Hello again; Today, I’m going to pick up my story where I left off. If you remember, my brother had left me to take a high paying job with Floyd and Baxter. I didn’t have the money to hire a webmaster, and I’m not sure I would have felt comfortable turning over the keys to the car to just anyone. I didn’t even know what html, php, and java all really meant. But I had a business to run and a website to maintain. So, I knew I had to learn how.
This is a screen shot from just before I moved the site to word press. I told you it was bright. 🙂
Learning to manage the site myself
I told my brother I didn’t know where to start. Michael said to start small. He advised me to find a ftp, file transfer protocol, program that I could access with speech and download the current version of the site to my computer. Then, he said and this is critical max make a copy of that folder in another place on your hard drive. He couldn’t be more clear that doing this would save my life at some point. I believed him and followed his instructions.
He said once you have a back up then start making small changes. He said pay attention to the format and the symmetry of the code he had written. He walked me through it saying then you upload the modified files and see if the site still works. If that works, then you can try more changes later. So, I did as he said and I did pretty well. I made a mess of some of his code, but I didn’t break anything I couldn’t fix.
I got pretty good at updating the existing site so the information on it was current. But people who know me know that good enough is not something I can live with for long. I wanted to do more with the site. I signed up for several email lists that catered to blind web masters or blind computer users. When people tired of answering my simple questions, I was instructed to check out the w3c school online.
I found their website and worked my way through their tutorials. I read about creating a home page and choosing a color pallet. I didn’t have much vision at the time, but I remembered how good my old game trailer looked. It had yellow walls to hang all the prizes on.
I had no way of knowing what colors went with which color numbers, so i kept it simple. I just chose the color names allowing the system to give m the default color for that name. I picked yellow for the background, blue for the text, and red for links. I would find out later that the yellow i chose was an eye screaming version of the color. And it made the brick red and navy blue look more harsh. I don’t think it was as pretty as i envisioned it in my mind. I did use that color scheme for several years and most people put up with it. I now understand that websites are better with simple black and white for txt and links with images making up the color.
Next, after learning about colors, I worked on adding meta tags, links to other sites, and embedding images. Learning how to add the tags for title, description, and keywords was very simple. The harder part was learning how to properly use them. I had to read a lot of articles online before I felt Like I knew what should be included in each and how many characters or terms to use.
Adding links was pretty straight forward. Links are easy because the format is symmetrical. At least that is how I see the process in my mind. I will admit that even with sound those less than and grater than signs start to run together. The worst part about adding links is that if you forget even one character the link not only won’t work but it will keep other items farther down on the page from working as well. Sometimes, It would take me a long time to figure out exactly what character I left out where. One thing that did make the whole process easier is that html documents can b opened in your browser for testing prior to uploading.
Th hardest one of this bunch was adding photos. The process is the same whether you are posting an image for display only or if you are wanting the image to be a link to another page on your site. In order to have the image show up you have to include information that tells computers where the file is located on your site, the dimensions in height and width, and the link you want to open when someone clicks on the image.
However, I still had to learn about the alt tag for photos. This tag adds a description to the image that will be read by screen readers. I had to add these tags to all my images so I could check to see if they were loaded properly. If you are building websites I beg you to add alt tags to all your images as they are the only way a totally or mostly blind person will know there are images on your sites.
I had a lot of trouble with embedding photos. No matter how careful I was I would often end up with a blank square on my site where the image should have ben. Sometimes it was putting in the wrong dimensions. Other times the photo name was wrong or the path specifying the location of the file was wrong. If even one letter was off say by being capitalized instead of lower case or the other way around it wouldn’t work.
A lot of the time I was working on my own either in the house trailer on a festival or fair location or at home by myself while the family went and worked the food trailer. So, I got in the habit of posting updated pages to face book and asking my friends to tell me how it looked. at least this way I could know if I had blank holes on the site or not. I still post new listing and videos to face book and linked in for feedback prior to including an item in a mass mailing or social media blitz. I always got more responses to the posts asking people to check my work than I get most of the time to completed posts.
