I’ve been forced to temporarily discontinue my Minecraft server due to a lack of available funding. Unfortunately, I can’t dedicate my such a large chunk of my personal funds to a server with very few people. If you would like to see the server back, please feel free to donate on the Server’s information page on this site. If you can’t donate, at least comment so I know you play! Also, all data has been saved, so there is no worry about losing your builds (sorry, I’m not going to pull schemas for you to download, as that is a very lengthy process the way the server works).
Minecraft Updates and 3rd Party Servers/Mods
So, with the recent updates to 1.2.3 and 1.2.4, it’s really become quite apparent how much of a pain it is for server staff and mod developers to keep up with the new MC versions, especially as close together as the last two were.
I rely on several mods when I’m working on servers that I run/staff, including a macro mod for handling day to day tasks, fly mod for getting around and dealing with griefers, xray to find lava grief, and much more.
Now, all the servers I play on are at 1.2.4, just a few days after we were able to update to 1.2.3, and I have none of my normal mods, because none of them are up to date.
Part of this has to do with how fast Mojang releases their updates. Once it’s ready, it’s public release. There’s no really advance release, or hold for public release to allow developers the time to update their 3rd party server software, plugins, and mods.
A lot of this headache could be saved by simply having some form of controlled release. Once a new version is finalized, instead of releasing it directly to the public, hold it from the public, and distribute it only to developers for a few days to a couple of weeks. This gives them time to update their programs, and will make the overall user experience much better.
This isn’t just a great idea for mod users and developers, but a great idea over all. Most players play MC for the online play, and many don’t use any mods what so ever. Many of these players will simply click Yes on the Auto-Update screen and go straight to the newest version. Now, they have to wait on servers to update, or go obtain a jar of the old version from another source.
Another way to improve modding MC, would be to include something similar to ModLoader in the game when you get it, and all mods be compatible/loaded by that. It would make the process of modding much simpler for all, and speed up the development process.
These are just some things to consider for future releases, in my humble opinion. Minecraft is a good game, but it needs just those few minor things to make it great, and I think these should be on the list.
</rant>
Self-Hosted Blogs vs. Build Your Own Blog Sites
Tonight while I was playing Minecraft with some of my friends, I had a few people ask me what software I was running. I told them I was using WordPress.org, and for some, the response was instantly “Why? You could have saved money using Tumblr!”
Well, the answer to this question for me was simple. I have the server, the domains, already set up, I just needed to install content. This was the simplest option. My domain and server are both paid in full for a decent period of time. But, really, there’s a lot more to it for me.
The hosted Build Your Own Blog (BYOB) services like Tumblr, Blogger, and others are great tools for beginning bloggers, and even some more serious bloggers. But, being a more advanced user, it comes down to one thing. I like to control every aspect of my site. From the databases, to the versions of the software, server logs, what ever, you name it. This is really one thing that these hosted services don’t offer.
Self-hosting this site gives me full control over my site. I know who has access to the database where my information (and yours) is stored, I know what is accessed, when it is accessed, helping me better ensure that what information I have is secure. I know what version of software I’m running, and I can apply updates after I’ve had the opportunity to test them, and ensure they’re going to work properly, and won’t knock my site in to disarray and force me to frantically fix it. Self-hosting gives me more resources as well. I have a full functional mail server, file hosting, 2 different SQLs, Shell/Terminal access, and so much more on my server.
So for me, a self-hosted blog was the right solution, but it’s not for everyone. There are tons of advantages to both self-hosting and BYOB sites, and the latter are great for introductory blogs. But there comes a point when you will need more control over your site than they offer, and more resources.
In the end, you just have to pick whats right for you.
Minecraft 1.2.4
Earlier this morning, Mojang released Minecraft 1.2.4. The update is mainly a bug fix update, but adds a few more decorative blocks (different colored planks, and hieroglyphic blocks) and some much needed upgrades to the chat functions.
If you play online server, many servers will not update for a few days still, so, if you want to play online, don’t update (or back up your jar before you do)! Most mods are also not updated yet, so you’ll likely be using a completely vanilla client.
Welcome Back!
It’s good to be back on the internets! I had taken this blog down about 4 or 5 years ago to pursue another project and redirected this URL there. Now, I’m back, and I hope this site will be better than ever! It’s great to see that so many people have continued to follow me, and check this website to see if I was coming back!
I stream from time to time, so remember to check out my LIVE page to see if I’m streaming. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook (buttons on the left of the page) so you know when I’m doing so!
A lot of “first posts” (even though this is far from my first post) tell about the author, and the blog, so I feel a little obligated. Granted most of you already know about me, a lot has changed since the last time I was here.
So to start things off, my name is Andrew, and I’m a 21 year old (yeah, I’m old now) college student at Oklahoma State University. I already have my Associates degree in IT – Network Engineering from a local community college, and I’m working on my B.S. in Management Information Systems – Information Assurance/Digital Forensics at OSU. Hopefully soon I’ll be entering law enforcement (could be as soon as the next few months, before I even graduate).
I’m still an avid gamer on my Xbox 360 (10 year tenure on XBL now!) and I’m an avid Minecraft player. I doddle in other games from time to time as well. I also still do some programming and IT work. I speak Java, PHP, VB.NET, and several other languages. I’m always willing to help out if a friend asks, so don’t hesitate to tweet me (@ZoomerX)!
Anyway, that’s enough about me! I’ll eventually get a full bio posted on my Bio page. I just have to sit down and find the time to actually write it.
Well guys, time to take on the internet!
