Recently, I had a server snafu and lost a very old website of mine.  I recalled I had an old email from the webmaster that packaged up this website and went to go open that email and there it was, a link to the dropbox.  I held my breath when I clicked on the link as I was afraid there would be a "time out" thing and I would no longer have the access to this little gem of a website.  This is actually my first website from 2010.

The dropbox link worked and there were all of my website files.  Yay!  Now the hope is they aren't corrupted and I can get into the database.

Next, I went through the learning curve of downloading MAMP by the advice of @Pengie Tech.  We actually had this conversation many months ago and I had MAMP in the back of my mind to use for this website and other older websites that either needed some work or some TLC in updates etc.

In my spare time over the New Year's weekend, I tinkered with MAMP and somehow I downloaded this website (lol) and have it now on a local server through MAMP.

I have gone through a lot of processes and learning curves already to make my website database connect with the server.  I have thus far been able to get a small directory show up in my browser.  That took a few steps of reading tutorials, watching videos to get to that point.  I've sent another support ticket into MAMP to see what I'm missing to get the website to show up completely in my browser.

Stay tuned for future updates in my new learning curve journey to revive this old website. 

What milestone do you recall that you were excited about making something work, and that you were able to succeed?

Geffers G said:

Way back in the 90s I was in to basic programming and using machine code.  My daughter (born 81) is dyslexic and up to her early teens struggled with spelling.

I wrote various graphic programs that flashed words on the screen for variable durations, she then had to type them correctly, message stated correct or not and next word then appeared.

Early days of programming and in those days quite simple, very satisfying though.

Daughter is now a touch typist, very fast too.  Technology has helped, spell check etc but feel I helped in her early years.

Geffers

 

Thank for sharing your heart warming story about how you used your skills to create a great resource for helping your daughter.  That was genius to apply your basic programing skills in creating a tool to help your daughter learn spelling.  Spelling is challenging enough without dyslexia and how awesome she is in her field now.  You helped her flourish, grow and conquer her challenges in a positive environment.  

I was a homeschool mom, long story....when your child needs help to achieve more difficult challenges in foundational skills, it requires ingenuity, patience and a clever approach that is positive.  You indeed, helped her with those foundational challenges and set her up for success....I can imagine your pride and relate to that satisfying emotion too.

I've tinkered with MAMP over the past two weekends.  Here's what I've learned: 

My computer doesn't like MAMP very much as it's been doing weird things. 

I've pushed all kinds of buttons and changed all kinds of permissions in settings and no matter what I did, I would make progress in one area or disable progress in another area.

I did make a milestone to download this old website, however, despite my diligence and steadfast persistence, those qualities will not grant you the endgame of the website magically appearing in your browser as the server is still sitting there snickering at you saying, c'mon, is that the best you got?

Swearing certainly doesn't help, as the server doesn't have any feelings or care if you make it perform or not, however, the server will be happy to oblige in bringing your moment of a possible win to another setback in one epic second of a big sigh. 

MyPHP Admin should be as nice and sweet as the admin panels I'm used to working with, but it is not and no matter what settings I enabled, disabled, deleted, or edited, it gladly gave me a thumb's down with a bit of grin.

I would say, my learning curve was expected.  I met this challenge with all of the inquisitiveness I could muster, I was positive and hopeful, however, I'd say for now, MAMP won on this one, but I wouldn't trade this journey of trials and fails for anything, because, you see, this is how we grow, and we should always strive to learn something new everyday.

I shared my woes with a friend of mine and it was recommended to put this website on a real server and work on it from there.  I appreciate my friends at Tech's that have always been patient with me when I'm trying to level-up my skills as there's that common bond we all have here that brings also together for the same reasons.

Now I'm going to tip my hat to MAMP for now and let people with far more knowledge than me to kick start this old website on a real server.  Once it's there, I'll start my own journey in trying to clean this website up.  This was my first website and I put every 3rd party plugin that was available at the time and I loved all of the plugins, however, none of them are supported anymore and some of the plugins are either interfering with the function of the website or rather has broken it in some ways.  So bye, MAMP until we meet again.

I'll update when I start the next phase on my quest to restore this old broken website. 

They have become complicated, like cars with all of their computer applications are not longer an easy repair.  Now to "fix" something becomes an array of challenges and it's no longer simple.

Very cool that you are set up with your own web server and you have so many uses for it that makes your quality of life better.

Thank you for the luck.  I finally had to reach out and ask for this old website to be officially put on a server as MAMP just couldn't handle it.  Too big of a file and also very old PHP.

I don't have it set up yet, but maybe soon.

Geffers, you were really prepared for anything to happen with all of your extra hoses and electrical parts.  Car maintenance was so different years ago as my dh would agree with you, as he would refer back to his younger years in his own auto mechanic experiences as so much easier than today because of all of the computer electronics/programming in cars now as you mentioned. 

My experience with cars on reliability is mostly by brand.  I had a Pathfinder with issues, but yet my Tahoe has done really well.  Nissan to Chevy, and I would have thought the Nissan would have been more reliable, however, my Tahoe has pesky little air conditioning issues at times and literally not cool in the summer when it acts up in 100F plus temperatures.