I have since switched to using word press for my site and don’t need as much feedback as I used to. Although I still ask people for their opinions. as a blind person the one thing I can never be 100 percent sure of is the visual appeal of the website. I still get emails telling me the site is plain looking and that I should hire this company or that to make it more powerful. But I prefer to keep it simple. If nothing else I figure that simple is easier for my target audience as a high percentage of visitors to my site are using a cell phone, tablet, laptop, or other mobil device to access the web.
Becoming a mac user
I mentioned working on the site from the road. This reminds me of how I became a mac user. I knew that if I were going to be running a website from the road I would need a laptop. So, I went and bought a nice one on credit. I installed a copy of Jaws for windows on it to give it speech. I used it for several months with no problems. Then it crashed on me. It was under warrantee so I took it back to the store where I bought it. They got it running again but I lost a lot of data. This happened a couple more times. Finally, they determined that the mother board was damaged and that this wasn’t covered in the warrantee.
I wanted to get a new laptop but this time I did my research. I found out that the reason the laptop broke is that they weren’t intended to run a screen reader along with the usual programs. It turned out that the only way to be sure the next computer would last would have been to purchase an external sound card. The extra expense would have made the total cost to high for me to have afforded. And the idea of having to have an external sound card on a laptop just seems silly.
About this time Michael heard about Apple’s computers having a screen reader called voiceover built into it as part of the operating system. He asked me if I wanted to give them a try. I asked him what one would cost. He said well mac’s are more expensive, but he told me we could upgrade the operating system on an ibook 4 or ibook 5 to a late enough version that i would be able to try out the speech without investing a lot of money.
He decided to help make up my mind by offering to buy a used one on Ebay. The ibook didn’t have an intel processor. And using it was a lot different than using windows. But I finally started getting the hang of it. I liked it enough that a year or so later me, patrick, and my mom pooled our money to buy a brand new mac book computer. It had one gigabyte of memory and a 150 gigabyte hard drive, but it was great. I loved it and had it for four years. I only replaced it because the hard drive was full and it was starting to act funny.
I had just made a good sale and decided that I better invest in some new equipment. I bought a brand new 13 inch macbook pro. It has 4 gigabytes of ram and a 500 gigabyte hard drive. I didn’t spring for the new solid state hard drives mainly because they were only available in 700 gb at that time. Apple has continued their mission of offering built in support for the blind and visually impaired as well as people with other physical disabilities.
I don’t own an Iphone, Ipod, or Ipad; but I have finally accepted the value of having an i device. This is because there are a lot of helpful programs available for the i devices that aren’t offered on a laptop or aren’t available in versions that are as accessible as their ios counterparts. Some of these include apps for sirius xm radio, the national library service for the blind, face book, twitter, youtube, etc.
So, I had my computer problem solved and I was starting to learn how to build and maintain my website. But I was still having trouble getting new listings. Heck, I had trouble just getting people to return my phone calls or answer my emails. Next time, i will tell you what I did to start turning this around.
Coaching and speaking
For a while now I have been offering to serve as a mentor or coach. I don’t have any formal training, so I have been offering this for free. I did this hoping to gain experience before starting to charge people. So far, no one has taken me up on this offer. I made a similar offer concerning speaking to groups. I said I would do it for basic expenses only. I haven’t had the first nibble on this one either. Having decided that people are more likely to seek help and follow the suggestions when they invest in their own development I will be establishing a fee schedule for both to take effect September 1st. The final decision will be posted to the site. In the mean time I would appreciate your opinions and suggestions on this issue.
Sharing is caring
I want to thank all my wonderful friends who have supported me and the new blog by leaving comments and sharing my posts. I have done my best to show my appreciation by doing the same for you. I hope to be able to continue this policy of reciprocation. I look forward to your thoughts on this one.
