The Beginning At Last

Random Thoughts From Gorilla HQ: 11/02/24

—

by

Kevin
in ,

From: Gorilla HQ

To: All Forward Units

To say it’s been a hell of a week feels like it’s putting it far too mildly.

Starting with the theft incident that Laura posted about earlier this week, which set a lousy tone, right on through to a very chaotic night on the professional front, the battery is quite low right now.

I don’t want to dwell on the theft of Laura’s post, but it really is a huge disappointment that shit like this happens.

What was not a disappointment, however, was the amount of support that the community showed after this got around.

It’s been said a thousand times before, and by several of others, but the main reason a lot of us stick around despite the performance issues, glitches and hiccups, is the supportive community. If not for that, there’d be little allure to hanging around.

UPDATED: The post has been taken down! Thank you, Liz for pointing that out! Finally some good news!

Speaking of performance issues, however…

It’s nice to see that legit bloggers are getting caught in the net and being treated as bots, while link dropping jackasses trying to sell crap ass products and services roam about freely. 🙄

Every damn day I have to login and send a bunch of shit to the spam folder and then go rescue legit comments from same. This is a fairly new occurrence. Prior to this, I rarely had to clear out too much spam from my comments. Hoping for a real resolution here.

Pingbacks: Completely unreliable these days more so than ever. At least for me.

This makes it very difficult for those of us who curate blogging challenges to keep track of all the participants. And I assure you, there are fewer feelings that are lousier than finding out you missed a post that a fellow blogger put a lot of time and energy into for your challenge.

Going forward, I am debating asking folks to just leave a link in the NTT comments to try and alleviate this. Tell me, fellow bloggers, would this be too inconvenient for you?

On that note, I am going to get back to my 1,000 rep workout. I’m about halfway done. Needed to do something to get the blood flowing a bit.

Stay Frosty and Keep Your Heads Down.

Gorilla HQ Over & Out.

©2024, The Beginning At Last

Comments

91 responses to “Random Thoughts From Gorilla HQ: 11/02/24”

  1. RasmaSandra Avatar
    RasmaSandra

    Do you mean pop in a link here from what we have posted for the latest challenge?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      No, not that. I mean, when I run an NTT, instead of, or in addition to, a pingback, posting a link in the comment section of that week’s particular NTT post. Soem folks already do that, but I hate making people work that hard if I don’t have to.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. RasmaSandra Avatar
        RasmaSandra

        OK so I just put in a link to my post here in the comments. Fine no problem.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Awesome, Sandra. Thank you!

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Not all who wander are lost Avatar
    Not all who wander are lost

    Enjoy your workout. I’m planning on getting my yoga in later today to shake off my week as well. Hang in there!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      Thank you, Sarah. You too. Enjoy! 💪

      Like

      Reply
      1. Not all who wander are lost Avatar
        Not all who wander are lost

        Sarah:) but I have to preemptively burn off the calories that I will probably end up consuming in other ways later 🙂 I’ll drop some NTT links later today 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Bloody hell, my apologies! I just fixed it. Brain and fingers are not fully synched today 😄
        Very sorry!

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    I still maintain you don’t have to do an 1,000 rep workout to get the blood flowing 😆 🤪
    And yes, very grateful for all the support from the wonderful people here 🙏 it means a lot. So much. 💕
    Still shaking off the cobwebs, mentally and emotionally. Hopefully the creativity picks back up soon 🤞
    I’m going to drop links for NTT regardless, going forward. You shouldn’t have to chase them.
    However, I can’t believe after SEVEN months it’s just decided to STOP working 🙄🙄
    Let’s also hope I get out of “spam comment” jail soon. Waiting on a response. 🕛
    And for a favorable outcome with the stolen content being taken down. 😒
    Thank you for all you do, once again 🥰 🤗 ❤️

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      I don’t have to, no. I choose to at times, is all. Plus, the pump is sick. 🤷‍♂️
      I hate that it makes a little more work for everyone, but on my schedule, there are days I legit cannot get on here, and it might be two days before I get to dive back in. It’ s hard sometimes.
      I’m hoping both those issues get resolved for you too. They are both very frustrating to say the least.
      As for the creativity, I still am a bit blank. Mostly just writing shit from the hip like this right now.
      It’s not much, but you’re welcome, and my thanks to you 😍

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        😊😊

        Like

    2. Liz Avatar
      Liz

      I am glad to see your post is taken down. 😊

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
      1. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        I just saw this. YES! Finally, something good! 👍👍

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        LOL! It looks like all the posts are different than the previous ones. He must have moved on to steal from someone else.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Liz Avatar
        Liz

        Yes. I bet they are not his own.

