An Update

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I thought I’d drop in and let you know what I’m up to. Hopefully you will notice a small difference with this. After fourteen years of my blog I have finally taken the plunge and gone to a paid plan, to remove the adverts you will always have seen before. I have also changed the blog’s ID: previously it was ‘cliveblogs.wordpress.com’ and now it is ‘takeiteasyblog.uk’ – that seems more suitable! WordPress assure me that the changes will be seamless for you, the reader, and the last time I tried them out both of those links worked. If you are already a follower this should land in your inbox or in the Reader exactly as it has always done.

I’m also thinking of changing my theme, but the problem with this is that the one I use is now defunct (how appropriate, I hear you say) and I can’t find a way of testing my content in a new one. The only option is to hit the ‘activate’ button and hope for the best, and I haven’t yet been brave enough to try that!

Despite this appearance to the contrary I am still on my blogging break: I just wanted to let you know what I’m doing. I won’t be posting for Song Lyric Sunday tomorrow, and I don’t think there will be a Tuesday Tunes this week either, but both will return soon. Having paid WordPress that money I might as well make use of it! In the meantime, take care, and I hope you are well.

81 thoughts on “An Update”

  3. Good to hear from you. I may have to take the plunge soon, too, and move to a paid plan. I keeo running out of storage room for images. Don’t know why. LOL! 😂
    Good luck in hitting that activate button! Can’t be as nerve-wracking as when you hit publish for the very first time, right? 😉

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  5. My WordPress site is self-hosted for 12 years now. It can be nervous feeling when you make a decision to change themes when you aren’t certain of how things go but I’m sure you’ll find one that’ll line up pretty close to this one. Best of luck to you and thanks for sharing with us your blog news. Enjoy your break, Clive!

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  6. I have never regretted deciding to change to a paid plan a few years ago. At the time the adverts weren’t as intrusive as they have since become; I chose to pay because I almost always include photos with my posts and the bother of having to limit the photos and then keep going through and erasing them to make room for more was getting boring. I have never thought of changing my theme; I like the one I’ve got and couldn’t be bothered with the hassle. I just know I’d make some stupid error and lose everything! Enjoy the rest of your break!

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    • I know it was the right thing for me, and I’m sure I’ll stay with it when the time comes to renew. Space isn’t such an issue for me but I can see why it would be for you.

      Thank you, I’m enjoying it!

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  8. Very nice nad best wishes with your new format!

    I’m still on Blogger after almost 20 years of blogging. It still works well for me at this time but I know most have moved on to paid platforms for their extra features/

    Enjoy your blog break!

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    • Thank you. At present, I’m inclined not to go with a new theme, but that may change! I’m glad it’s working well for you. The break is going well so far 👍

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  9. You’re very brave. I have also been considering a new theme but so far have just made some tweaks to my existing one and may just leave it at that. I hate ads and will only include links to products actually relevant to my blog. I don’t do pop-up ads at all, I hate them and I know my readers do as well. Enjoy your vacation!

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    • I’ll probably chicken out and leave it alone, after all the thought I’ve given it! As long as the theme works, part of me says not to change things. Removing ads is a positive step, and I too hate pop-up ads, as they are so intrusive. I’m enjoying the break, thank you 👍

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  10. I was glad I took the plunge an upgraded a while ago. It was when another blogger asked me if I had thought of ‘getting rid of the ads’ . The simple answer was I hadn’t dared change anything in case the whole blog disappeared!

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    • It’s a worthwhile move, isn’t it. It just feels more professional without the ads getting in the way. I’d been thinking about doing it for quite a while and decided to use this break for it. All seems to have gone smoothly so far and everything is still here. But changing the theme I use is another matter altogether!

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  14. Fourteen years of blogging is quite an achievement! I love that even while you’re taking a blogging break, you’re still quietly working behind the scenes and making changes for the future. There’s something reassuring about knowing that not every season has to be about producing or posting—sometimes it’s simply about preparing, reflecting, and making things better.

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  15. Hi Clive,

    I think you have made a good decision. I’ve always had a paid plan, which means no ads. I’m sure you will like the change.