I love hearing from my readers and look forward to meting you online and getting to know you better. So feel free to write to me through the contact form. Whether you have a question, or need some encouragement, or just want to talk; I’m here for you. I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks for reading and take care out there, Max
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This post looks good Max. I appreciate the black print on white background. I think it is easiest to read and I also think that the simplicity of it focuses the reader on the story you want to tell. There are a number of things that you could have added to make the post appear more attractive and but sometimes those things are not so much attractive as they are distractive.
Hi Ken; thanks for the confirmation of the basic black text on white background being best. when i have photos or videos then i will use them to add the color. and I try to remember to break up posts with headers bulet points and links. looking forward to getting to know you and sharing posts and comments. take care my friend, max
Hi Max,
Interesting to read all about how you switched your site 🙂
It reminded me of the time when I had my first blog on Blogger platform and the various free themes and colors I’d tried too. I guess initially you don’t really know what works and what doesn’t, so you tend to choose what you like or what you feel would look good or what others tell you might look good. But you are right, with time things change as we learn more.
Simplicity is the key, in everything I think, especially online. White and black rules most site, though you can always add color here and there, no harm in that, but black fonts on a white background are always easier to read.
True, adding links and images is not easy for a newbie, though you learn very soon once you get the hang of it. Adding alt tags are essential even for the search engines more than anything else. I never somehow had any issues with either or perhaps the theme only chose images of a particular dimension once you set it at that.
Honestly speaking, I’ve never tried a Mac as I’ve actually been working online for a few years, and never had much to do except write! So, my computer and later my Laptop were enough for that, though I hear that Mac is good and the i devices as well. Perhaps the next investment might be in that if funds permit 😉
I think you’d make a wonderful coach and mentor, especially after your guest post on my blog because you have the power to inspire and motivate people. Don’t worry if the pace is low as yet, once people know, they’d come to you – just keep going!
Thanks for sharing a part of your journey with us. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
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Hi Harleena; thanks for your wonderfully thoughtful comment. We do learn and have to learn so much as we progress in blogging. I am so glad that I don’t have to hand code my site any more. I only occasionally have to enter or edit html. Thanks for your encouragement concerning coaching. I didn’t expect it to happen over night, but I did hope to have more interest. You are right a lot of people only got to know me after reading my guest post. and so many of them did comment on how inspiring my story is or how i helped them in a moment of crisis. I replied to all comments and even sent a few emails. just need to continue sharing my story, taking advantage of opportunities for exposure, and being patient that it will all come in time; and the results will be there eventually. thanks again my friend. just because I motivate others doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally need to be inspired myself. take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…9 Things You Should Do For a Happy Relationship
Changing over from PC to Mac was definitely a journey for me but I’ve loved just about every minute of it. W3 is pretty cool and helpful for those situations when a quick reference is needed. They’ve bailed me out of a lot of CSS/HTML conundrums!
Great read! Thanks for sharing.
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hi carl; I’m glad you liked it. the learning curve on a mac is a bit steep. but once you figure it out, it becomes intuitive. I think it was easier because I wasn’t trying to switch between windows and mac. and i’m looking forward to getting an iOS device just not sure if i want an iPhone or a tablet. thanks carl, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Congratulations Max on all you’ve accomplished and I must say that you are fortunate to have a brother like Michael that you can call on. I really like the way you are constantly learning and doing. I love learning so really enjoy reading the way you go about it.
all the best as you move into your next venture.
Lenie
Lenie recently posted…Culinary, Cosmetic, Antiseptic and More…..BASIL Does It All.
thanks leni; I’m still amazed that so many people enjoy hearing about my journey. makes me wish I had started telling it sooner so so much of it didn’t have to be in the past tense. This whole idea of being an inspiration, doing coaching and or speaking is certainly not what I expected. I’m looking forward to it. I think its going to be just as much fun as it is terrifying sometimes. I enjoy your posts too. As you can probably tell I’m kind of frugal myself. 🙂 Thanks again and take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Max, I’ve always used Mac computers so I can’t compare your experience of switching to one I didn’t have. I did buy a pc laptop once and thoroughly hated it and was relieved when it died and I had a reason to return to my beloved Mac products.
