🧠mark2 release log

I continued to take a step back from finishing v2.5.0 again today and instead focused on some bugs and chores that have been sitting out there for awhile. It kept me productive while keeping me away from the burnout of the bigger picture. When I find myself frustrated, especially with something on my own timeline, I don't mind stepping away to give myself some clarity for when I return.

As part of these bug fixes, I also worked on automating SEO (Search Engine Optimization) functionality as well as building tests to ensure all of the stuff I deploy is ready for the Google machines. I then plugged shaolin-scrolls & homies into this new structure, which is kind of a backdoor way back into the bigger v2.5.0 picture. Coding, but with low stakes.

The worst part of even smallish changes like this? Getting the damn tests to work. If only I hadn't decided to do it the "right" way. Everything might be 2x faster. :)

During that same 6-week period, I've been knee deep in building out some functionality here. Most of this work fell into 4 larger chunks:

• Authority
• Menus
• Breadcrumbs
• Blogging

There's a few places on the site that I don't want anyone rummaging around in, so I linked up to the big Google in the sky and integrated some of their front-end login functionality with my own authz controls on the backend. Integrating with Google was surprisingly easy, and if you want to go on an Easter Egg hunt, you could find the page to activate the Google Machine. Let me know if you find it - that's fun.

Next up, menus. This one was a huge pain in the ass - mostly because I'm OCD and very particular with what I want. Even though I really don't know what I want. The amount of ways you have to consider a menu (mobile, desktop, touch on desktop, yer mom, etc.) is annoying. Then add in who can see what authority, and it was a nice sized chunk of work. Works pretty good right now. Could be gooder, but that's tomorrow me who will hate that.

I haven't eaten breakfast yet today, so breadcrumbs are making me hungry right now. nikkigirl is with a friend who I'm saying isn't really a friend.....another one of those later gator stories. I'm hungry, and it's her fault, is the point. lulz

Anywho, breadcrumbs will follow you wherever you are on the site to help you jump back up the hierarchy as well as anchor you to your location on the site. Breadcrumbs if the Gravediggaz described them: there's nowhere to run, there's nowhere to hide.

And finally, we close with blog boi. Or as I have started calling them chronicles. I use chronicles all over the place. If you followed the adventure on the homepage, a blueprint is a template for my technical chronicles. A fuller breakdown of chronicles can be found in the ruins.

I spun up a simple blog and have been blogging every day for 2 weeks. My goal is to write something every day for a year. Good, bad, or indifferent. Write it down.

That's what I would consider a full release of shaolin v.2.5.0. Moving from 2.4 to 2.5 is as big a jump as I've had yet. It'll be interesting to see what inspires the need to jump from 2.5 to 2.6.......