(from site info)
This is my home page as of the beginning of June 2011, about 14 months ago. Back then, I was already a big fan of a grid-like format and simple shapes, as you can tell. (Part of that was because I only knew how to use HTML tables; I wouldn't learn div structure for a while.) I wasn't a big fan of PHP, or even CSS (although I did use classes for the caption font). Every time I wanted to put up a blog entry, I had to write it in an HTML template page in Dreamweaver, update the 'previous' and 'next' links on the surrounding entries, manually input the entry information on the blog index, archive, and RSS pages, and put a link to it on the above home page, all before uploading each individual page to the server.
Now, to my great relief, I've eliminated nearly all those steps. PHP and MySQL are beautiful things. Plus, through this whole process, now I know how a good chunk of the World Wide Web works. I could have used the backbone of WordPress or Tumblr, but the challenge was too enticing and the reward too great to default to what's already there. It's still in active development, if only to put polishing touches and maintain my new skills, so some fresh things pop up from time to time. Like, for instance, these shorts.
I do have to thank that robotic domain searcher, though. I didn't take screenshots of the past iterations of my website, and as far as I can tell, the only records of them are my descriptions on the site's credits page. Plus, the above photo is not the first version of the home page, although it's very close. Still, the fact that another website took a picture of mine is a strong reminder of where these pages came from.
P.S.: The old gateway page from mypage.iu.edu is still up. I still think it's kinda cool, especially as it foreshadowed, for the reader, the color and navigation scheme for the rest of the site. Some of those ideas are still sticking around.