My, how time flies. On May 14, 2004, RandomConnections first came online. 20 years and nearly 3000 posts later, and the site is still going strong.
I know I’ve said this before on other anniversaries for the site, but here’s a brief history…
In 2003 I started experimenting with blogging. The first iteration was at the URL taylordigitalarts.com (which now points to this website) and at first was a straight html site with no database or real interactivity. I later added an MS-Access database to support the posts.
I posted occasionally. but these were more short posts, more like tweets than blog posts. And, they were pretty cringy.
In 2004 we were planning a drive across country and I wanted a new website to track our travels. I wanted the URL RandomThoughts, but it wasn’t available. RandomConnections was, and that has become my brand for 20 years.
I completely redesigned the site with a bit less…ego. I wrote all of the code myself in ASP with an MS-Access back end. It met my needs at the time.
In 2005 I had added so many posts and photos that it crashed the tiny bit of webspace that I had available. I switched over to a new host and moved to WordPress as my content manager. I’ve been on WordPress ever since.
Lots of things has]ve happened in the last 20 years. Aside from the normal life events (cancer in the family, losing parents, retirement, etc., etc), the website has changed several times. I’ve changed themes and updated as WordPress has made upgrades. I’ve changed hosting companies a couple of times.
The biggest change has been the type of content. I used to do just short posts on a frequent basis. Twitter and Facebook took over that role. Now I post less frequently, but the posts are longer with more research. I think I like that type of post better, and that’s what I’ll continue to do. I’ve also added podcasting to my arsenal. That’s hosted on Podbean, but I link back to things here.
Many times I’ve heard that blogging is dead, passe’, even. I’m not a Luddite, but I’m stubborn. I like writing, and this seems to be the best venue for me. So, I’m not planning to go anywhere. It’s something I do for myself as much as anything. I’m just happy that some of you like to tag along for the ride, and I appreciate that.
Mr Taylor, keep writing the blogs. I enjoy reading them. And love the adventures you take. Your writings make me want to go.
Thank you
Tripp
I, for one, have enjoyed your blog for many years, and I had the pleasure of meeting you on one of the Edisto river trips 2 years ago. Some of my favorite blog posts have been your longer ones. I really appreciate the time and research you put into them. I can’t tell you how many times I have Googled some obscure historic location in SC, or a place I stumbled across in my ramblings, and one of the top results was Random Connections. Your blog is a treasure trove of information, and I hope it goes on forever.