As part of what I do, I find myself researching developments and changes in technology more and more.  Of course, part of this is also keeping on top of the likes of Facebook & Google Plus.  In keeping on top of this, Google has got me thinking about the disposable nature of email addresses.  More specifically, they aren’t so disposable any more.

Back in the good old days of technology, (i.e. when I first started working in IT), the only email account I had at work was an internal one.  Connecting email up to the greater world was unheard of.  If you were a personal computer user, then you a choice between AOL or Compuserve.  I was of course an AOL subscriber, and yes, I do miss Joanna Lumley’s dulcet tones telling me that I had mail (now I long for the red ‘M’ or ’1′).  The thing was, email was something relatively new and unheard of.  You just wouldn’t go swapping email addresses with people who weren’t ‘in the know’.

In the early days of my web life, I had many different email addresses.  Swapping them around wasn’t exactly a problem, why? well, nobody really knew that I had one, and I didn’t really communicate with people via email that much.  Now? well – now I’m lost without my email.  I found out that changing over your email address these days is a complete nightmare.  Have you thought of how many companies and websites you have your email address registered with? no? go have a look – it’s more than you might think.

So, when has your email address become part of your personality?  Changing it is almost akin to saying you’ve moved house.  It’s a wonder that it won’t be too long before companies start using it as a means to determine our identity.  So thinking about that (and the primary purpose of this website), I’ve got to wonder, what do people use their email addresses for?  Do you have an email address for different purposes? Do you just have the one? It’s all very intriguing to think about it.  I have got approximately 6 email addresses (including my work one).  I use half of them actively.

It makes me wonder whether people have ‘throw away’ addresses, that are use for illicit purposes? Do people really keep their work and private life separate when it comes to email?  Are there people out there who refuse to communicate with people in any way other than email?

What are your thoughts?

Yeah I know – I’ve just updated my theme and got it working.  It turns out there was a conflict with one of my plugins – no idea which one.  Anyway – there’s tons to configure with a Woo Theme, so I’ll be having a play this evening with the hopes of getting this working properly.

If anyone has come here because Google has dropped them off, it’s because you were possibly looking for a fix to a fault that you might have had.  So… here are some keywords that might help…

WordPress crashes when installing a custom theme.

WordPress gives an internal server error after installing a custom theme.

WordPress gives a 500 server error when installing a custom theme.

If you’ve got any of the above problems – please go and read this article - http://wordpress.org/support/topic/500-internal-server-error-while-installing-a-theme.

Als0 – to initially fix the problem, you will need to get ftp access to your server.  Once there, you’ll need to go to the following folder: htdocs/themes > you will need to either delete or rename the folder.  Once you’ve done so, you’ll need to go back to your admin / login page and login.  Once in there, go to your plugins menu and deactivate all your plugins.  One of them is possibly conflicting.  Anyway – that’s the short version, I would suggest reading the article above as the guy who’s posted it has done a really good job with it )

UPDATE: I know what’s causing the problem – Jetpack for WordPress – enable it and my site tanks completely.  It also looks as though it’s causing the problems I’ve been having with performance.  Unimpressed!!

So as I was searching through my Mary Poppins bag this morning (I’m always amazed at the crap I pull out of it), searching for my headphones I realised with a panic that I’m lost without them.  Why? I find they help me concentrate when I’m at work.  So then I started thinking about the things that I carry with me pretty much everywhere I go.

Well, there are two levels of things I carry with me.  The bare minimum and the ‘I’m going to get stuck somewhere and get bored’ minimum… so, my lists of things I carry with me:

The bare minimum:

1. Keys
2. iPhone
3. Wallet

The boredom minimum:

1. Keys
2. iPhone
3. Wallet
4. Headphones
5. Book of some kind

So I amaze myself that I carry such a huge bag! what are the bare minimum things that you lot carry around?

I’m such a fickle creature… I go from WordPress to Tumblr to Blogger, and yes, I’m back on WordPress… what can I say?!? freedom of expression? anyway, sorry if you’re all getting the run around with the blog.  I’ll stay here for now, I promise.

I should know better anyway, I totally bungled the install of this site, and it took longer than I thought it would.  All because I didn’t tick one box.  Still it’s far easier to install WordPress than it is to install Movable Type, I can remember that taking me a week to get working.

Right. Work to do.  One last thing to mention, I’m getting a custom design done for the site.  Keep your eyes peeled for something a little more, well, me.

What I do for a living means I’m more in tune to what’s right and wrong with a website.  To put this in context, I have a little alert siren going off whenever I find things that just don’t work with a website.  I’m finding that I’m getting more and more frustrated with websites.  A lot offer you the promise of something fantastic, and it gets you really excited, but the user experience just lets you down.

At the moment, my biggest annoyance is the Love Film website.  Firstly, let me start with a caveat, I love the concept of Love Film, I think it’s a genius idea, for the likes of me who live out in the sticks. No late fees, I can browse from wherever I am and everything is taken care of for me.  Concept wise, I cannot fault it.

What I can find fault with is the different user experience from device to device (website / iPhone and PS3).  There is nothing between them that would make you think you are having a consistent brand experience.  It frustrates me a LOT.

Given the likes of the BBC and Amazon who give you what you think you might want effortlessly, many more businesses and organisations are starting to do the same.  The problem with this is that where one goes, many follow.  There is an expectation on the part of the user that you want your experience on different websites to be consistent.  When it’s not, what ties you to the understanding that you’re with the same business?

Some of the things I’d love to see on Love Film website (and across the board) would be -

You watched this film, so here are some others that people with your taste rented (behavioural marketing at its best) Blu-ray and DVD films on a single page, I keep adding the same film in both categories and know nothing about it until I check my film rentals list.  Not a massive irritant, but seeing which films are available in what format on a single page would help with the decision making a lot Better page structure.  Everything is shunted to the left of the page, why? use more of the screen real estate and set it out evenly.  This is an area they could be consistent with across sites.  I’m quite sure that there is a lot more that I could go on about, but hey, it’s a lovely day outside, so that’s where I’m going.  A good book and the warm evening is a good enough tonic for me.

I’m sorry, but I really have to ask the question.  Why on earth to students think it’s their god given right to go to University and have it handed to them on a platter?  Before too long, we’re going to be in the position where students think you’ll be able to pay £27k and someone will actually hand them a certificate, pat them on the head kindly and say ‘there you go, now would you like a £50k job with that?’

What happened to thinking outside of the box? What happened to realising that nothing but hard work will get you what you want?  I know many of you reading this will think, ‘oh yeah, alright for her, she went to university for free’.  Well, actually, no.  I didn’t.  I broke the mould.  I couldn’t decide what I wanted to study, so I thought, sod it, I’ll go get a job.

Getting a job didn’t seem particularly difficult, but then I blagged my way into a job, well, more specifically the start of my career.  It wasn’t that hard, you just have to have some balls and go out and get what you want.  Nothing in life gets handed to you on a platter, and the sooner people realise this, the better they will do.

Anyway, I’m digressing.  Degrees… why haven’t students realised that they can have a career and a degree?  While their mates are going out and getting pissed on the student loans, and getting a degree, they could be out getting real world experience and getting a degree.  I’m a little baffled as to why more people don’t see this as an opportunity get further quicker.