You may have noticed that The Non-Consumer Advocate has been running slowly, usually not showing the latest blog post and telling readers that their comments didn’t go through even when they did! It’s annoying for readers and unbearably frustrating for me, as every blog post I wrote refused to show up properly, and it meant that I started each day feeling like I was technologically in over my head.
Crap, crap, crappity-crap!
I tried to do what I could from behind the scenes, but let’s face it, I’m a doctor not a bricklayer I’m a writer not a computer programmer. And I certainly don’t budget the hundreds of dollars it takes to hire some fancy computer programmer to magically fix all the computer glitches. (See? I think it’s magic, not coding!)
But my friend Kirsten sent me a link to WPFixit.com, (not an affiliate link) whose website asks:
“Do you have a WordPress issue that is driving you mad? If so let us fix it for you. We will fix any single issue for only $39*. If we can’t fix it we will refund your money. You have nothing to lose!!!”
Hmm . . . “Any single issue?” My blog was having four issues that I could immediately think of:
- Whenever I published a blog post, it told me that it timed out and gave an error message, when in actuality the post was going through.
- The blog would often show an old blog post on the front page.
- Readers got an error message whenever they commented, and then told them “you’ve already said that” when they tried again. (I’d been noticing that blog posts were getting fewer and fewer comments, which meant readers were starting to give up.)
- It was taking forever to load photos.
So I explained one problem and wrote that it was most likely related to everything else. (One problem, many components, right?) For $39.99, I was willing to give it a try.
First they reinstalled WordPress and increased my server memory limit, then they removed my cache and lastly condensed the 2249 photos I’d uploaded over the past six years. All for the low, low price of $39.99! (The only negative I can think of is that the computer tech called me “pretty lady” which creeped me out a bit. Leftover I guess from a fair amount of unwanted male attention when I was younger.)
And whattayaknow? The blog is now functioning properly again!!! Comments are going through, posts are easily published and the whole blog is simply running faster!
I feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I realize that wanting to scream into a pillow every time I wrote a blog post made me hate writing, which is not the right mindset to work on a book proposal. To quote George Costanza:
“Serenity now, serenity now.”
Please, enjoy the new and improved Non-Consumer Advocate. Courtesy of WPFixit.com and a certain pretty lady.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
This explains why your blogposts didn´t show on my bloglovin until now. I´ve been in here reading anyway but I want to se when you post new posts…
I wasn’t showing up in your Bloglovin? Happy to hear *that* got fixed as well!
So glad to hear this!
By the way, I don’t know if this is the case for everyone else, but at the top of each post for me, there’s a big white space between the post title and the actual post. Almost like a phantom paragraph.
If it’s just me, it’s no big deal or anything!
Nope, not just you. It’s been there since I added a Fecbook “Like” button to the top of my posts. I guess I’m not done fixing all the glitches yet. 😉
Katy
Just noticed the “Fecbook” typo. I love it, am owning it and am going to keep it!!!!!
I can think of a few more typos along those lines that might be appropriate for Facebook, but since this is a family-friendly blog, I’ll refrain from sharing. In any case, I’m glad most of the WordPress glitches have been fixed; I’ve been shying away from commenting lately because of these.
Loved your shout out to Star Trek and Dr. McCoy. “The Devil in the Dark” is one of our favorite episodes. So glad the “horta” that has been deviling your blog is now healed.
It actually was George’s dad, Frank Costanza who used ‘Serenity Now’. Such a great episode.
So glad that your blog is fixed. I was bummed when your entries were not popping to top of blog reader, then I would remember to look. The silver lining was there would be five posts of goodness to read but I prefer to get them ‘fresh’ out of the oven.
Kit
PS – Congratulations to your husband. Thank you to him for his service – yes it is his job but he sounds like he goes far beyond the call of duty.
I stand corrected. “Hoochie Mama!”
Oh Frank Costanza—I miss you!
Thank goodness you’re back! Money well spent! I just thought you weren’t blogging because you were on your trip. Now I have some delightful catch-up post reading to do!
Hallelujiah!! And Hurray for friends who share links!!
So nice when something makes everyone on both sides happy! A win for you and a win for your readers. There is no end of happy in non-consumerland today!
It works, it really works!
Yay! I have been unable to comment for soooooo long. (But of course I still read fathfully.) Oh happy day. 🙂
PS: It’s days later, but I’m still laughing over the “I’m a doctor not a bricklayer” quote from ST. 🙂
Happy to oblige.
Live long and prosper,
Katy
Oh my goodness! Katy, THANK YOU for posting this! I spent 3 days trying to get a header banner to work on my site and even though I figured out what I believe is a “hey, let’s just duct tape this here for now” solution, it still is giving me issues with my mobile site. Plus, I’m not 100% happy on how my blog posts are showing in full length on my home page. Posting this, you just saved me hours and hours of headaches, tears, and too much ice cream eating. Thank you for sharing!!!
Hey Katy,
I’m so glad this all got worked out and that WPFixit could help! We friends gotta stick together!
Kirsten
It’s not just you. I also think the “pretty lady” comment is out of line.
There’s simply no way to read that line and not hear it as unwelcome.
Dammit Jim!
Congrats on the fix!
At least your computer tech didn’t call you “Miss Katy.” It is a Southern/Texas thing I get from the Customer Services I have to call.
So glad you are all fixed …I was not seeing any new posts and thought you stopped blogging ! Frugal today…besides hitting the bottom of my pump bottle of moisturizer I now took out the pump, peered in, yep, lots more in there….so I am using a qtip (generic) to get it out….so far I have 4 days more from when I thought it was DONE.
Yeah !
It was money well spent. Thank you. I hated not knowing if my comments would post and a few times I questioned my sanity when posts would show up for the first time days past the post date.
I’m so glad your blog is fixed. It’s running so much faster and I don’t get a message that my comments were eaten (even though they weren’t)! Yay!
Thanks for the great post, pretty lady. Hehe
If I may, I would also like to give a mention to another such site, wpemergencyroom.com (which I personally use). Very affordable. In fact, unmatched. They are really good.