The opposite of being fluid is to be rigid. Sometimes being rigid is good and sometimes it’s not. In web design, rigidity is bad.
You may have noticed that I haven’t posted much lately. That’s because I found out that on April 21 Google will no longer include ‘rigid’ web sites in their searches. My site, pieceocake.com, is rigid. My oh-shit-o-meter nearly cracked under the strain.
For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s this: Web sites used to be only viewed on a computer screen so you could design a site to look great at that size. That’s what I did when I built the Piece O’ Cake site. It doesn’t feel like that long ago but it was probably 10 years or more. I’ve tweaked it a lot since then, but have not changed the underlying structure of the site.
During those 10 years, phones got smarter and tablets arrived. Their screens are smaller. New websites started to be built on a ‘fluid’ base, meaning that they would change how they looked depending on the size of the screen. This is a good thing and I knew I needed to upgrade but I kept putting it off in favor of spending time with family…
…and making quilts, and writing books, and teaching, and on and on. You know what it’s like because you all are busy too. Side note: we are ALL way too busy.
So, it two weeks ago I found out that I had to re-write the entire Piece O’ Cake site. I spent 2 days trying to figure out how to do it myself, learning more html, setting up a MAMP server (really, you don’t want to know what that is), until I came to the realization that that is not what I want to spend time doing.
The next step was to look at WordPress business sites. I really thought that was going to work. In fact, after 2 solid weeks of work, I was ready to go live when I found out that the shopping cart service I had chosen was not going to work the way I needed it to at checkout. Deep, deep sigh—then I moved on.
I am now rebuilding the site (3rd time’s the charm, right?) on Shopify. I am going to use one of their templates because I am not going to learn any more html. I want to go back to making quilts! The new site will be up before April 21. It will look different but I think it is actually going to be way better.
Today I am not working on the site. I am going to teach a workshop and give a lecture for the Coastal Prairie Quilt Guild in Sugarland, TX! It’s going to be nice to spend a day with quilters!
Piece O Cake Blog 
I would like to push the like-button, but the topic is so serious and therefore I can’t do that. Am looking forward to you new site, Birgitt
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have fun!! I’d hate to have to try to program that stuff — but quilters and quilting is fun – so enjoy!!
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I don’t think you should learn any more html either! Changing a website and sometimes changing a blog can definitely leave one with bald spots from pulling out hair during the process! I know everyone wants to be able to “tap the app” for everything (and it is convenient) but I can still get your site to look fine if I put in the URL address on my tablet. So, if it takes a little longer to get things changed, we will all be with you in spirit – not to worry…. make a quilt and enjoy it! I’m still mad at Google for getting rid of Google Reader!
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I recently had to do this very thing for the website at work! I didn’t want to learn CMS coding so I hired it out. I am a much happier person now!
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Becky, serendipitous post! I’m currently in the hair pulling out phase as well with two websites. Soldier on!
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Well, it’s nice to know that we are being driven crazy together.
Sent from my iPhone
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the NIGHTMARE of technology Ellyn Wood Retired and LOVING it! “I think that if ever a mortal heard the voice of God it would be in a garden at the cool of the day.”
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Technology is FABULOUS when it works! This is easy to say, but could you ‘barter’ with a techie – they fix your website and you give them a quilt. (-;
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Yes, time and technology keep on a movin’ on… and, alas, we must move with it… or just stay where we are. I like the water – jump on in and we’ll stick with you! But I’m with you, keep your head and heart where it lives best… sometimes, it’s also OK to hire out the stuff we don’t enjoy doing! Good luck with the site changes…!
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Your grandkids are growing! What a great looking group.
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Wise woman to move on and let a template do your chores. I am contemplating switching to wordpress as I like their clean look. As quilters, we like to do it ourselves, but since basic html and coding is not as simple anymore, time is better spent sewing, designing, quilting and spending time with your precious family.
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Many thanks for your excellent report, your experience will be useful to me!
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