Hello world

Am I really doing this? Again?

Way back when, I had a web site through my ISP. It was so simple. The URL was simply "http://www.myISP. com/~jedolby". 

That was when internet security was practically zero. I created my HTML pages with Windows Notepad.exe, and I uploaded my pages with Microsoft's MS-DOS "ftp" protocol. Wow. What a wonderful life that was! 

But it didn't take long before the hackers and whoever else made that system unsustainable, and my ISP said, "Hey, you know what? We're just not going to do this anymore! We're discontinuing our member home page products and you will lose all your web space. How about this other web hosting site instead?"

So I tried that for awhile and I liked it. I suppose it got the job done, but it required me to leave Notepad.exe behind and use their web-page development services. I had less control over my content, but it wasn't bad. At least my web pages were ad-free and the images I uploaded were not compressed so much that I couldn't share pictures with a decent resolution.

But then one day, I just got tired of my web content and I decided to delete it. And, man! Did they ever make it easy for me to bail! I selected "Delete" and they deleted it! No questions asked! Not even, "Are you sure?" 

About a month later, I tried to get my site back, but it was gone. And since I was no longer a member, I couldn't reach tech support. I couldn't just contact them and say, "Hey, I deleted my site, but now I've changed my mind. Can you re-instate me?"

My site was gone. I was out in the cold. And that was that. 

Okay. I'm cool. I didn't really need it anyway.

As time went by, I started to miss having my web site. Personal web sites are cozy. They're your own little corner of the internet. Your own little domain. Right? You keep a diary. You share your thoughts and occasionally some pictures. No matter where you are physically. You can get online and read what you wrote in older times. And it's all you. You are your own best friend.

A few years passed. I missed having my own web site and I wanted it back. So I tried a web hosting site. I paid good money to get my domain name back, but after they took my money, all they gave me was a list of products that I had to buy or subscribe to in order to make my web site. Wow. 

When I read through their options, I could never figure them out. Their stuff was so confusing. Seemed like they thought I wanted some kind of online store. But no! I just wanted my own web site! I don't want to sell anything. Why couldn't I just make my web pages like I used to do? Why do I have to pay more money for software that creates HTML pages? I already know how to do that!

Whatever.

In any case, I had paid in advance for a year's worth of web hosting, but during that entire year, I never figured out what to do with it! I never created or uploaded any content.

Bummer! Biggest waste of money and time ever!

At the end of the year, I decided that I couldn't afford to renew and go another year without uploading any content. So I cancelled and let my domain name go. I thought I was done. Heck, I'm an old washed-up dude anyway. Nobody is ever gonna visit my site. Who cares?

Well, I guess I care! Just not sure how *much* I care! 

Will I recreate all my past content and upload it here? Or will I start fresh and only upload new stuff? Time will tell.

All I can say for now is that tonight I took the plunge here on Blogspot. This will either be the start of something new and fun for me. Or else it will it die quickly and be the second-dumbest web hosting service I ever joined.

At least it didn't cost me anything! Or will it?


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