I can relate your story of learning how to create websites. It was a long road for me and I often thought I’d never get it right. I can remember wondering if I could ever just look at code and find errors.
So I find it really remarkable that you were able to achieve this without being able to see the code. Three cheers for you and your persistence! As always, you are in inspiration!
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hi Beth; thanks for your kind words. Me and michael have actually had conversations about the subject of which is easier or harder editing code with sight or speech. He tells me that when looking at a monitor the less thans and greater thans start to look like x’s or rombusses. He thinks i have it easier. I tell him maybe but it seems to me that a sighted person can scan the page and find the problem quicker. just glad I’m in word press now and only occasionally have to write or edit html any more. Just hope michael knows how much I appreciate him should he read these posts. Thanks for the support and take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Mac computer will be a great investment for you. We have a Mac computer and it is the greatest gift we bought for ourselves. We bought it for my husband who was postponing it for a long time. Finally, I was able to save enough to give it as a birthday gift. The i products are very user friendly. They are easy to use . I am glad you find the help needed to make your website up and running efficiently. You are very persistent with your goals. Each week I am eagerly waiting to read about your journey.
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Hi Bindu; you don’t know how much it means to hear that you look forward to my posts. Just wish I had started sharing sooner so more of it could have been recorded while it was happening. thanks for your support and encouragement. Take care my friend, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
I do not have a mac, but I do understand about trying to do this stuff on your own. Every day, I am learning something different and new with my computer. Thanks for sharing your experience.
William Rusho recently posted…The BIG DAY is almost here: Release of my novel
hi; you are also learning all the ins and outs of getting a book published. when you learn you have to stretch yourself to meet new challenges. I applaud your efforts. am working on a self published ebook myself and wish you the best of luck, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
I’m amazed and inspired that you continue to persevere through some tasks that one might think insurmountable! I’m not a mac fan…but Dell has served me well since the 1980’s! LOL It’s a matter of preference, I guess. But back to your story…glad that you managed to make all of this work for you!
Hi Jacqueline; I understand that computer models like a lot of things are a matter of choice. with me mac served me well where windows machines had failed me. and I’m glad my stories can inspire others. take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Hi Max, There is a saying, “Once you revert you never convert”.
I can relate to your experience of switching to a Mac. At first I hated it, partly because I hadn’t installed all that programs as instructed… LOL. Now I don’t know what I would do without it. I had a Microsoft laptop for visitors ones who weren’t accustomed to Macs. I finally gave it away to a charity in disparate need of laptops. 🙂
Creating websites is an adventure, one I can definitely relate to. It was a long road for me, one I thought would never end. Then I decided my time was better spent on other things and hired and web-guy. That was the best decision ever. Regardless you inspired me with the fact that you where able to achieve what you did without being able to see. I applaud (standing ovation) you and your persistence. 🙂
Susan Cooper recently posted…Easy Herb Butters: #Recipe
Hi Susan; is that kind of like saying once you go mac you never go back? haha I have heard from windows users that the most recent versions of their operating systems look more and more like mac. I just know that apple has proven their commitment to accessibility over and over again. and it is just a product of the times that more programmers are creating applications for the iOS devices instead of the desktops and laptops. as for the website tony robins says that you can do anything once you come to the conclusion that you don’t have a choice. I was blessed to meet ashley faults and have him help with the site. as my income improves I do plan to give up some of my control. I would love to hire him full time and believe that the funds to do so are on their way. I don’t know where they will come from but I know they are coming. 🙂 Glad I can continue to inspire you and others who read my posts. I accept the standing obation. I’m picturing you cheering loudly and throwing flower petals like they used to do. take care my friend. xoxo max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
You are an inspiration Max. To be able to do all of that while blind is truly impressive. You would probably just say that you do what you go to do, which is true.
