Like all good stories, they have to start somewhere. This one begins back in 2009, when a friend asked me to share some code with him. He didn’t want me to email it to him, instead he wanted me to make a website and post it there and send him the link.
After some initial huffing and puffing, I decided why not? Well to start…I have been giving my buddy hell because he “OnLy WorkS oN hIs WeBsItE” and doesn’t want to play Xbox 24/7 like a normal person. In all honesty though, it was because I didn’t want to admit to him that I had no idea what I was doing. We’ll come back to that trauma topic later, but for now, let’s focus on the bigger factor. This dude was impressive on the early webs, he’d already made a successful online business posting memes…yes, memes. But he was making money (alot) at it, and I wasn’t. And it sort of pissed me off, not at him, but at me. Why am I like this?!?
You see, I could write code. None of that weird internet slang, I’m talking real code. The great originals such as VB and C+t, and if I wanted to get pissed off I’d use JavaScript.
But I used it for work, doing work stuff. Building small applications, automating reports, and a whole bunch of SQL mess of me mostly writing it as difficult as possible. But all of that was work stuff. I had no need for a website. What on earth could I possibly put on one? Then it hit me, I had been duped! You see, my friend had a unique way of telling me how short sighted I am without ever saying the words. That moment opened my eyes.
Ok, so I’m in it. I’m doing this thing. I’m going to make a website and send him this code he’s asking for. So after after a couple of weeks learning the basics (beyond what MySpace taught me about HTML), I finally had a proper site. Basic is being generous, functional I’d say barely, but dammit it was MY website with MY code posted online for the entire world to see. I was proud. So I sent him the link, and the rest was history…
Until one day
You see, I had figured out this web thing. The year was 2018, and my entire web presence was sharing knowledge, for free. Posting what I learned and how I solved, I must have had written 1,000+ articles written, with in depth code explanations or template downloads. I was making money at this. Like real money. It wasn’t enough to quit my day job over, but it also wasn’t anything to ignore either. And then it happened. I got hacked.
To say I was devastated would be an understatement. I was utterly crushed. Everything was gone. 8 years. 8 YEARS! Gone, never coming back. Oof. I’d learn to fight off hackers over the years, but this last one got me and took everything. I also learned a valuable lesson about not storing your only backups on your site. Complete amateur move on my part and deservedly so, now being I’m humbled and realizing it’s actually gone.
I got to admit, that hit took the wind out my sails. The thought of redoing it all and building from the ground up was so overwhelming. So, Ilet it marinate for a bit. One day, I’d say. One Day! Turns out it would take me 5 years to give it another go.
So here I am, doing that. Y’all be gentle this go around…
Writing helps me keep my mind crisp, and I really enjoy sharing what I’ve learned in my experience. I still have templates for download, but I’m using this opportunity to better tailor the content. So please be patient with me while I work through the restart.
Stay tuned,
-Rob
