I need some encouragement with this website situation...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Hey all,

So… if I told the entire story of what happened with my websites, it would be a long long novel. But here’s the short version. I ended up running three non-profit websites because nobody else is going to do it. I’ve learned EVERYTHING!!! that I possibly can about the users’ end of Wordpress… tutorials, endless hours spent messing with things while the midnight oil was burning, combing forums, memorizing Wordpress: The Missing Manual (545 pages!), EVERYTHING. .) I know a LOT about the users’ end (the 5 minute install, plugins, posts, comments, links, pics, media, moderating, handling users, etc etc etc.,) and even quite a bit about the more “advanced” users’ end (embeds, shortcodes, css styles, etc…)

Wait, there’s more…

So I built these 3 sites, one of which is for my sister’s Oregon senate campaign. THAT one is fine. The second site is a test site for the super important third site. On those last two, well, that’s where the problem began… I’m really NOT going to tell this entire story, but basically, I hit a wall with a registration problem. Untold hours were spent slaving over every imaginable forum, site, answer, book, tutorial, Dreamhost chat session, etc etc etc. I did EVERYTHING POSSIBLE from the user’s end. Everything!! But what I came to believe is that most sources don’t really tell us the truth about how much we should know before starting and running a WP site. The WP beginners’ pages literally say that users running a site “don’t need to know PHP.” The 545 pages of the Missing Manual mention PHP four times, FTP never, databases twice, and it is literally repeated many times that you don’t need to know this, that, and the other techie thing in order to admin a WP site. I just don’t think it’s really true…

Now, through dozens of hours of tears and toil and determination, everyone can register on the crucial 3rd site except for AOL and hotmail/outlook addys. This particular site has been my dream for almost two years. I don’t want to wait anymore. Nobody else is going to show up to help me. The cavalry is not on its way. I want to start fulfilling the dream!! I’ve told everyone it’s opening within a week!!

So am I NUTS to go ahead with this, or can I make it on my own?

2

Is there a reason that you don’t hire a tech support guy to help you out? Maybe not long term but long enough to show you what you don’t know and to give you pointers?

You may or may not be nuts to try to complete this on your own and you may be nuts by the end of your project! Good luck with this dream

I would suggest requesting an edit to remove the state’s name, just to be cautious.

3

Um… well, there’s that “no money” problem. :wink: And that $75 an hour problem. I could do it for one hour… I don’t know if that would be enough, though.

I’m ALREADY nuts!! It’s too late. :wink:

Which state’s name? (looks) Where is it?

4

Subscribe to the Wordpress subreddit, they are very helpful. Reddit.com/r/wordpress

I managed to figure out PHP pretty easily by just looking at it closely, playing around with it and lots of googling.

5

Well maybe edit that if the other two sites are related…

Is there a way to borrow some money from an interested political entity? I think that it would behoove them to assist you in any difficulties that you may be having, especially if you are working to help them.

If you are already nuts…well then you’ve answered your own OP!

6

Not clear exactly what your issue is but re “I hit a wall with a registration problem”. why don’t you describe the technical specifics of your issue in GQ and see if anyone has suggestions. There’s a lot of software savvy people on the dope.

7

If registration is rejecting any email addresses, there is a filter or ban tool in effect. I just came from updating mine with five more bogus domains, blocking dozens of crap registrants.

What plugins do you have installed?