The story begins with my signing up with Compuserve in the late 1990s. My first online experience. In July 2000 I created my first web page using Compuserve's HP Wizard, later improved using Anansi HTML editor to create Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) versions of my Ordnance Survey map lists, starting with the Landranger Maps. A year later I began a new edition using MS Development Environment, but quickly realised it was too compilcated for my needs and abandoned it.
I moved on to a new version (3) written in XHTML and using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Edited with Anansi version 2, another version (4) followed because of a forced change of ISP. I started improving the pages with little bits of JavaScript, and a revised front page layout.
Version 5 saw my hosting move to Addr.com. Anansi program stopped working, so I began using xHTML-Kit. I recast the site later using Server Side Includes (SSI), i.e. SHTML (v7). This provided a new index page. The whole site looked clearer, cleaner and easier to navigate. Meanwhile, I gave versions 6 to 16 annual numbering. This wasn't very useful so I reverted back to the usual method. In 2013 (v15) I adopted Notepad++ as script editor, a very easy to use application.
In March 2015 I moved on to the current version while migrating to a new, UK based, host: Computer Lifeline (Burton-on-Trent). This has helped me to provide a more professional and flexible site. The Ordnance Survey section has grown since the begining in 2000, and now takes up a large part of the website's space. Version 18 saw pages reverting to HTML4 and CCS2.
January and February 2020 see a general audit of the site. plus numerous small and invisible improvements (long overdue). New security features installed; trying to keep the bad guys at bay (I had a major meltdown last summer that was costless but took a lot of time to fix. Once bitten.....). Computer Lifeline continue to provide excellent service.
September 2020 sees the start of moving the site to HTML5 & CSS3. Page conversion being done as and when.
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| Edition History | |||||
| Main Site | Ordnance Survey Maps | ||||
| 1 | July 2000. Original site. | - | |||
| 2 | September 2001. New edition using MS Development Environment - abandoned. | - | |||
| 3 | October 2001. New site created in XHTML/CSS. | - | |||
| 4 | May 2002. New edition following change of ISP. Some JavaScript, revised front page. | - | |||
| 5 | May 2003. New host. New style front page and CSS changes using HTML-Kit editor. | - | |||
| 6 | 2005 Edition. Style sheet and all HTML files revised. | - | |||
| 7 | June 2005. Recast in SHTML with new index page. | - | |||
| 8 | 2007 Edition. Included completion of page improvements. | - | |||
| 9 | 2008 Edition. Front page improved and more attractive design. | 4 | July 2008. | ||
| 10 | 2009 Edition. New year, new version. | - | |||
| 11 | 2010 Edition. Another year, another version. Base font changed to Times New Roman. | 5 | April 2010. | ||
| 12 | 2011 Edition. Base font changed to Courier 10pt. New domain name. | 6 | May 2011. | ||
| 13 | Added navigation bar. | - | |||
| 14 | 2012 Edition. Upgraded to 'almost' HTML5/CSS3 (but still really XHTML/CC2plus!). | - | |||
| 15 | 2013 Edition. Adopted Notepad++ as script editor. Recommended. | 7 | June 2013. | ||
| 16 | 2014 Edition. New version, new year, including structural and navigational improvements. | 8 | February 2015. | ||
| 17 | March 2015.Editions no longer 'year-stamped'. Ordnance Survey Maps pages navigation bar revised. | - | |||
| 18 18.1 18.2 | Migration to new, UK based, host Computer Lifeline (Burton-on-Trent) completed on 31 March 2015. Pages reverted to HTML4 & CCS2 to enable mobile device rendering. March 2016. Yuletide 2017 Special Edition December 2017. | - - - | |||
| - | 9 | February 2017. | |||
| - | 10 | July 2017. | |||
| - | 10.1 | August 2017. | |||
| - | 10.2 | October 2017. | |||
| - | 10.3 | November 2017. | |||
| 19 | 2018 New Year Special Edition. December 2017. | - | |||
| 19.1 | A few improvements and addition of What's New? info box. January 2018. | - | |||
| - | 10.4 | February 2018. | |||
| 19.2 | Front/index page navigation simplified. April 2018. | - | |||
| 'What's new?' box added. | 10.4.1 | June 2018. | |||
| - | 10.5 | July 2018. | |||
| 19.3 | Front/index page improved. November 2018. | - | |||
| - | 10.6 | January 2019. | |||
| 19.4 | Link to Horninglow Archaeology & History page and other small improvements. March 2019. | - | |||
| - | 10.7 | April 2019. | |||
| 19.5 | Archaeology and History page created, plus other reorganising and housekeeping. May 2019. | - | |||
| - | 10.8 | July 2019. | |||
| - | 10.9 | September 2019. | |||
| 19.6 | Various page amendments, housekeeping and creation of sitemap.xml. October 2019. | - | |||
| - | 10.10 | November 2019. | |||
| - | 10.11 | January 2020. | |||
| 20 | 2020 Vision General audit and 'decadal' overview. New pages added and loads of small unseeable improvement. January / February 2020. | 10.12 | January 2020 | .||
| 20.1 | Lots of small edits and improvements during the Covid-19 virus lockdown. July 2010 | 10.13 | July 2020 | .||
| 20.2 | Introduction of code.visualstudio.com . August 2020. It looks like I've joined the grown ups at last.... | - | .|||
| 20.3 | Site being upgraded to HTML5 and CSS3 (a gradual process, fer sure). September 2020. | - | .|||
| 20.4 | A new version for a new year. Hoping it will be better than the previous one, blighted by the Covid-19 pandemic. January 2021. Further improvements incorporating HTML5 upgrading of pages. March 2021. |
10.14 | January 2021 | ||
| Contact me. |
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The author - Leslie (Lez) V Watson - has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
I use Visual Studio Code & Notepad++ script editors, and Firefox web browser.
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v20.4 :: January 2021