FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is your blog called Rickety?

In raising our children Jill and I felt that it was important that they be computer literate. Each of our five children had their own computer and they didn’t need any encouragement to use them. Occasionally I would play MMORPG with them and would use the handle Rickety which combines Rick with the unsteadiness of age. I rather believe that our children did become computer literate with two of them Computer Science graduates and two more studying Computer Engineering.

2. Why do you blog?

Elder Ballard put the idea into my head so I decided to contribute to the cause with my own blog. I also see my blog as a journal which records not only what I do but also my opinions on various subjects. Perhaps the articles I write will influence someone for good. Also see Why Blog?

3. What blog software do you use?

WordPress hosted on Host Monster. Host Monster has SimpleScripts available which I used to easily install WordPress. A theme I used for over a year was designed by Andreas Viklund, and ported by Webgazette. The WP-Andreas09 theme is a full width, 3 column theme with a fluid central column and comes in 14 different colors. I redesigned the theme to use one predominant color, blue, and added instead 36 banner photographs that randomly change on a full refresh. I made other minor changes to the source.

I switched themes in October 2009 to use Lifestyle by StudioPress. See Technical for improvements I have made to the theme.

4. Why did you choose a general blog?

One subject would be hard to blog on daily whereas with a general blog any topic can be posted. I’m blogging with an audience of family and friends so I do not have the concerns about driving traffic to my blog to earn revenue.

5. Do have any traffic statistics?

Yes, see Statistics.

6. Are your photographs copyrighted?

My posts and pages, including photographs, are copyrighted under a Creative Commons license. However, if I am given a link back to my site when you place them in your blog then you are welcome to use them. I resize most of my images to 1200 x 900 before generating smaller post sizes and thumbnails. If you need a higher resolution I have available in most cases the original 3264 x 2448 or higher photographs stored off line that I will share.

7. How much does your blog cost?

My costs are minimal: $5.95/month for hosting and $8 a year for the domain from Moniker. There was a one time cost of $53.96 for the Lifestyle theme.