Dev Blog with Bill The Web Guy
Hey, your question isn't too small! I'm here to help you understand what's going on in the "engine room" of IRgC! If you have a situation that needs addressing re: membership, that's This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. If there's something "just not right" about the site, you can send me a note on the right side of this page.
Bill Ray is a silly guy who is fortunate enough to do what he loves, creating art in both an audible and visible (but always functional) manner. He resides in Seattle, WA and knows absolutely nothing about rug making, but could turn a tangle-proof cord into a bird's nest in one try.
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Hello Rug Campers from slushy Seattle!
Gene and Marsha have made me aware that a couple of you have been experiencing problems logging in; as in "it doesn't save your data". This could be because of many factors, but I suspect it may be a cookie that's still lurking in your browser that "thinks it knows it's supposed to be there". We need to rid the browser of that value and that's gonna require a couple of steps on your end.
Clearing Your Browser Cache
For starters, try clearing your browser cache. You may find instructions on how to do that here. RefreshYourCache.com
Update Your Browser
You can visit this link and see where your browser lines up with what's available for your system.Note: Some of you may see a box appear saying to "update your browser". I have installed that bit of code to help simplify the process.
Make sure your system software is up to date. This will also help protect you from scammers and hackers.
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- Written by Bill Ray
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I didn't forget about y'all. I've been busy in other areas of my life and check in periodically here when I know there's software updates to apply. If you notice anything strange, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. My email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
I updated Joomla (the CMS) and "Membership Pro" (the membership software).
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- Written by Buddy Gibbons
- Category: Dev Blog with Bill The Web Guy
Hello IRgC! I wanted to take a moment and say a fond 'farewell' to all of you. After more than a decade of working on Gene's various websites, and building the Internet Rug Camp from the ground up, by the end of 2018 it was clear that the time had come for me to say goodbye to this part of my life. What many of you don't know about me is that, in addition to running a website business for a long time, I was also building a career as a drummer... yes, that's right, I'm a professional drummer! In fact, I met Gene and Marsha when I was on tour in Southern California about 15 years ago! Thankfully, my musical career has continued to grow year over year, but because of that, I no longer had time to spend keeping up with the rapidly changing pace of website design technology. In 2018 alone I composed and played the music for the Los Angeles Dodgers, two film scores, multiple drum clinics, multiple drum camps, 50 television shows and.... the list goes on. In the event that you're interested, check out my own personal website at www.buddygibbons.com.
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So, folks I have figured out why the site was kicking some of you out, and it's because your subscription was entered at a time before the software had a field called "Member_ID", which is automatically generated (but can be manually added too). This is why you must "re-register" as a member, so the system can generate that number. Once that Member_ID field is filled it is only then that your membership is correct.
Side note: Isn't progress fun?
When I took on the job of updating Internet Rug Camp, the first thing that needed to occur was to update the site software because at the rate we were going, the odds of getting hacked were stacked heavily against us! It's a wonder we were not hit because the software we were running was about three years out of date, and software life is kinda like "dog years". If something is three years old it's really 21. And when software hits the legal drinking age, bad things can happen.
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Update: I have simplified things for you all and made the text larger.
So... it's probably safe to say that the subscription system is working really, really good because it's preventing some... a lot of folks from getting in! And to you all, I say "I'm sorry..." please take heart, there's a way to get around the hassle.
In my earlier blog post, I talked about the need to get everyone "on the grid" of the subscription system; it's largely for Marsha's benefit and will help to make her job a bit easier. There's three things she's asked for and those three things are: First Name, Last Name and Email. It's for her record keeping.
So if you log in and see that there's a message at the top right of your screen that says "You do not have an active membership" We are updating our subscription system. Please Visit this page and update your profile., that's because the system cannot "see" you; chances are your membership is in good standing and we need to get you inserted properly.
The way to "fix" the problem if you have a current membership and cannot get in is to follow these steps:
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- Written by Bill Ray
- Category: Dev Blog with Bill The Web Guy
Well hello there, fine folks! I've recently installed and updated a really great piece of software that manages memberships for IRgC and helps take a bit of the load of management off Marsha's shoulders. Some things you may want to know.
Because of many factors from the past, some folks had trouble logging in and Marsha began handling "manual registrations" which, with as many subscribers as are here can become a very large chore. This new software, when configured properly can handle all of this like a champ! And it'll give Marsha a break from "manual management" so she can move happily about her day.
As of now, the "new" software requires an active subscription to access site amenities (Blog, Video, Patterns) because it "does what it was built to do" (restrict access to non-members) You can view the status of your subscription in the upper right of your browser, or just under the logo badge at the top of the page. If you do NOT have a subscription but are a registered member you're one of the folks who are "off the grid" of the subscription software and will either need to renew your subscription or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and sort it out with her.
As with anything worthwhile, there's going to be growing pains involved here and there and I'll do my best to make certain that you're "in the know". We have a pretty quick turnaround on issues here on IRgC so if you encounter anything strange let us know and we'll get it sorted out.
As per Google Analytics, you guys are keeping your browsers updated and that's VERY good news for me (and you!)
Cheers!
~13 BTWG