The Iliff Computer Center was my computer business that I ran from 2008 to 2012. After a few issues and unavoidable circumstances, I had to close it down. But, I still kept the domain name. I finally decided on what to do with the website itself.
Primarily, I kept it around because I use the Iliff Computer Center email address for a lot of things online. And since I am far too lazy to go through every account and change all the addresses, I wanted to keep the domain name.
That, and I think part of me never really wanted to let it go. In fact, the whole situation is what drove me to write. Unfortunately, it also caused a vast amount of my depression over the years.
Instead of just letting it fade away, I’ve decided to make something of the website. Though, it’s probably not what you would think.
Turning ICC Into My WordPress Testing Blog
For the most part, anything I do regarding WordPress is put on WriterSanctuary.com. However, I need something online that I can completely butcher while testing scripts, plugins, or themes.
This is because I run site tests frequently, and using my local install of WordPress is not viable in this case.
Since the Iliff Computer Center website gets no visitors and really doesn’t have content, I figured it would be a good place to test drive a lot of functions, features, plugins, and scripts to see just what makes or breaks a website.
Besides, I wouldn’t want to add something to my primary blogs if it winds up causing issues or hindering performance.
What Will the Content Entail?
So, ICC will have actual content. But, it’s going to be more experimental information and logs of what I’ve done to adjust other websites. I highly doubt it’ll pique anyone’s interest mostly because these posts are simply notes on what I’m doing.
It’s a way for me to keep track of any adjustments and alterations I make. Plus, the content itself is what I need when testing performance tools and settings.
I know I could simply add some fake, demo content. There’s plenty of WordPress plugins that do this for you. But, the content itself will help me remember what I am doing and the adjustments I’ve made.
I kind of started doing that with this website. However, I don’t think the logs are what I want associated with MichaelBrockbank.com.
Who knows, maybe I’ll break down the categories so I can keep track of other online elements.
Why Does This Matter?
I was thinking about setting up a subdomain to run all these tests. But the truth is, a lot of them are going to be focused on root domain functionality. And since I don’t want to screw up any of my other sites, ICC is a perfect platform.
Besides, if it winds up getting some attention from others having the same issues, perhaps it can start generating traffic again.
I’m not exactly holding my breath on this one, though. I think ICC is probably the only site that I really won’t market or push for getting traffic. I’m not even worrying about setting up social profiles.
I simply want an online platform that I can test things on to get viable data for content on WriterSanctuary.com.
For example, I’d love to pit specific caching plugins against each other with speed tests. Then, I could put the results in a blog post for the “top caching plugins.”
And if I ruin the site beyond repair, I can simply squick it and start over.
But Won’t This Suck More of My Time?
Yeah, because I have so much time to work on yet another website, right? Essentially, I’m using the Iliff Computer Center to run research and development. I won’t worry about SEO, blog length, or any of the other stuff that usually takes up my day.
These are all posts that center around running tests and recording data. In fact, I bet a large portion of them will probably only be around 300 to 500 words long.
Well, except for the testing posts. I’ll try to flesh out those articles just as I would any other piece of content I write for WriterSanctuary.com. After all, I need similar content if I want to provide accurate information.
Why Should You Care?
I guess it really doesn’t matter if you care about this or not. I’m just writing this blog post so that I remember I want to set ICC up to be a testing platform. You might find value in it if you use WordPress. But the results are going to be available on WriterSanctuary’s blog and YouTube channel.
So, if you’re interested in the process, you might like the posts.
Gone, But Not Forgotten
I dumped my heart and soul into the Iliff Computer Center. It was a major part of my life and I miss running the business. I find it fitting to use it this way as a method to continue helping myself and possibly others who may need assistance.
At any rate, it will at least give me an online record of what I’m trying to work on when it comes to my blogs. And since I am getting ready to dive into the nuts and bolts of CrossingColorado, it’ll be of great benefit.
You know, I’m actually kind of excited to get started. But first, I need to record two YouTube videos today.