Darn - I didn't take a screenshot of the old website, and now it's gone forever. I'm unexpectedly emotional about that. I keep reloading the page but for now it just says "coming soon." Dealing with my nerves by writing to you.
It's the end of an era for me. I learned html back when the World Wide Web was a brand new fad, so I could make my own website. I was one of the very first children's musicians to have one (if not the first - sure, let's just say I was the first, why not?) Back then it was mostly text formatting, and if you included a photo, you had to wait and watch it load in one pixel at a time (practically).
Over the past twenty or so I've kept my own site updated, including porting it to different formats and different hosts, but it's all been my own doing. Yes, the thing had grown into a sprawling mess, but it was my mess.
But over the past few years the technology has left me behind. These days your site needs to be responsive, so it can re-shape itself for iphone screens, and that kind of programming is beyond me.
So... I've entrusted my new website to HostBaby's Site Builder system. It limits me in what I can do, but that also forces me to simplify, simplify, simplify. I'm still "doing my own site" in a way - but now I'm in charge of content and they are largely handling the format and look with their automated system.
Bad news is - all my old files will disappear. I have them all backed up, but things like old podcast episodes will no longer be available. Over time I can replace and repair those links, wherever they may be (iTunes, my blogs, etc.), but my online presence is a sprawling mess, so I'm sure someone somewhere will click on an old file of mine and find it missing every day from now until the end of time, leaving many people slightly annoyed and infinitesimally disappointed. What a legacy.
The good news is - HostBaby makes it really easy to employ music on your site, so there is music music everywhere. If you want to spend a day listening to everything I've ever recorded (nearly) - you can do so now, straight from my website. Also, it should be a lot easier for me to keep things updated, and that, in theory, will create more time for me to post here on my blog.
A...nd, there it is! My new site is live now. Old one is gone forever. On we go...
MontyHarper.com
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