For some reason I became everyone’s Wordpress bitch over the past few weeks. And that’s fine; my friends know that I’m good with Wordpress, and I enjoy helping bloggers get the most from this platform.

I also learned that some of the older versions of Wordpress have some rather exploitable vulnerabilities. A few of the blogs I’ve upgraded have been compromised, and one blog even had its template files wiped out.

Some of these hacks can also expose the database password for your server. If you use the same password on the database that you use elsewhere, you could be more compromised than you think.

I decided to offer an upgrade service to my blogging friends. Here’s what I’m offering:

• A backup of your existing Wordpress installation. This includes your template files, plugins, and your entire Wordpress database.
• A “scrub” of your Wordpress installation to remove any compromising code.
• An upgrade of your Wordpress “core” to the latest stable version.
• Installation of the Wordpress backup plugin (if it isn’t already there) so you can get in the habit of backing up your Wordpress data.

You get all of this for a measly $15 US.

And - if all else fails, I will ensure that we can “roll back” to the last version you had before we started.

To do this, I’ll need FTP-level access to your server and a login into your Wordpress installation. This is something we can work out after-the-fact.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns!

… and for good reason.  I’m in the process of moving mikehelms.org to a new web host.With luck, this will go without any major interruptions in service.  And if you’re reading this, then congratulations - the transfer worked! 

So I’ve decided to do something new this year - and you’re invited! Even if you’re a lurker or a first-time visitor, you’re more than welcome to participate!

(my regular daily posts will appear below …)

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I installed a Wordpress plugin that lets me see what people are typing into search engines to find my blog … and some of the search terms are hilarious.  A few selections for your amusement:

• ending my relationship with my love of 1
• motorcycle old men
• hiking peeing
• farm tractors for sale in canada
• i hate Carolina NCSU t-shirts
• headgear called toboggans
• chicken nest box
• peterborough pool ass
• scottish wooden thresher
• explain where poutine fits into the food

I’m particularly flattered that Google associates me with Scottish wooden threshers.  And I guess I’m not a fan of  NCSU - sorry Courtney.

Leave me a comment if you’re looking for some pool ass, and I’ll be in touch.

It’s been three years since I started the absent.canadian. A few useless stats:

• This will be my 346th post
• I have received 799 legitimate comments, and 28,713 spam comments (thank you akismet!

I registered the mikehelms.org domain in 1998, and might even dredge up some of the “original” screen shots to further bore amuse you. At various points, this website has featured a Stompin’ Tom Connors discography, a vintage camera museum, a Volkswagen “shrine” to my old Scirocco, and all sorts of other things I’ve felt the urge to publish to the rest of the world.

But for now (and the foreseeable future) this is the home of the one and only absent.canadian.