        Liked by 2 people

      4. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        I’d wager money on that. IMO, his whole damn page should be taken down.

        Liked by 2 people

      5. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        THIS X 100000

        Liked by 1 person

      6. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        I’m glad your post got taken down, but I feel for all the folks whose stuff he swiped who have no freaking clue.

        Liked by 1 person

      7. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        I agree, I feel horrible about it too

        Liked by 1 person

      8. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Unfortunately, it’s never going to go away and will keep happening.

        Like

      9. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Oh, and btw, he knew he was bagged because he tried to be sneaky and change the date of his post to September, so don’t tell me it wasn’t a conscious decision to steal that content.

        Liked by 2 people

      10. Liz Avatar
        Liz

        Yes. I noticed the change of date.

        Liked by 2 people

      11. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        That’s probably what finally screwed him, as Laura had original screenshots of the offense. At that point, he might as well have confessed to the host.

        Liked by 2 people

      12. Liz Avatar
        Liz

        Oh yes. Definitely.

        Liked by 2 people

      13. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        The thing I couldn’t understand is why be so hellbent on trying to say it’s yours?? wtf

        Liked by 1 person

      14. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        You’d think he’d just shut up and take it down once he realized the jig was up but what do I know.

        Like

      15. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        Yayyy!!!! Omg!!

        Liked by 2 people

      16. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        Thank you so much Liz! Thank you so much Kevin! Thank you everyone!! Wooohooooo!!!! 😁 🙌

        Liked by 2 people

      17. Liz Avatar
        Liz

        You’re welcome, Laura. 😊

        Liked by 2 people

      18. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        🤗 so much appreciated 🙏

        Liked by 2 people

      19. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Don’t look at me. I didn’t do anything lol

        Liked by 1 person

      20. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        Support is SOMETHING lol

        Liked by 1 person

      21. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        By definition, I suppose, yes…lol

        Liked by 1 person

      22. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        And it means A LOT!

        Liked by 1 person

      23. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        You’re welcome, but it really wasn’t anything that special.

        Liked by 1 person

      24. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        It was, to me.

        Liked by 1 person

      25. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        I’m glad then 😊

        Like

  4. Not all who wander are lost Avatar
    Not all who wander are lost

    No worries:) it’s all good

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      Thank you. I feel so embarrassed. 😊

      Like

      Reply
  5. Thoughtful Scribbles Avatar
    Thoughtful Scribbles

    I hope that the theft of her post is resolved.
    By the way, Gorilla looks nice in the third picture.
    I hope everything is going well for you and have a great day, my friend.😊

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      Liz just commented that it was taken down and I just confirmed, it is gone! 👍
      Thank you, my friend! 😊😊

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
      1. Not all who wander are lost Avatar
        Not all who wander are lost

        That’s great news

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Indeed. Finally, a W this week.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Stephanie Avatar
    Stephanie

    Dropping a link on the challenge page is not burdensome. Hopefully I’ll be back in the swing enough here eventually, to do so. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      Sounds great, Stephanie! Hope you’re on the path to feeling better!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Stephanie Avatar
        Stephanie

        Thanks Kevin. Still a bit Chutes and Ladders, but working on it. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Know the feeling, Stephanie. Hope you recover soon. 😊

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Stephanie Avatar
        Stephanie

        Thanks Kevin, me too. Me too indeed!

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Getting better finally?

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Stephanie Avatar
        Stephanie

        I’m still having a rough go. Two days clear then massive sinus migraine today, everything seems back. 😦 I do have a specialist next Friday, so crossing fingers, toes, eye…. anything!

