Articles

Not too long ago, I wrote an article that came about after someone from Russia tried hacking into one of my WordPress websites. I initially used the Limit Login Attemts plugin, (I highly recommend this to anyone who has or makes WordPress websites) which allows me to limit the number of login attempts and eventually locks the person out after reaching the limit. I initially thought, “Great, now that this person has been locked out for 24 hours, he will get frustrated and move on to someone else’s computer.” I was wrong. That person kept trying for another couple days. He would get locked out for 24 hours and then try again, day after day. So, I decided to step things up a bit. I found a plugin called VSF Simple Block that automatically redirects a selected...

I received the email seen below on Tuesday. It came from a plugin I use for the WordPress websites I create called Limit Login Attempts, which limits the number of times a person can login to a website AND which also locks their IP address for 24 hours – or whatever value I set – when the person fails at logging in too many times. I looked up the IP address provided in the email on Whois and found out it comes from somewhere in Russia. The person was using the “admin” username, which is the default username when installing WordPress. Apparently that person was using a “brute force” attack by simply using easily available software that rapidly tries thousands, even hundreds of thousands of commonly used passwords freely available on the...

The picture below is the homepage of my website. It is simple in design – but, it has an impact. It is memorable. People who see this homepage know within seconds that I am a web designer – and one who likes to create websites that have a strong, positive impact on people. It is refreshing in its simplicity. It brings people in and they want to know more about me and my work. (This article can be seen at Inside919). It is simple and that is how I like it. I used to listen to all the “pro’s” who say that your homepage is supposed to have “this” and it is supposed to have “that,” which basically means you are supposed to have a homepage with a lot of “stuff” on it (i.e., it is supposed to be...

  The screenshot below is the homepage for Ford Motor Company. I did not build it, I do not work for Ford (neither does anyone in my family), nor do I own a Ford vehicle (again, neither does anyone in my family). But I love their website! I love it because it is simple in design, but oh, so effective! Their website represents everything I mentioned in a previous article – that I love simplicity! (This article can also be seen at Inside919). Simple websites are so much more effective than the websites that follow all the “rules” of how a web site is supposed to look (according to the “pro’s”). Simple websites are much easier to absorb, understand, and navigate. Yes, there are some very important “behind-the-scenes” rules to follow for...

The image below is an example of a great website in terms of layout and appearance. I did not build this one, but it is a great example of the type of website I like to create (additionally, it is built using a WordPress theme that I like to use – in fact, I used it to build my own homepage!) The owner of this website builds homes and that is readily apparent at first glance of the homepage. A very simple and easy to follow navigation bar sits at the top of the page, including Contact, About Us, and Our Clients. At the bottom are three panels containing an impressive and suitable picture with a descriptive title, such as “New Home & Remodel,” “Commercial Construction,” and “Recent Projects.” This article can also be seen at Inside919. One reason...