I started this blog back in early 2007 because I wanted a place to talk about WPF, one of the coolest UI engines to ever emerge from the Microsoft campus. I’d already been blogging for three years on other programming topics but I wanted a fresh start. It was the first day of the year and I felt both restless and inspired. So I resolved to start a new blog.
The first decision I had to make was which software to use for my new blog. My previous blog ran on a decrepit engine that was held together with rubber bands and paper clips and was a constant hassle to work with. I wrestled with my developer alter-ego, my first instinct was to write my own engine, but I made the wise decision to go with an established player in the blog world. After a few hours research I settled on WordPress as the best choice and created an account on WordPress.com.
Ten minutes later and I had my first post finished an it was zooming through the Internet pipes. WordPress was a revelation compared to my old software. The interface was simple and the application easy to manage. The statistics available in the management console were detailed and relevant. WordPress has served me well and I have few complaints about the software or services provided by Automattic. Then why am I making the switch?
New domain
First of all, it’s not that much of a switch. I’ve installed WordPress on a pristine new server and copied all the existing posts over to the new domain. The site looks just like the old site and in a couple days I’ll have the traffic from http://wpfwonderland.wordpress.com routed to the new domain. From your perspective it should look the and act exactly the same. I suggest that you update your RSS reader to the new URL, so you can get the newest posts, but that’s about the extent to the changes you need to make. So why the switch?
Silverlight and XBAPs
The main reason I made the move is to have more freedom in the content I can post on the site.
This blog is mostly about WPF/Silverlight and related technologies. Naturally I want to show examples of WPF in my posts or display Silverlight apps as needed. Unfortunately that is not allowed on a hosted WordPress blog. There are other restrictions that prodded me into the move. No scripting allowed. Embedded Sliverlight videos prohibited. Limited theme choice, Inability to custom the theme. Anyway the move is over and the the site is up and running.
Enjoy the new site, same as the old site (only running from our own servers).
