machinery (impressum HDR)

Blog Maintenance / Development History & Timeline

Last Update: 2024-10-01


History of Site Changes & Updates

Current Year

  • 2024-05-02: Continued maintenance (link checks, language checks & improvements, optimization for faster load times, layout improvements, updated “author stamp”, etc.)
  • 2024-06-28: Replaced calendar plugin with a more versatile and comprehensive utility; transferred the event history to the new platform
  • 2024-10-07: Checked & revised table formatting. Front page now reflects priority for media reviews, less focus on concert reviews.

History of Major Site Changes & Updates

2011 – 2013
  • 2011-07-07: Blog started on Google’s Blogger (blogspot.com) platform (bio, reflections)
  • 2011-08-03: Started post series about harpsichord tuning
  • 2011-09-04: First, short CD review
  • 2011-10-10: First extended CD comparison (Beethoven violin sonata op.12/1)
  • 2013-07-25: 30,000 blog views, blog post #101
  • 2014-09-13: First “real” concert review
2014 – 2016
  • 2014-10-24 – 2014-11-13: Started WordPress-based blog site, existing blog posts transferred from Blogger to WordPress
  • 2014-10-26: Production at the Blogger site stopped @ 154 posts.
  • 2014-11-13: Completed content transfer from Blogger to WordPress. Re-routing traffic to new site.
  • 2014-11-23: Genuine blog publishing on WordPress started.
  • 2016-03: Initial blog site at Blogger closed @ 74,000 page views.
  • 2016-06-16 – 2016-10-14: All blog posts thoroughly checked & revised for better readability (syntax/language, structuring/subtitles, paragraphs, etc.).
2018 – 2019
  • 2018-12-23: Revised typography (Font type and sizes, etc.)
  • 2019-01-16: Revised title / header layout for blog posts
  • 2019-04-04: Started adding short summaries in German (and occasionally other languages) near the top of new blog posts (in particular: concert reviews). Retrofitting older posts is work in progress.
  • 2019-06-06: Blog post #500 (>1.4 million words total, >193,000 page views since 2011)
  • 2019-06 – 2019-09: Extensive blog maintenance. All blog posts reworked for block editor (no changes in layout / functionality). Retrofitting short summaries in German (particularly in concert reviews) continues as low-priority task.
  • 2019-06 – 2020-02: Added post outlines at the top, throughout all blog posts.
  • 2019-11-05 – 2019-11-25: Reworked front pages (more focus on content, redesigned header pics, etc.), simplified main menu, fine-tuning in typography (with adjustments for mobile platforms, etc.).
2020 – 2022
  • 2020-12-02: Added “Testimonials” (under “About” in the main menu)
  • 2020-12-04: Switched from “like” buttons (registered users only) to generally accessible star rating for posts & pages
  • 2020-12-17: Expanded, more specific and detailed legal terms, see Impressum, Legal
  • 2020-12 – 2021-02-07: Search utilities reworked, enhanced, consolidated
  • 2021-05-04: Switched to a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License, see Impressum / Legal
  • 2021-11-05: Mobile-friendly site through simpler, flat menu structure. Unnecessary widgets removed.
  • 2022-06-28: Added Blockchain timestamping to Impressum / Legal page
  • 2022-07-10: Disabled rating and “like” options (see “Site Policy“).
2023 – 2024
  • 2023-05-20: Reverted to a simpler content background, for more clarity
  • 2023-09-06: Checked blog posts for non-inclusive language
  • 2023-11-25: Language switching (Google translate) moved into the main menu.
  • 2023-11-30: Subscription form moved into the main menu.
  • 2023-11-26 – 2023-12-14: Removed all widgets, removed the sidebar, re-checked the layout on all posts (>650) and pages (>80).
  • 2023-12-15: New, clean header layout: menus merged in to a single “Hamburger” icon
  • 2023-12-19: Touched up font size (slightly bigger, for the longer lines), font in tables changed from Ubuntu to Arial
  • 2024-05-02: Continued maintenance (link checks, language checks & improvements, optimization for faster load times, layout improvements, updated “author stamp”, etc.)
  • 2024-06-28: Replaced calendar plugin with a more versatile and comprehensive utility; transferred event history to the new platform
  • 2024-10-07: Checked & revised table formatting. Front page now reflects priority for media reviews, less focus on concert reviews.


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