Please kindly click the link “Wedding RSVP” toward the top right of the webpage to reply for the invitation.

Reminder: China Pearl reception will be located in Quincy!

Please read closely for the correct address, I noticed some people mistaken it for the Boston location.  Looking forward to see you all there!

WordPress for Android

This is one of those things that make a lot of sense when you stop and think about it. Maybe it’s that and plus the fact I’m just totally out of touch.

I wanted to take a picture and share it on this blog. However, the thought of:

1. Unpacking the DSLR
2. Taking the picture
3. Transferring picture to the computer
4. Putting the DSLR away
5. Converting the RAW file into .jpg
6. Resizing it
7. Uploading it

All of it was terribly off putting. I’m lazy, more especially so when there are video games to be played. Then I realized WordPress accepts posts via email. I could take a picture with my phone and email it! While I was reading up on how to do so, one of the articles mentioned the WordPress app. Bingo! Even better.

1. Tell them the desired domain name (annetteandray)
2. Tell them the desired top level domain (.com)
3. They’ll check to see if it’s available and offer alternatives (annetteandray.net, annetteandray.us, etc)
4. Sign up and give them money
5. Receive the name for a year.

Some web hosts offer a free domain name if you sign up for a hosting package. However, as a personal preference, I keep the domain name registrar and web host separate. This allows me to more easily change web hosts if necessary for better pricing/service issues. You can read more about it: Easy Site Guide.

I chose NameCheap for its good reputation amongst people who develop/manage websites or flip domain names for a living. GoDaddy has them beat with really good specials (costing ~$3), but I’ve heard enough mixed opinions about GoDaddy that I simply dropped them from consideration. I didn’t want any issues since I was also registering FeedForwardFeed.com as a birthday present for a friend. It costs about $13/year per domain after fees.

For those interested in registering a domain name, I found thesitewizard.com to be a good resource outlining the process.

I then pointed the domain to a hosting account at FatCow while I experimented with web hosting and WordPress. They were running a special for ~$36 for a year of hosting. For those unfamiliar with the role that web hosts and domain names play on the internet, this little comic should make it clearer: How the Internet Works in Simple English.

Now experimentation is over. I intend to keep this website running for the long term. Thus I needed a web host for the long term, with the three criteria:

1. Inexpensive – this is a personal site, one that generates no revenue
2. Stable – uptime is always a good thing
3. Fast – the site on FatCow was noticeably slow, taking about an awkward second for the page to load.

After much research, I waited (long term thinking + patience!) for StableHost’s Black Friday special on hosting plans. They offered 65% off yearly plans for life. I went with Namecheap for the domain name. It works out to $26/year for the domain name and hosting.