I am new to your site, but were you not blind before? How did you become blind? I ask because you said you picture the colors in your mind. This is going to be ignorant of me, but do people who have always been blind know what color looks like? Do you ever wonder how everything is relative and maybe my red is different than your red : O. : D
Sebastian Aiden Daniels recently posted…3 Conversational Tools to Help Decrease Pesky Social Anxiety
Hi Sebastian; I am glad I can inspire people by sharing my story. I noticed you used the question method in this comment. 😉 I don’t mind your asking since you don’t know me, haven’t been reading my posts long, and most importantly you have a sincere wish to know the answer. I was born with retenitus pigmntosa or rp. I had perfect vision as a child. I started losing my vision at age four. I lost most of it by age 12 or so. So, I remember colors. However, there has been an explosion of new colors since i could still see. I often have trouble when ordering products online or over the phone trying to figure out what color some new creation is in my limited 64 color crayola coloring box of colors to choose from. 🙂 The use of a simple black and white website means that thankfully I don’t have to worry about wether my idea of a particular color matches with what it really looks like. Thanks for your support and the question. Best of luck, Max
I did use the question method hehe : D. The name Retinus Pigmentosa sounds intense in it of itself. That had to be extremely difficult : /. I wonder how people who were born blind think about the world. Haha that is true. There are a ton of colors. Blue, Turquiose, Aqua blue, Sky blue, and so much more!
I prefer the simplistic approach to websites. I think it tends to make it look more slick, which I enjoy. Have a great week.
Sebastian Aiden Daniels recently posted…3 Conversational Tools to Help Decrease Pesky Social Anxiety
Max I was in the computer industry for many years. That first year the Mac came out (it was either 1984 or 1989) I was hooked. Been with Mac since then. And I have an iPhone, iPod and a hand me down iPad from my husband. I’m all – eyed up.
Getting speaking engagements, even when you are not charging a fee, takes time, energy and marketing. If you have a 20 minute version of what you want to help people with, and an idea for what to offer for them in the way of a product to get to know you better after they hear you, start contacting your local civic and professional organizations. Kiwanis, Rotary, Jaycees etc. Ask for the Program Chair. This kind of groups meet weekly and usually need 52 speakers a year! You could be one for sure. Best wishes for that next journey step.
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Hi Patricia; I think my next device will be the iPhone. I’m kind of the frugal type so the idea of getting something that would be a phone and a iOS device appeals to my cheap nature. I have several videos I need to record. Th truth is the worst of our summer has finally arrived and its hard finding enough energy. I will have to force myself to get after it. I could also use some suggestions as to transportation. that could have something to do with why hI haven’t promoted myself as well as I should have. I now know I have more to determine at least with the speaking. thanks for your suggestions, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Hi Max, you certainly have accomplished a lot and continue to do more. It is certainly a lesson to the rest of us to keep on truckin even when things get tough. As for using Mac I have never. It’s not that I have something against them it has just never fallen my way. The PC has always seen me through. Glad everything is working out Max and enjoy following your story.
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hi tim; yes, the mac has worked for me but i wouldn’t have switched if it hadn’t been for windows models not serving my needs. and if windows computers all had speech built into them i might not be a mac user either. and I do my best to keep going partly because I have to and now partly because I have a community of people following my posts who depend on them at least a little bit. thanks for your encouragement, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Hi Max,
WOW! I remember the pioneer days of the web like it was yesterday. Experimenting with colored backgrounds and text… Pictures, what were those? Dial-up internet connections could barely handle downloading them let alone uploading.
That is definitely a bright, bright yellow color. Just in the small pic it got my attention. I can imagine how it felt on the eye on a old CRT screen. Probably not nearly as bad since they tended to be much duller than the brighter hd type screens of today.
