As regular visitors to TPV will have noticed, there was a great disturbance in the TPV Force over the weekend.
As with a zillion other blogs, The Passive Voice uses WordPress, an online, open-source website creation and content management program. In Blog World, WordPress is what Microsoft Word is for a lot of writers.
Previously, when WordPress issued a major release (for example, 4.0, rather than a dot release, 4.4), that meant major changes for the program, including security upgrades.
Generally, PG waits for several days after a major release before upgrading TVP to allow time for release bugs to appear and be remedied by the software publisher.
In the case of WordPress 5.0, PG was unwisely impulsive and updated TPV right away. He freely admits, this action comprised a frolic of his own.
Under English common law, an employer is vicariously liable for the torts of its employees where these occur “in the course of employment”. This principle is enshrined in the common law doctrine known as “let the master answer”.
WordPress 5.0 feature in action!!!
In court cases dating back more than 200 years, judges have used the expression a “frolic of his own” to describe acts which are considered to be outside the course of employment and, accordingly, not covered by the vicarious liability of the employer.
WordPress 5.0 is a big change from the 4.x versions. Big changes to popular and complex software don’t always coexist harmoniously with all the different things people do with that software and the almost infinite number of combinations of software settings the program enables.
Additionally, PG is using an ancient WordPress theme (a theme provides the appearance overlay for the WordPress software so not all WordPress blogs look like all other WordPress blogs even though the underlying program is identical).
Additionally (version 2.0), PG runs a lot of WordPress plugins, smaller add-in programs that simplify tasks PG often performs on the blog, provide additional security, etc. Depending upon the the author of the plugin (perhaps a real software company, perhaps someone with a day job as an astrophysicist or truck driver who plays around with WordPress at night), when WordPress changes, the plugin may or may not be changed to work in the new software environment.
To speed this wandering story up a bit, when PG attempted to install the WP 5.0 upgrade, the install process spat out a strange error message. (If you ever see a pop-up message that includes the term, “xmlrpc.php”, run for your life!)
Had PG been a person with his wits about him instead of partaking in a frolic of his own, he would have stopped there, realizing that the electrons of the web universe were sending a warning that he was about to commit an error. (Abandon hope all ye who enter here! Love&Kisses, Xmlrpc.php)
Of course, he didn’t do this. After several other upgrade attempts that generated the same error message, PG contacted the excellent tech support crew at Hosting Matters.
Of course, tech support is in the business of promptly solving the problems their customers ask them to solve, not engaging in extended counseling sessions asking their customers if they have really thought through what they wanted to do and, perhaps, treat the error message as a cosmic warning not to enter the Delta Quadrant.
Hosting Matters quickly responded that the problem PG thought he had was fixed and that PG was free to continue his journey.
PG noted his problems with 5.0 in a post yesterday and received several helpful/sympathetic responses, including from Nate Hoffelder, the proprietor of The Digital Reader and tech guru who had previously advised PG that the theme he has always used for TPV is obsolescent and rocketing along in the fast lane to obsolete.
So, it’s time for PG to engage in some theme hunting (again).
During his last theme hunt, PG received several communications from regular visitors to TPV who said they really liked the look of the current theme and were concerned about a change.
Therefore, PG’s quest is not so much for an updated and properly-operating theme as it is for an updated and properly-operating theme that looks a lot like the current TPV theme. Given his experiences over the past couple of days, this time, failure is not an option.
Quite some time ago, the creator of the current TPV theme announced that he would not be updating his theme. Since he had released it as a free theme and nobody had paid him for his work, to PG’s way of thinking, the creator had no obligation to spend additional time working on the theme to solve PG’s problems.
PG would like to crowd-source the search for a makeover theme for the TPV.
He’s looking for:
- A commercial-quality WordPress theme (which he expects to pay for without breaking the bank) that is likely to be supported through future WordPress updates on an ongoing basis; and
- Has at least a bit of an old-time, dusty library feel to it
If any of the brilliant people who visit TPV on a constant basis have theme suggestions, PG would appreciate it if they would either include information in a comment or send PG a private message via the Contact Page.
I have a static site where I use WordPress to post a few archival items. The WP portion updated itself to WordPress 5. I was … not amused. I am glad that I don’t use the site to interact with people (no comments, it’s truly static). All of you using WordPress as it’s intended be used have my sympathies. Me, I’m trying to remember what my reason was for incorporating WordPress in the first place.
This WordPress upgrade is such a big one that I’m waiting for a while before making the jump. Let WordPress and plugin developers time to not only update, but squash bugs. I’m too tired and busy to be a bug squasher right now. Let soeone else forget the path and squash the big ones for me! 😛
(I do the same wait-for-bugs-squashed thing with big computer OS changes, too)
I was just getting ready to update my site to 5.0 when I read your post. I think I’ll wait even though my theme is new and supported.
The phrase “a frolic of his own” recalls “hoisted by his own petard.” You gotta remember to follow your own rules, PG.
So, it’s time for PG to engage in some theme hunting (again).
Why? Drudge and Craigs List do just fine.
Just went through a templating upgrade literally last week (ironically just before 5.0 hit). I sent you a private message.
Thanks, Tymber.
When I tried The Passive Voice this morning I got a message about the system being unable to contact a database so it was nice to see it back up and to read your explanation, even if I had expected your lawyer’s instincts to have made you much more cautious/skeptical.
Being curious, I googled xmlrpc.php and my first result – Google’s algorithms being what they are yours might differ – was What is xmlrpc.php in WordPress and why you should disable it which definitely sounds a warning note.
Sorry about the outage, Mike, and I hope it’s not repeated.
I love “a frolic of his own”! Now I just need an excuse to use it. 🙂
Wishing you luck in finding exactly what you want.
Frolic hard, Deb.
As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Never miss a frolic…good for the nerves–like celery.”
Actually, he wrote, “Never miss a party,” but it’s pretty much the same thing as a frolic.
I love that phrase! Thank you for sharing the explanation with us!
Best of luck in finding a new theme.
I love it as well, Jaye.
Once in a while, parts of the law can be humorous.
I’ve had the opportunity to attend business social functions with a lot of different occupational groups and can report that, in my experience, gatherings of lawyers involve more laughter than other groups.
I got to this in about 25 minutes using the Catch Pro theme you already have:
https://the-digital-reader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/passive-voice-demo.jpg
I could have gotten a lot closer before showing it to you, but TBH I am hungry and I wanted to break for lunch.
P.S. I saved my notes this time, so it would be easy to recreate my work.
That’s a great start, Nate.
I’ll get in touch with you via email.
How about a gofundme so PG can pay Nate for a new theme?
Does he need a ‘new’ theme – or just help sneaking updated SW under the old covers?
(Helped do that with a couple of cars, looked like old rolling steel coming down the road, but were state-of-the-art (for that time) under the hoods. 😉 )
MYMV and may they never know what you’re running.
I don’t know that your theme is as ‘outdated’ as some seem to think.
It is older and more ‘restful’ than many I visit, much as I’d expect of a well-established lawyer’s office where past achievements speak louder than the ‘flash-bang’ shock of walking into the new kids’ shop down the street.
And that restfulness might be helping set the tone of some of the remarks … 😛
You can of course listen to the suggestions of others – but more than those visitors you will have to face it each day. 😉
Mind over matter.
MYMV and may you have happy holidays.
A – Thanks for your observations and agree with you with respect to the appearance of the current theme.
The outdated part is the code behind the current theme and how it interacts with the underlying WordPress system and various plug-ins for that system.