Nothing much to tell today about my research as about my recent computer disasters. But that’s just griping. And I’m tired of hearing myself gripe. Well, once more. Some of you have heard my sad tale already about my computer dying last Friday morning, taking it to the shop, getting it back 5:00 pm Friday. It worked great for about an hour, it went to sleep and when I went back to it…nothing. . 

Not counting on getting it fixed but taking it back anyway to
same place locally Saturday, driving 45 minutes to buy a new one because I couldn’t depend on the old one working, getting home and hooking up the new computer Saturday evening only to find that my monitor has died, having to drive another 45 minutes (closest Best Buy is in Peachtree City) Sunday to buy  a new monitor. I couldn’t get the old, now working (maybe) computer back from the shop until 1:00 pm Monday. 

In the meantime, I took my overpriced, underused macbook air to have it appraised (PeachMac) for sale only to find anything they’d offer me ($800) would be on store credit only. Best Buy valued this $1,200 laptop as $0 because there’s a new model that has been introduced recently. I really don’t want anything from Apple anymore. My iPod won’t even sync with music on the computer. Maybe I’ll try again with new computer. 
 
Whew. End of semester anxiety. But it will be over
soon. (Won't it?)

So, the progress I’ve made (today) on web site, which is my 20% project, is getting a whole new theme and re-arranging a lot of stuff. Since all the web sites (a ton of them) for my 20% project are on the old computer, I wasn’t able to do much to the links pages. 
 
I’m sorry. I know everybody has computer problems from time to time. I’m fortunate that this time they didn’t hit until just after a major project was due for Reading class. But now there’s another due and I’ve lost 3 days. 

Since I switched themes, there’s even more to do on the site:
changing pictures, page arrangement, etc. I can see where this could be full-time job for someone.

I guess what I'm saying is underscoring what Eunice has always said: have a plan B when it comes to technology. I didn't, and it cost me some big headaches.

Thinking about reorganizing this web site already.  As we know, very little in life falls neatly into categories, and so the pages on this site won’t, either. The heart of this site will eventually be the links to other sites in history, government, etc. But how will this site be any different, much less better than any other similar site? I don’t know. Maybe it won’t be. 

But I’m planning that it will be…for my students, at least. That’s why I’m setting it up now as I think the beginning framework should be, and counting on students to make suggestions later as to how it can be most useful to them once it’s really in use. 

I’m not satisfied with the home page. It looks like a site that I wouldn’t want to spend much time investigating if I had just found it for the first time. 

This is going to take a lot of tweaking.