I really enjoyed your post. It was like taking a stroll down memory lane. Oh, how far we’ve come. Can you imagine what we’ll be saying in ten or fifteen years from now?
Hope you have a great week!
~ Don Purdum
Hi don; thanks for that comment. I hadn’t even thought about this bringing back tech memories for people. Yes dial up was heck especially for someone like me working in a business where seeing the item for sale is critical. I was told the yellow was eye screaming on more than one occasion. 🙂 I know some bloggers who dictate their posts on their iPhones and upload them without using a keyboard or a mouse or anything. and we’ve all seen how much more video is a part of what we do now because of the ease of recording videos and the wide access to high speed internet. thanks again and take care, max
Max, for what it’s worth, I like the way your blog looks. It’s not boring, but is simple and clean and I think it really works. Also, my mom is a life coach and she says the same thing about fees. She points out that especially in coaching, you need your client to value themselves and their time with you, and it helps to put a price on that. It gives your client a sense of accountability and accomplishment. Plus, they’ll really listen to you, if they’re paying you!
Meredith Wouters recently posted…Turn Any Flat Surface into a Dry Erase Board
Hi Max. I definitely agree that you should charge something for your time. It isn’t to make a profit at this point, but as you said, have people invest in their own development. I was wanting to give my services away when starting as a food coach, but I was urged not to. When I helped people for free, they always told me how grateful they were, but never followed through with diet changes or took it seriously. When people made a small investment, people took it much more seriously. On a separate note, I’ve pondered getting a Mac. I have an Iphone, but the rest of my technology is Windows based.
Max, thanks for letting us see the uniqueness of your process. The many ways communication takes place always fascinates me. One possibility for you to get speaking engagements and some practice would be to contact local public schools and teachers. You could offer to speak to students in a classroom setting and maybe later develop a talk to give at assemblies.
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I love my Mac laptop and my iPhone. Yes, I have thought the same thing about my writing. I do have a certificate in creative writing, but I have considered going back to school for more. At this point I just think I could’ve written more and been further along if I had been willing to put myself out there and not fear rejection so much all these years. Starting now feels like starting way late and far behind others. It takes time.
Hi Kerry; even if you had started writing more and submitting more at an earlier time, that doesn’t mean your voice would have been any better. You had to get to the place where it was the right time for you to take the step and start sharing your work. I’m sure you are going to be a well known author some day, and your friends will get to say I knew her before she was famous. 🙂 . Take care, Max
Hey Max, you continue to amaze me with all your endeavors. I am even scared of moving sites myself so its inspiring to see you did. On the coaching and mentoring, maybe you can look up mentorship programs and register as one. I am on the “Student Sponsorship Program as a mentor myself.
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welli; thanks so much for that suggestion. I think the one thing I’ve learned from this post is I haven’t done enough to promote the coaching and speaking to be making any decisions about it. And hearing how my posts effect readers really helps keep me going. Good luck with your mentoring, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Hi Max. I can relate to some of the technical conundrums you faced with maintenance from my own foray into the wonderful world of blog, about a year ago. What seemed like a foreign language at the beginning, gradually took some shape (with a healthy investment in the ” … For Dummies” book series). The WordPress platform has gradually become more familiar, but I am still leery of anything that requires code change beyond plugins. I’ve been a PC lifer and will likely subscribe to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy … until it breaks. Congratulations on your achievements and good luck with your future initiatives.
Hi Derrick; Glad to hear that you managed to get online with word press in such a short period of time. The best part about wp is that you can generally find a plug in to do just about anything. although I’m noticing more and more posts that advise against using multiple plug ins though. Thanks for your encouragement. good luck to you too, Max
That’s been quite a journey…
Congratulations on the Mac! For me it was the first love, then I married a PC guy, but I have returned to it a few years ago. Apparently The PC guy would, too, if PC’s were not his job LOL
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Hi Eve; thanks for your comment. I find more and more people would use mac if given a choice. windows is starting to include speech as part of the operating system, but they have a long way to go. I do like the voice they are using, but so far its only available for their office product. Best of luck to you and your hubby, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Max, just getting a new computer going is enough of a headache, without switching platform from PC to Mac. Working through all the little glitches and learning curves takes patience. Seems you have it! Well done.