        Liked by 1 person

      6. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Good luck and I hope the appointment goes well 🤞

        Like

  7. Rochdalestu Avatar
    Rochdalestu

    I don’t know if I feel blessed or disappointed that I don’t get any spam bot messages 😂 I think my blog is extremely well hidden because I had no idea what to do when setting it up 🤦🏽‍♂️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      I still have no idea what I’m doing. I just do whatever! 😄

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Rochdalestu Avatar
        Rochdalestu

        😂 that makes two of us then. I’m well and truly just winging it 🤪

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Fake it til we make it! 😄

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Rochdalestu Avatar
        Rochdalestu

        🙌🦍

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Ephemeral Encounters Avatar
    Ephemeral Encounters

    Agree with everything you said Kevin
    It took me a week and six emails for my comments not showing for it to be resolved.
    WP need to step it up a gear as far as the bugs and glitches are concerned.
    I am relieved for Laura’s sake that the post has been taken down🙏🏻
    But yeah, all the stress just sucks the goodness right out of you 🙄
    Take good care my friend.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      A week and six emails. Yeah, like you have nothing better to do than chase that around. Not like you want to concentrate on writing or anything. 🙄
      I’m glad too, but it really sucks that it had to even happen. The thought that it can easily happen again is still bothersome, but only so much time can be spent on worry I guess.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Ephemeral Encounters Avatar
        Ephemeral Encounters

        Exactly 🙄
        WP support is as much use as a chocolate fireguard,😄 but we got there.
        Absolutely understand that, and would make one wary to post
        It does suck
        Such is the array of pond life sadly on the web 😪
        I think we should all stay vigilant Kevin.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Chocolate fireguard is a very apt description. 😄
        Yes, we do indeed need to be vigilant. Even then, God only knows how much stuff is getting by us.

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Shweta Suresh Avatar
    Shweta Suresh

    I’m glad that Laura’s post is no longer on the thief’s site. I don’t know whether I am glad that my spam folder is doing its job relatively well. Or maybe the traffic is not enough to overwhelm it 😂
    WP still sticks my comments on other sites in spam folder from time to time. WP community is the best indeed! Pingbacks have become tricky indeed. It was a bit of a struggle to make a pingback to my own prompt post 😐
    I’ll make sure to drop a comment in the NTT prompt posts from now on. Usually I don’t do that because I am worried it’ll be annoying if there’s already the pingback. I just used to check if the pingback has worked. So no, it’s not an inconvenience. Going by that pic, a 1000 rep workout may not exactly be required. Meanwhile my idea of a workout still involves moving my arm to transport food safely into my mouth 😌

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      That’s the thing about this platform. Performance and issues are random from person to person. The pingbacks have always been a bit trash in the 10 months I’ve been here, but they are worse than ever now.
      I do appreciate the link in the comments and I don’t find it annoying at all. Quite the opposite!
      Well, I might need 2,000 reps to match the picture. I’ve been a bit lax these days lol

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Shweta Suresh Avatar
        Shweta Suresh

        Yeah. Pingbacks have always been tricky. This November will mark a decade since I started my journey with WordPress. Over the years, I’ve seen a cycle of various issues. Pingbacks, bots and spam, people who leave very cruel and unkind comments for no reason, comments solely meant for self-promotion. The list goes on and on. There were cases when WP used to flag people as spam just because they were commenting on too many sites.
        Point duly noted. I’ll go back and leave a comment.
        2000 reps! It almost makes me feel guilty for being lax all my life.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        That’s just me. I get a bit OCD with exercise lol
        Yes, I know a lot of these things probably are not new, but I feel it’s degraded just in the 10 months I’ve been kicking around.
        A decade, huh? Wow!
        I’m actually amazed I’ve made it as long as I have tbh lol

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Shweta Suresh Avatar
        Shweta Suresh

