Oh my word…I’m so frustrated and I know you all are too. Growing pains here on the blog have been plaguing us all.
I’ve been getting it from all sides and I really mean all sides. The blog is getting bigger and bigger and with that, it’s harder and harder to maintain. We’re doing our best but right now, that’s not good enough. I know it. You know it. Kayla and Kalissa, my two daughters who help me know it.
I am sincerely asking you to hang in there and please be understanding of us as we try to continue to work out the kinks.
Here are some of the problems that are happening…
One:
I have outgrown my server space. For those of you who are new to blogs and websites that just means, I’ve outgrown the parking lot (space) that’s designated for my blog on the internet. That has made using the blog slow and why sometimes a picture won’t show up.
Two:
I was on an old classic format for writing the blog. I’m an old dog and hate new programs so we’ve left the blog as is because it was easier for me to use the old program vs the updated program.
Three:
I’ve been blogging for a long time. When I started, we had no idea what we were getting into or that it would last this long. We did a few things we likely shouldn’t have done but now here we are 14 years later with new knowledge…but now it’s a little too late.
So what are we going to do…
KEEP TRYING!!
We tackled #2 first. I have moved to the new format for writing blog posts. The old dog has learned a new trick. It’s been slow but not painful…well I’ll admit to being frustrated and crying a couple of nights but I’ve gotten past that and am doing much better. BUT…that has come with problems too. We’ve learned that this did not fix the photo problem. We were hoping it might.
We have talked with a few different companies about helping with the parking lot problem but haven’t come to a good solution as of yet. So far we have been told if I want to pay $600 a month, they can solve all of our problems. Well…I love you guys but I can’t pay $600 a month to keep the blog going. So we are trying to look at other options.
Right now it’s so hard because all of these people are “on the internet”. It’s easy for my daughter to want to jump in and trust them but for me…it’s harder. I don’t have a recommendation from a friend…I can’t “see” their work. I don’t know their cousin…all things I normally depend on when hiring a plumber. Dealing with the internet and finding a more advanced server is tough for me. I really know so little about this all.
We have crunched photos trying to save space. Everyone has had a talk with me that I need to use fewer photos in each blog post but that is so hard…I’m kind of a photo-based tutorial style of blog. UGH. So…we are looking at more ways to crunch photos…but that doesn’t solve the problem with old photos from blog posts in the past.
In the middle of all of this, I found out my computer storage is low…so we question whether that is that part of the problem.
In the middle of all this, I had to increase my iCloud storage. Is that part of the problem?
It has seemed like we fix one problem only to have another problem. Worse…anything we think we “fix” we have to wait for it to test and see if that was actually a solution. There hasn’t been one easy fix. I’ve wanted to scream…and scream loudly.
So…we are going to start at ground ZERO. Over the weekend we are starting with my computer and storage. We’re going to get that fixed which sadly is likely going to mean I need a new computer and we all know how fun that is.
All of this is so hard…remember me saying I’m an old dog. I am. New tricks are so hard for me but I’m willing to try if you all are willing to continue being patient with me for just a little while longer. I so appreciate it.
If there is a picture that doesn’t load…let me know. I’ll try to do what I can to fix it. If something is off…let me know. I can’t guarantee everything will be fixed right away, but at least it helps us troubleshoot. If a picture doesn’t load, please try refreshing your page before telling me.
We’re going to give this two good hard weeks and work all we can to get things to work more smoothly. Again…please be patient. If you are someone who knows a lot about blogs and servers, drop me a note at joscountryjunction.com. We could use some good advice.
Ooo, I feel your pain!! Though I do NOT have a big, popular blog like you but like you, I have a like/hate relationship with pretty much any technology. And you’re lucky to have your daughters who are way more familiar with this ‘crap’. I really like your blog and hope that you are able to make things workable for you without a ton more frustration. I would’ve thrown my hands up and walked away by now just knowing what you’ve been dealing with. Good luck with it all.
Hmmm, I read your blog every day or every time I see your posts and I haven’t noticed pictures not loading or slow to load. I click the link and everything is there when I open the blog. Maybe it’s not you but an end user problem?
Like Janice I haven’t had any problems with your blog. Don’t know if that helps you at all. We are on 5G, that’s as much as I know about it.