    And yes, just hit the activate button!

    All the best with your blog.

    Michael

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  17. Enjoy the break, we all need a bit of a wander off the beaten path and a sit underneath convenient palm tree to quietly contemplate the meaning of Life. Or just a rest-up, for rejuvenations sake.I get your apprehension on change. Being a total IT Incompetent I leave alone what works. Or works, well, enough, ads and all. I’m a cheap-as guy as well!

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  18. I never did see ads on your posts — either because of my strong ad blocker, or because I usually view them in Reader. Enjoy your blogging break, my friend … I could use one of those, too! Hope you’re feeling okay, though. Do something fun while you’re on break!

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  19. A paid ad-free WordPress plan comes in two basic choices, either Personal which is $4/month, billed annually, or Premium which is $8/month, billed annually, making it only $1 a week or $2 a week, so it is not a great expense.  Your site loaded up immediately and I love seeing your posts without the advertisements, Clive.

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  21. Found you in Reader immediately and it was seamless. I’ve had a paid account since the beginning; personally, I find adverts terribly distracting and prefer not having to deal with them but I understand why some people prefer a free site. Your page looks great; the font was smallish and I had to maximize it – no big deal. I hope you’re enjoying your break, Clive. I’ll miss your SLS and Tuesday posts but I’ll survive! See you soon! 😊

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  22. Bit cora is a theme that you can change to your delight, I have been using it for a couple of years and with a little time I felt pretty comfortable with it. If you need any help shoot me a email and I’ll try. Good luck and enjoy the break.

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  23. Cool Clive…I have the Premium plan…same as beetleypete I did it at first for the storage with my photos I use every week. I love it because also it opens a lot of your stats you couldn’t see before as well.
    Have a good blogging break!

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    • I’m still getting to grips with what the new plan gives me, but I think it will be the right one for me.

      Thanks, I’ll try to enjoy it, if only I could stop mithering about changing my theme!

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      • I had to look mithering up! I love a new word I can use. Clive…I built my home page up with menus and all of that…only to find that most WP people go to the reader instead…but it does matter on google searches.

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      • Sorry! I was introduced to the word by a schoolmate’s mum, who came from the north of England, where it is apparently commonly used.

        I must be odd as I only use the Reader as a last resort, preferring to follow links from emails. I sometimes suspect that Reader views don’t count towards our stats, but have no proof.

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      • Clive…if you ever want to see any of my numbers on it…I’ll show you. They have helped me a lot in views. My Songs A-Z get around 300-400 views a month…and from there they are clicking on my songs. Plus it’s another option for Google to see with all of those links.

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  24. I have had a paid plan (Premium) for some time now, mainly to increase the space allowance for all the photos and images I post.

    If you want to change the theme, just hit the ‘activate’ button. Then if you don’t like the look of it, change it again. (There have been changes to themes, and I am actually only allowed to change to one other theme at the moment. But fortunately I don’t want to change. However, I am still able to ‘Live Preview’ if I hover the mouse over the image of the new theme.)

    Best wishes, Pete.

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    • I just went for the Personal plan, as I don’t have those space concerns and just wanted to lose the ads.

      My problem with just hitting ‘activate’ on a new theme is that if I don’t like it I won’t be able to go back to the current one, which has been ‘retired’ by WP. I need to summon up the courage!

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      • Understood, Clive. I think your theme works fine, but it is easy to get fed up with themes, and I changed from the first one I had from when I started in 2012. I got tired of looking at it after three years. But at least WP changed all my old posts to the new theme once I swapped.

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      • I used to change every year, with a special theme for Christmas. All of those have now gone, and so I have stayed with this one for several years. Good to know it works ok for you, Pete 👍

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  25. When I changed my theme recently Clive there was an option to preview it before committing, yours should have the same option. I’m sure you’ll sort it anyway.

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    • Thanks for that. Paul. Unfortunately I don’t have that option, as my present theme is so ancient that it won’t play with current ones! I may just have to hit the ‘activate’ button and keep everything crossed!

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