        Haha. Exercise is one thing I’m not obsessed about at all. It’s just seems like a lot of work to me. 🙊
        I’m just getting back after a long break. So I don’t think I can comment on that. WP tends to screw things up on a regular basis. WP sent me a blog anniversary notification today. I was just in the process of scheduling my blogiversary post.
        My Random Ramblings is my second blog and that turned 9 today. I ended up deleted my first blog but luckily I was able to import the content. So according to my archives, I started in Dec 2014.
        So yes, a decade. Makes me feel a bit old lol 😂
        But I should probably stress the fact that I have not been blogging consistently over a decade. My posts were erratic and I have taken long breaks – my last break lasted for 2 years. But I’ve always found my way back. And each time, the warm welcome and support I get from my fellow bloggers never ceases to surprise me. I probably don’t deserve it after being so inconsistent with my writing.
        Writing is something that I can’t shake off completely. People seem to like my content and I’m so grateful for that.
        So I’m sure you’ll make it far too, Kevin. You have got a lot going on – NTT especially. The community makes it really hard to leave. So hopefully you’ll stick around too.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        I have my bouts of love/hate with writing/blogging. I know most of us do, but I take it to the extreme ends sometimes lol
        The finger has hovered over the delete button more than once, not gonna lie. 😄
        All that said, I too am grateful that folks seem to get some enjoyment from my posts. It’s a very nice feeling.
        If it weren’t for exercise, I’d likely be in an asylum right now. 😜😜

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Shweta Suresh Avatar
        Shweta Suresh

        I know that love/hate relationship with writing all too well.
        I think that sometimes we are our worst critics. I’m glad that the finger has never landed on the delete button, Kevin. As Cheryl said, we love your posts so hang in there!
        It’s a great feeling indeed. So I hope you do stick around even when the going gets tough.
        We all have those lifelines that help us to stay sane. 😊

        Liked by 1 person

      6. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        I always say “against my better judgement, I am still here” 😄
        I think a part of me is half-kidding when I say that, because sometimes I truly loathe writing. Like, absolutely despise it. Don’t ask me why, I just get like that 🤷‍♂️
        I chalk it up to a healthy dose of instability lol

        Liked by 1 person

      7. Shweta Suresh Avatar
        Shweta Suresh

        😂😂😂
        I don’t loathe writing these days. At times, I just feel that what I’m writing is just total rubbish. I just get frustrated with myself 🙃
        But I used to feel that way too – writing used to feel like a chore. When I started out, I used to write these long, boring rant posts. Writing felt like a self-inflicted punishment, on the days that I could actually find something to write about! Other days, it ended up as an indefinite staring face-off between me and that annoyingly blank screen. 😂
        When I switched over to fiction and poetry, it was like a switch had flipped inside of me. Writing suddenly seemed a lot more fun, and liberating.
        I hope that you keep going strong against your better judgement!
        Healthy dose of instability 😂😂😂😂

        Liked by 1 person

      8. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        I don’t hate writing at the moment, but honestly, I know myself and that could literally change in a minute. I’m a bit mercurial with creative endeavors lol
        I am the opposite of you to a degree. I started out writing more “real” stuff, went to poems and fiction, and then found I am happier most of the time writing “real” stuff. That’s not a hard and fast rule, but I feel I am more authentic, and it’s more suited to my relatively low skill level.
        Anything I have read of yours thus far, I have greatly enjoyed, so don’t be so harsh with yourself!

        Liked by 1 person

      9. Shweta Suresh Avatar
        Shweta Suresh

        Glad to know that you’re not in the hate phase at the moment. I hope it stays that way. When writing gets difficult for me, I tend take long breaks. I don’t know which approach is worse 🫠😅😂
        I’m glad that you found your niche. I wouldn’t exactly call your skill level low.
        That’s so kind of you, Kevin. Thank you. Like I said, I tend to be my worst critic and it’s especially difficult after a long break from writing. At times, it’s hard to shake off the feeling that my best work might be in the past 🤷‍♀️

        Liked by 1 person

      10. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        Cheer up, I feel that way every day when I wake up 😆😆
        My skill level is trash compared to everyone else around here, but that’s ok. I just don’t what I do lol

        Yes, when I am away for even a few days getting the wheels turning again can be tough.

