Surprise!

While you were busy reading a better website, I was busy upgrading AFK Gamer to the latest WordPress and a different look.

One of the reasons to upgrade was that the post database was so HUGE, it was choking the old version of WordPress, as you might have noticed yourself on some days. Another reason, a few of the plugins I use were losing functionality as plugin authors threw their time and support behind the 2.2+ version. I don’t like lost functionality — fully functional is a real life priority of mine.

Lastly, AFK Gamer is three years old today — what better way to mark the occasion than an upgrade and a design change. You might want to celebrate by enjoying some blog reruns, like the first post, “Self-Indulgent Introduction” when I began my story at the beginning of the story, or, read some favorites.

There’s a few things I don’t have fully operational yet with the new design, like the archives or the search function (ya, annoying). All that should be fixed within a couple of days.

Meanwhile, I added a “Foton in Reruns” section to the footer, which is a randomized snippet from past posts. Many thanks to blog fan Firefly (not her real name) for combing through years of posts and cutting and pasting code for hours and hours. I’ve always thought I should quote myself more, like the Poindexters, and now I’ll be doing just that thousands of times a day. God, the ego on me!

Thanks too, of course, to all the AFK readers. Oh I know you’re thirsty for misadventures and guild drama — my tears sustain you. However, whyever you’re here, I’m glad you are. I have learned far more from your comments and emails than you ever learned from me, I’m sure of that.

Looking forward to Year 4’s adventures and travels,
Foton

AFK Gamer Goin’ Mobile

AFK Gamer is now available through mobile browsers thanks to the mobile publishing tool, Winksite.

There’s no breaking news around here, I realize, but maybe some day you’ll be bored and need some reading material for the public restroom. There ya go, mobile.

Not just cellphones either … the blog is also properly formatted for browsing via DS-Lite, the Sony PSP and Nintendo’s Wii, although I really hope you’re not going to drag your Wii into a public restroom with you. (There’s probably a pun in there, but I’m going to leave that one on the table.)

Bloggers, Winksite has written a WordPress plugin, Ultimate Gamer’s Pack, that auto-magically detects when a DS-Lite, PSP or Wii are accessing your site and properly renders your site for the device. I haven’t tested AFK Gamer with the plugin because I don’t have any of those gadgets, but cellphone browsing worked great.

I flagged AFK Gamer as adult content because of my sometimes-adult language. (You kids shouldn’t be reading this site anyways, but fercrissakes, don’t be using a cellphone during class. I don’t want to get an angry email from your teacher.)

Full-content posts and comments available:

WINKsite

Noob tutorial: Click that icon, Send to phone, Enter Carrier and Mobile number, Pick up phone, Open text message, Go to URL within. Or, Pick up phone, Open web browser, Navigate to winksite.com, Select Direct Access and enter AFK Gamer’s Winksite ID: 18990. (Easier if you get this set up before you go to the restroom, however, searching for mobile sites through winksite.com by name or category is possible.)

If nothing else, I can keep my eye on the pharmaceuticals spammers during meetings. Totally worth it.

A Mean Idea to Call My Own

Traveling today, back in my adopted town tomorrow.

In the meantime … I’ve done some work on back info you might find amusing. As you’ve probably noticed, I revamped the look around AFK Gamer. (And if you’re reading blogs via feed reader only, you’re wrong.) More importantly, I fixed some of the static pages and expanded the historical record. If you’re the type who enjoys second-guessing others’ poor decisions (e.g. mine) — and we’re talking YEARS OLD decisions here — you might enjoy this.

Within the limits of blurred memories, I documented my game characters and guilds over the past ten years. Here’s an example of why this is mildly amusing: EQ – Original Main: Druid (soloing juggernaut), Next Main: Bard (post-Luclin soloing juggernaut), Constant Alt: Cleric (equip my Mains, kthxbye).

Takes me a while to figure out the system, but once I do, immersion and community be damed, I’m working it.

While it took me weeks to remember all that and piece together the dates, I realized that most of the memories had become fond ones. That’s one of the advantages of losing your mind.