Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Dog Life | Posted on 19-02-2010
Tags: blog redesign, broken link checker, plugin, WordPress
No training update this week. Instead, just a quick note to say that I’m plugging away at the many glitches from our recent redesign and blog platform shift. My main goal, for now, is to find and fix all the broken links in the site.
Ron Doyle, a writer/blogger friend, recommended a plugin called Broken Link Checker. It seems to be finding the broken links (mostly times when I link back to previous blog posts within our site), but the process of fixing them is tedious.
On my first try today, it found close to 270 broken links. Some are actual links, which take a few minutes to find the new URL and fix. Some are links to uploaded photos or audio, which means figuring out what’s missing, finding the photo or audio in my hard drive archives (if I can), then uploading into the new database behind the blog.
Tic-toc.
I supposed it’s a good snowy/foggy/cold Friday afternoon thing to do, but … whew! Overwhelming.
So, I guess I’ll try to fix a handful each day, until I’m done. I also need to reinvent the blog roll for both dog blogs and such, but also for the many other-topic blogs I like.
I know the change was a good decision, but still. This is beastly.
If you’ve been through this and know a faster way, do tell. My sanity and eyesight might just depend upon it.
Have a good weekend. I hope to have more Puppy Porn next week since neighborhood sweetie Nadi had her puppies. I’ve asked if I can visit them this weekend.
Oh, and if it ever stops snowing on the weekends, we hope to reschedule a visit from Katie, Lilly’s best best friend.
DK and I confabbed via email over the weekend, and we fear what might happen within the blog code if I tried her search and replace idea since what I need to get rid of is very code-like.
KB, don’t be too afraid. Remember I had 3+ years of content to move and about a million other things to worry about. That could account for my glitches. I would say if you are looking to make a switch … do it sooner rather than later.
Thanks, Writer’s Inner Journey, for the vote of confidence. I’ll keep at it, as I have time.
It sounds like you’re getting some good suggestions. But, you’re making me scared ever to make a switch. I’d been starting to consider making one. Now, I’m shrinking away in fear.
When I switched my blog platforms I remember there being a ramp-up period (with a few unexpected detours–unexpected, too, b/c I didn’t know what to expect!) before things felt like home again. I learned it’s more about taking a long view (no, not years!) to get the kinks ironed out. You’ll be running smooth in no time. And Ron’s input is always excellent.
There is a wordpress plugin called “search and replace” that may help. if most of your links are to previous blog posts, I will bet that the error you are finding is consistent (in my case, everything moved from TTH.com/news/ to TTH.com). Thus, I did one massive search for the longer string and replaced it with the shorter string. That fixed 99% of my broken links in, oh, 30 seconds. Just make sure you are clear about the old and new – because it will find EVERYTHING that you list.
I could just CRY. I must have done something wrong when I fixed all the Relaxation Protocol file links because now the whole page is missing from the sidebar.
AUGH!!!!!
Not the way to end a Friday at all.
Aw, I was looking forward to the Training Update. No worries, I’m sure reading about Lilly’s rendezvous with Katie will make up for it.