Sue Hines recently posted…Your Inner Sage
Hi sue; thanks for the complement. I find I have lots of patience persistence and perseverance. I appreciate your visits. Take care, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Hi Max. Your post reminds me of when I first started out working with Windows, learning HTML and CSS. This was challenging, so I progressed to working with a Mac. As I was so used to Windows, it took me a while to switch over, but eventually grasped the dynamics.
You have proved to us that patience is key and without patience, hardly any learning takes place. Congratulations!
Hi Bola; thanks for the pat on the back. yes it takes patience especially when you are just starting something and have so much to learn. I find that information, technology, and spiritual overwhelm are some of the biggest problems new bloggers and business owners struggle with. glad you also found the mac to be a friendlier platform than windows. Best of luck to you, Max
Max — congratulations on your website and I’m glad you switched to a Mac, which I did several years ago after a catastrophe with a Dell I had bought that was a total lemon .
It is extremely important that you backup your WordPress site. Most people use WordPress’s own backup system called Backup Buddy.
Here is the link to the BackupBuddy home page. http://ithemes.com/purchase/backupbuddy/
Here is a link to a 25% off coupon http://ithemes.com/backupbuddycouponcode/
I hope you do this sooner than later because all our websites are under attack by evil people 24/7.
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Hi Jeannette; i currently use word press to drop box plug in for backing up my site. I like it pretty well. but since I need to pick one for the new site soon as you said, I will definitely give this one a look. thanks again and take care, max
Wow, quite the feat! I switched from a PC to my Mac about four years ago. The learning curve was short, thank goodness. Documenting and sharing your story will be an inspiration to many people who think they can’t do something. It just takes perseverance, effort, and dedication!
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Hi Laurie; thanks for the kind words. I am constantly surprised by how many people leave comments saying that I inspired them or I am an inspiration. I’m happy people enjoy the posts, learn from them, and even look forward to them. thanks so much, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Max, one of the most important things to do in business is to invest in yourself. It’s a great thing to hear that you purchased a Mac and some new equipment! By realizing that you needed to do that, it helped you to take your business up a notch. Good for you!
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Hi Lorraine; Thanks for confirming that for me. I’m a bit of a cheap skate so spending money at all is difficult. For some reason I find it easier to spend money on or for family members than I do for myself even when its something I need. I will try to avoid the expense or go with a product that I don’t really love as long as it does the job and saves some money. so it was not only about investing in myself it was also realizing that I and my business deserved to be invested in. If I remember right, your journey started with an investment in a new laptop. good for both of us then. take care my friend. xoxo max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Hello Max,
I still remember my first stage of learning php, the w3school website did helped me a lot. Stick with them because you’re going to learn a lot from that site 😉
The reason i learn php and html was because, Then i was using the blogger blog platform and without learning codes and how they operate, your blogger blog would just be another funny blog.
Blogger blog is fun when you know your way around the platform. i am still using blogger platform and as well as wordpress 🙂
I haven’t tried the Mac because i am still in-love with the windows, but i did see why you switch and to me, i’d say that that’s the best choice to take.
Thanks and do have a wonderful weekend start 🙂
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Hi my friend; It seems most of us who have learned html, php, java, etc; have done it because we had to. And the w3c school is a great place to learn. I have been happy with a mac, and am pleased that they continue to show their commitment to making their products accessible to people with disabilities right out of the box. I’m also happy that it seems microsoft is starting to follow their lead by including their connects technology and speech output on cell phones and some of the windows apps. I appreciate your friendship and you taking the time to read and comment on my posts. Let me know if I can do anything to help you. warm regards, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Hey Max,
You continue to impress me my friend. My goodness, the things you have to go through in the first place with learning all of this and on top of that you have to deal with no sight.