Hi It’s not letting me post to you. But there’s a spot here to post to Janice? I’m old school and not tech savvy at all. We have been having problems here in Llano Tx. I’m only getting your blog once a week. We just switch companies but they aren’t much better. There aren’t many airwaves out in the Hill Country I guess-lol. Hope you get your side fixed cause I miss your blog not showing up. The plus side is how popular you’ve become; ) always- june
Jo, I also think the blog has been running slow and the ads (which I know need to be there!) are taking over. One thing I think would help (me) is if the link that takes you to the full blog article was VERY CLOSE to the top of the…OK…I don’t know what you call it, but the body of text that you have to read before you get to the link. Otherwise, you hit the link, then you are back to the top of the article, then have to scroll past all the text you’ve already read plus pictures and more ads. Anyway, I appreciate and enjoy your blog and am sorry it is such a pain for you. I don’t think anyone wants it to be problematic for you or so distressing that you want to quit! Good luck with working things out, and I know how you feel about getting a new computer :( .
Hi Cynthia – Most of Jo’s blog posts have the ‘read more’ link at the bottom. So I just scroll down and click the link first, wait for the full post to load, then read from the beginning. It only take a few seconds to load. Hope this helps you.
Teresa F.
I do the same Teresa! It takes about a sip of coffee to load ;-) Reading the blog is relaxing for me so I’m never in a hurry anyway. Thank you for your hard work Jo! I appreciate you!
I do the same Teresa! It takes about a sip of coffee to load ;-) Reading the blog is relaxing for me so I’m never in a hurry anyway. Thank you for your hard work Jo! I appreciate you!
You can click the title of the blog and it will tak you there.
Cynthia,
Don’t know if this is available to you, but if I tap on the “Title†or heading of the blog post, the entire post shows up including comments and I don’t even see the Read More link.
You can click on the title of the blog post at the top to open the entire post before you ever start reading. This is what I do.
Ugh! Technology problems are soooo difficult for us non-techy people. I wish you the best of luck. That being said, though, I read your blog daily and haven’t really noticed anything out of the ordinary.
Obviously there are a number of new blog readers that go back and read your older blogs(I did) if not all at least some of the older blogs. But I am wondering if all the comments from the first years need to remain on the blog. Would that free up space? Would it help to move tutorials from home page to a tab?
I SO feel for you! I’m older than you (67 next month) and whenever there is a computer problem, or an I-Phone problem, etc, etc, I freak out. My poor husband gets the first wave, then he usually reaches our daughter or son….thankfully they both are very tech-savvy and experienced at talking me off the ledge. We all TRULY thank you, and I hope you can find a way to make this all EASIER FOR YOU — even if it means you have to cut back on things. LIFE is more important than computer stuff (even for us!) and your family is at the top of the list. Fingers and toes crossed that solutions present themselves to your support team!
Jo, you do so much for us all! I’ve made several quilts because I saw what you made and liked the pattern or color scheme. I hope you and the girls get things fixed. I think I’ve read your blog since 2010. I look for it first thing every morning. Yeah pictures were missing occasionally, but that could be my phone. If I move around in the house I have better reception in some areas than others. I have a daughter who lives with me and I also rely on her to help me with my phone and computer. So much that you blog about just resonates for me. I look forward to seeing what you all work out. I really hope you are able to keep teaching us more quilty stuff and entertaining us and just sharing your family and life.
Good luck!
Sorry you are having trouble with the blog, Jo. Hoping for your sake that it will be resolved soon! We’ll be here waiting for the growth spurt to be over. :o))
I love, love, love your blog. I’m sorry this has to be hard, but I truly feel you and your family are good friends, I’ve yet to meet.
I thought I wouldn’t be able to access your posts today. Links from the mail didn’t open and just said ‘bad gateway’. I opened the mail in my browser and clicked the links from there. Same thing happened.
Then I opened your blog in my browser and from there I could access the new posts without problems.
All’s well that ends well.
I’ve never had a problem with your blog
Ah Jo, I understand you want things to be all perfectly “right” here. But ya know what? Stress less, and enjoy more. You give so much AND you can only give so much. I, along with many other readers, enjoy what you write and what I/we see. And if something isn’t here? So be it.