        Liked by 1 person

      11. Shweta Suresh Avatar
        Shweta Suresh

        One look at the comments section of any post of yours will tell you that your skill level is definitely NOT trash. You have hit the 1k mark in less than a year. Even after 9 years, that’s one milestone I’m yet to hit! 😂
        When the words flow, they end up pouring out like a river. But when they dry up, then I’ll just be left staring at the blank screen, every blink of the cursor serving to increase my frustration 😂😂😂
        It happens. I hope you’re feeling better now

        Liked by 1 person

      12. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        I’ll be honest, I don’t have the energy to argue about my skills or lack thereof today 😆
        Thank you very much Shweta. Most deeply appreciated.
        I think my ability or perception of it is a struggle I will face for a long time to come.
        I am grateful that others enjoy it even when I don’t 🙏🙏

        Liked by 1 person

      13. Shweta Suresh Avatar
        Shweta Suresh

        Haha. Sorry about that. I can be very adamant when it comes to driving my point home 😂

        Liked by 1 person

      14. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        No worries, I can appreciate that lol

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Christine Avatar
    Christine

    Frosty?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      🦍🦍🦍

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  11. rugby843 Avatar
    rugby843

    There is good support here and one of the reasons we put up with WP foibles.  We love your posts, Kevin, hang in there☺️

    Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      Thank you, Cheryl. 😊
      It is indeed one of the only reasons to stick around these days.
      I don’t have much creative in the tank these days, so it might be a bit sparse for a minute or two lol

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  12. Ana Daksina Avatar
    Ana Daksina

    We so agree about the supportive community/family here on WordPress! Not only is the outreach generous, it’s also very high quality. You come away really knowing you are not alone in anything you’re going through.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      Indeed. Very thankful for a lot of y’all around here.
      Now, if WP would just work on the technical side a bit 😄

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  13. Cindy Georgakas Avatar
    Cindy Georgakas

    Thank goodness for the support and camaraderie of our loyal WP family to bust this theft. Spam is the worst and TBH, I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to check or do my 1,000 rep workout lol. You go and hang in there, Kevin❣️🙏🏼❣️

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      Yes, it was nice to see all the support in this situation. Sad it happened in the first place, but it is the way of the world, I guess.
      The spam has been frustrating, but more so the fact that legitimate bloggers are being targeted as spam, while the true spammers roam freely around.
      Today will only be a couple hundred reps. I’m behind schedule! LOL

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  14. AM Avatar
    AM

    Oh, how sad that you struggle so much with spam and faulty ping backs. I can try and see if I can leave my link that I posted this morning. It’s been 4-5 hours since that and I’ve seen no comment from you so far, so I guess it hasn’t been working this time. It usually does.

    Pensivity101 has reported as well some strange bugs and I struggle with super-low stats for no reason.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      I was at work this morning for a bit, so I was not online until late, but I’m glad you left the link because I did not get the pingback.
      Laura’s did not work either. Nor did Phoebe’s. Only Destiny and Shweta’s worked so far.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
      1. AM Avatar
        AM

        So sad to hear that it didn’t work for so many people.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        It’s been a monumental challenge, for sure.

        Liked by 2 people

  15. tenzenmen Avatar
    tenzenmen

    When a product is made to be so flexible for users it is usually to its detriment and will exhibit unpredictable behaviour. It’s one of the reasons I switched to Mac over Windows about 15 years ago. Windows is great to fiddle around with and tweak to your hearts content but then have to keep it all running started costing me more time than I was willing to spend. Switching to a Mac was frustrating at first because I couldn’t do things the way I wanted but the way it wanted instead. Once I accepted this state I would often leave my Macs running for years at a time with any issues, only having to login again if there had been a power failure.

    I don’t seem to have any of the issues mentioned here, perhaps because I don’t have a fancy template or have changed the settings too much.

    I have I haven’t just jinxed myself here.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      I hope not too, because it’s a huge frustration.
      My template isn’t fancy either, and it seems not all users have the same glitches. It’s so odd and random,
      You do make a great point that trying to make it flexible is probably not doing it any favors. That, however, does not make the pill any less bitter.
      The part that really bugs me is the fact that a legit blogger got ID’d as a bot and they’ve severely restricted him. It’s asinine.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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