I know that learning about blogging and how to fix things was difficult for me but I would Google it, find a video and then watch them walk me through it and then I would do it along with them. You don’t even have that yet you took what Michael told you and you did it. My goodness, I’m applauding for you as I type.
I’ve never run a Mac although I hear they are just awesome. I’ve always been a PC woman so I would not want to purchase one thing and not be able to interchange them. I hear you can for the most part today but understanding that the speech program you have to have would work better on a Mac then that would be a no brainer for me too.
I can’t believe no one has taken you up on the free coaching bit. My goodness, they’re getting your help for free so shame on them. I think this is a move in the right direction Max, I really do.
Thanks for sharing your story with us and keep them coming. Have a great weekend now.
~Adrienne
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Hi Adrienne; Thanks for your wonderful comment. I am taking a bow as i read this even though i had to grab it out of my spam folder. 🙂 well some people are good at explaining themselves in their videos, but it isn’t the same as watching and following along at home. and I am glad you agree with me on the change for the coaching. as soon as i figure out what I am worth and set a fee then I’ll update the site. I too can’t believe no one took me up on the free offer. But i have only been out there as a motivational teacher for a couple of months now. You may have known i had it in me all along but the general public doesn’t know me yet. so, I just continue commenting and taking advantage of all opportunities. thanks for your love and support my friend. Take care, Max
Hi Max,
I gave up on Windows long ago and made the switch to Mac. There really is no going back. There are quirks but overall I love it!
You perseverance with your website is inspiring. So glad that you are settled in on WordPress. I find the platform to be both robust and flexible.
Continue the progress updates – I enjoy reading them!
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Hi Neena; I’m glad you enjoy the updates. And mac is a very friendly platform for the blind. I’m looking forward to getting an iPhone sometime next month. then i will have even more new things to learn and share. I look forward to your posts as well. take care friend, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Hi Max,
I’m in owe of all the things you’ve been accomplishing, and what you are sharing here is very valuable info. I do not own a Mac, but I can only imagine how a learning curve it’s got to be.
I remember you from when you were looking for comments on your Midway blog and look at you now! Even starting to coach others. What an accomplishment.
By the way, look for my blog tomorrow (Monday) there’s going to be a surprise for you. But I’m sure you’re so used to it now 🙂
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Hi Sylviane; I’m just glad that people find my posts helpful. And offering coaching isn’t the same as having clients, but I take your point. I’ve gone from the guy who had a site and no real clue how to promote it to someone who is here to help others. I imagine that my help will be more in the line of spiritual, inspirational, or motivational than technical but we’ll see. A few months ago I couldn’t have imagined having this blog, seeing myself as an inspiration, or believing I had this much to share with others. And speaking of your surprise, whatever it may be; it never gets old. I think that’s because I’m the guy people see. I’m this carney kid from houston texas who is finding so much more in his path than he ever dreamed. Its all a challenge and its all an adventure. And I’m so glad to know you have you along on this crazy journey. I always look forward to tomorrow morning, but now I know Monday will bring at least one more bit of awesome news than I usually expect. I should mention I don’t always get this awesome news, but I always look for it. You are a good friend. Take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Hi max,
You have written such an amazing experience.:)
You are right for newbies adding images is not that much easy. I have come across many problems with the installation of plugins and much more.
Building a website is not that much easy. It takes years to make a successful blog which can be done only with the hard work and consistency.
WOW! It’s good to know that you are going to switch to Mac. Just 4 days ago my friend bought a Mac and I have gone through it. Mac is totally different from Windows.
I will surely try to learn it more.
Hope you are enjoying this week.:)
~Ravi
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Hi Ravi; You are right in the beginning any of these website building tasks can be difficult to learn and execute. I wish more people knew that they don’t have to know it all, they just have to start from the beginning and learn as they go. thanks for the comment and take care, Max