I hope you’ll get some good sleep by letting go for now.
I work with a guy from California on my websites. If you want me to pass along his name…send me a private email. He’s helped me off and on over 10 years.
I haven’t noticed any slowness or failure to load photos on your blog, neither on my phone or laptop. We have high-speed wifi and 5G, so that may be it, but it means that you can’t shoulder all the blame for the problem. If those receiving it don’t have good technology, nothing you do will change the experience for them. Please know that we appreciate you and your blog.
I haven’t had any problems with your blog. Always love to catch up with you.
Do the best you can and then go on with your life. A missing picture isn’t going to cause the world to end. I know you would prefer things be perfect but life seldom is so don’t fret. I’m still going to read your blog regardless.
Jo, have you read Bonnie Hunter’s blog? A while back she said similar things and started sending it out herself. I don’t blog and don’t pretend to understand the mechanics but I bet she would answer any questions.
I am praying for wisdom for all of you working on the problem.
I have noticed a couple of times it didn’t download in the morning but if I went back to it later in the day it went fine. I thought it was my problem because I have had some problems or thought it might be my internet provider.
Don’t give up, take your time, we are all waiting.
I first started reading your blog because I’m a quilter. I love your work and you’ve encouraged me to becone the scrappy quilter I’ve always wanted to be. I’ve read your blog for so long that I think of us as best friends. I’m always telling other friends about this cool friend I have in Iowa. When you celebrate, I celebrate with you. When you hurt, I hurt with you. You have encouraged me to take up stitching again after a 25 year break. And I’m loving it. I will always be patient with you. And I’m confident you will get this all worked out. Girl, I think you can do anything and everything. So, tomorrow morning, rest assured that I will read your morning blog before I even get out of bed. You’ve got this!
Dear Jo, love what ever content you can send…just an email with an update on your kids, grandbabies, stitching, quilting, etc. will suffice.
Hi Jo, one of the things that I have experienced while reading a blog post (on my laptop) and the text describes a photo that isn’t there, I click on the refresh button – and sometimes it appears BUT if it doesn’t show up, I click the refresh button again – and there are the missing photos! Has anyone else experienced this? Good luck, I know you will figure it out. Sherry
thank you Jo and co for all you’re doing, sorry it’s such a pain….we have all the patience in the world, just grateful. hen my pictures don’t come in i refresh my page and sometimes that helps.
Jo for all you do for us the least we can do is have patience while you do whatever it is that needs doing. I am an old dog also and absolutely hate new technology that i dont understand. My kids are a blessing in this department. Prayers for you and your family as you go thru this trying time.
Sorry you’re having so much trouble with the blog, Jo. I naively didn’t realise there was so much involved with the upkeep of it (the most I write are emails and these comments!) I hope you manage to work it out; we’ll still be here for you.
I’m having tech troubles and I just want it to work! Why do they keep changing things that work! I don’t have any help as the last 2 I paid for help loaded apps I didn’t want and can’t seem to remove without losing a lot of files so I can relate to all you said. I think this problem affect other bloggers too. This past week I looked up a tutorial I’ve used in the past and the photos were gone. As a visual learner the words were meaningless. I really enjoy your blog and hope you can work this out.
As a technophobe myself, I also feel your pain. Just recently we had to change emails from our business address as we are both retired and passed the company on to someone else. Honestly, so much stress that was caused with passwords and accounts for this that and the other and getting locked out. I’m just glad I refuse to do internet banking! Add no signal more often than not because we are remote means that if there was something wrong with your postings – not to worry – I wouldn’t notice!
Kindest regards and keep your chin up! I thank you for sharing so much. xx
As you can see, so many love your blog. I’m also an old dog – when we got our new computer, I lost many cross stitch files (egads!) but fortunately my dd had most of them. It took me quite a while to even get used to the new keyboard!
I’m not a tech-mage but I sure will be praying for you!
Love and prayers
I am finding that technology is moving much faster than I am! LOL I know your kids will help you sort it out. I am finding that even my grandkids can be very helpful in that category as well.
