An 84 year old coder.
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Updating my website is a task I approach with the same enthusiasm one might reserve for a trip to the dentist. It’s not that I’m adverse to a bit of digital DIY; it’s just that every time I dip my toes into the murky waters of website tinkering, I’m swiftly reminded why I avoid it like the plague.
This time, the mission was clear: improve the way my stories—49 of them, no less—are displayed. Apparently, it’s called “pagination.” I don’t know who comes up with these fancy terms, but I can assure you, there was no sense of progression in my process.
Step one was straightforward: log in and stare blankly at the screen. Step two involved a lot of clicking and fumbling around, trying to locate the right section of the website where this mysterious “pagination” would take place. Of course, I promptly realised I had done all of this before. Yet, despite the painful familiarity, I couldn’t remember how I’d managed it last time.
Cue the inevitable cycle of trial and error—mostly error. I tinkered with the code, convinced I was on the brink of a breakthrough, only to discover I’d merely succeeded in making the website look like it was built by a toddler. Each tweak led to another round of head-scratching, until finally, by some miracle (or sheer exhaustion), I managed to get the stories to display in a somewhat logical manner.
So, yes, I think I’ve got it right this time. Pagination achieved. For now, at least. Until I forget how I did it and have to start the whole maddening process all over again.