterday was my son in law’s 60th birthday. The families got together at a restaurant and celebrated his life. I will have to write a post about that soon.
Thank you very much, Zakiah
Some hilarious lines in this one! My favorites (in order of appearance) . . . “I girded my loins and sought more Happiness in a chat with an Engineer.” and then ” Readers may be relieved to know that I didn’t ask if “I need to install a plugin on your site to activate something on your backend” would be painful.” made me laugh out loud (at work! I was sneaking a peak on my phone)
So thank you for the levity. I understand the pain so much! You just want things to work and to have to contact anyone is just a huge, scary mess. No wonder they call them “Happiness Engineers”, trying to give the poor people a boost because we are all miserable by the time we give up and summon them.
Glad you’ve been able to call up your patient side (yet again!) Bravo you.
Thank you very much, Jodie. “we are all miserable by the time we give up and summon them” is such an insightful observation. So pleased I made you laugh out loud at work. 🙂
<3 That will teach me not to read blogs at work. . . maybe
🙂
I have been using WordPress since 2017. It has grown into an alien intelligence over the decade and half I’ve known it. I wish you the best in your enterprise.
Thanks a lot, Uma
I feel your pain. I am still using the old system too (while it lasts) as it relatively easy to manage categories and tags there. I am pretty sure you could still access it too to do this.
I probably couldn’t manage the return, Susan 🙂 Thanks very much
I know you’ve got a few things to sort out at the moment, but it wouldn’t mean changing how you post using the new system. I am happy to email details any time you fancy giving it a try.
Thank you very much, Susan.
I hope your chat did not last the two and a half hours that mine lasted.
By the way, I forgot to tell you that I mentioned to my Happiness engineer that you were having similar problems to me. He immediately went off to check your site, and on his return ten minutes later he told me your site was not a WP site and wasn’t working properly anyway. I assured him it was a WP site. He left again and then came back to tell me he was mistaken, apparently, he had misread the name I gave him.
I’m so glad I didn’t pass on any more names to him otherwise we could have been there all day!
Good grief, Sue. Oh, my chats were easily that long. Thank you for the effort anyway.
I am not sure why they call them ‘Happiness Engineers’. When I used to call such departments at work, they were referred to as ‘1-800-welcome to hell’ .
🙂 Thanks a lot AnneMarie
Sometimes I think blogging is easier than organizing and doing all the backend job for the blog 😅
Quite so, Ribana. Thank you very much
The jetpack/backend quip probably would’ve gone right over their heads. 😀
You may well be right, Widders. Thanks very much
I wish I could help but I am barely keeping up!
I always thought the Happiness Engineers to be dressed as clowns and be great at children’s parties. Doing magic tricks and serving cake!
Great description. Thanks very much, Rose
I still haven’t fathomed out what to do with my free WP v photo storage issue – I tried deleting a fair few posts but garnered no solution. But yesterday as I wrote about Tammy, Ink…etc I felt it would be good to just describe in words, rather a picture. It will mean less blog but maybe give me an insight into “just words”
I began with just words. Now I try both. Thanks very much, Catherine.