Sorry this is so difficult, but that is our technology world anymore. I am being patient. I miss the old way, but understand the need to do things differently from time to time. I hope and pray that this all gets worked out for your benefit – please don’t stop doing a blog!! You are my friend and look forward to reading your blogs!
Country Threads has been having trouble with her photos too, but seems to have figured it out. You could contact her and see what she did to solve her problem. Just a suggestion……
Mary and I are friends are often in contact sharing our blogging woes!!
I used to notice that some pictures wouldn’t always load right away but I always thought that was just my terrible internet connection at my house. I always read it on my phone, no way it would load on my slow computer. This week we finally got high speed internet. It’s awesome! And no problem with your pictures and ads loading, even on my computer. I have never missed getting the email with the link to your blog. And like others said, I don’t start reading then click on the link, just click the link and goes right to your blog. I hate to hear it’s causing you stress. It’s not worth that!
Love your blog but it’s not worth that. Take care of yourself!
Keep going Jo. I too am an old dog and I even have formal training on computers, the internet, and web building and design projects. I still have to ask my kids and grandkids for help.
I love your blog and all that it brings each day. By all of the comments, you are doing great and we are all rooting for you. God bless you, Jo.
I enjoy your blog posts, but I have often wondered why you post twice a day. This seems like a lot of sitting at the computer writing posts. Maybe scale back to one a day creating saved space on your computer and less stress on yourself.
Hi Pat…You might not know but I do get paid from the advertising on the blog. Have the posts…half the income. At this point in my life, I can’t afford that.
I personally am just so happy to “see” you everyday that I don’t care what kind of issues you/we have! I will not be one of the complainers because I can’t see one picture. I will just go back and see if I can figure it out from what you have posted, or move on!!! I am amazed at all you do for use here and on You Tube, and am just happy that you share for our benefit. So in my humble opinion, keep up the great work from all you girls and THANK YOU all for doing it!!! Hugs,
i wonder how many photos not showing are because the reader did not click on the option at the top of the page that states to display the pictures. just a thought for you and readers. LOVE THIS BLOG,,,,, like all the other readers. You inspire aka cheerleader to get things done. thank you
I am still not receiving your posts. I am not the most tech savvy, either, but I tried something different this morning to see if it makes a difference. I guess I will soon see. I don’t know the cost but follow.it is a blog domain that works for a lot of people. I am not knowledgeable as to it’s cost but it’s another option to check. I do visit your blog regularly and will continue doing so.
Sorry! I guess I’m part of the problem. I’ve only been getting your blog for a few weeks now. I’m one of those people adding to your issues by adding my name to your email list! :-)
Having said that, I haven’t seen anything wrong with the emails I receive every day, and I enjoy reading them and seeing the pictures. Hope you’re able to take a deep breath and get through this without tearing your hair out! Blessings!!!
I have left a couple of comments in the past that something didn’t work, but I hope that you realize when I do this it is to provide data to you, not to complain. If you don’t know something is not running well, you can’t fix it before it gets worse. I do the same thing in restaurants. For example if I find a nonfood item in the food, I will tell them. If they offer me a discount or some other compensation, I say “No, I am just trying to let you know there is a problem so that you can correct it.” I can’t imagine how much work it is to keep the blog running and tech just keeps changing. You are a ray of sunshine in so many lives. I found your blog at a time when things seemed to be at their worst. Even now that things are improving, you encourage me every day. I hope that this note encourages you and that we bring to you some of what you bring to us.
I also love your blog and have been following for several years. I was using “bloglovin†and really liked it. Then it started having problems and finally crashed. I signed up for emails, but then I started having problems with that. Anyway, I think most of my issues are on my end.
Jo I’m wondering how you like the chair you got from Amazon several months ago, now that you’ve had it for a while?
I need a new chair and am considering the one you got from Amazon.
elainegram12@gmail.com
I do like it. My daughter has one too. It does slope a little forward so I don’t know if I’d give if five stars but for sure four!
Please don’t say that doing your best isn’t good enough! How can one do better than their best???? Thanks for all you do. Tech is very frustrating. Hoping you find an easy solution.
Jo, I know you are trying your best. I just want to say that I have refreshed, clean out my cache and even went from Firefox browser to Chrome and still some of your pictures did not show up. This is just for your information. Not complaints from me. Have a good one. pam