Yesterday - thanks to my friend, colleague in nefarious subterranean political activities, fellow Sound Politics blogger and internet magnate Andy MacDonald - Rosenblog completed it's migration to a new host server and an updated software platform. (Bloggers and others who link here, no worries: the URL is the same for the blog and all my archived posts). Thanks Andy, you're the greatest! All I can say is, if any of you have to do something like this and aren't a certified geek, or lucky enough to know someone like Andy with whom you can informally barter professional services, DON'T try to do it yourself. We migrated a 1,200 blog-entry database from my old server to a new one, including all the templates and custom design my guy Phil in Portland did such a great job on earlier this year.

At one point it looked like we were going to have to cut and paste in each of the several hundred files that comprise the blogging software program because they couldn't be batched and dropped onto the new server, but Andy tracked down a utility program off the Internet that did the job. There were a number of other challenges that would have fazed mere mortals, and Andy dealt with it all, in his usual expedient yet non-caffienated manner.

We've parked the blog on Moveable Type 3.2, an upgrade from 2.661 version I was using. As you may have noticed, comments are back on. While commercial comment spammers will die a cruel death, the rest of you are highly encouraged to participate. Civil dissent is always welcome. I would appreciate it if ALL the fans of gold teeth grills and Tupac would watch the language they use.

I want to also give a very big thank you to my friend and blogfather Howard Hansen, who so graciously offered me free hosting way back in January of 2004, and who selflessly dealt with the occasional server outages, making sure Rosenblog stayed accessible to its teeming readership. (We've passed 400,000 page views or "hits," and are approaching our 250,000th visitor - both figures derived only since installing Site Meter 18 months ago - that was actually five months after Rosenblog went live). You're a mensch, Howard, and the world will continue to hold you responsible for whatever I do in the blogosphere. Don't say you weren't warned!

TECHNORATI TAGS: BLOGS, BLOGGING, ROSENBLOG, ANDY MACDONALD, HOWARD HANSEN, MOVEABLE TYPE, SITE METER

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at December 9, 2005 11:56 AM