I will probably spring for a layout redesign at some point, once the site can finance it itself.

Sorry for taking so long to respond!

Separate to Catherine's precision-targeted advice, the major benefit I try to provide is explaining the complex side of tech in simple terms, or breaking down critical tasks into a logical series of steps.

You're absolutely right in that that's not useful for everyone.

Was very interested in your comments on the recent posts, too Wendy. Lovely feedback (I agree with what you said 100%, too!)

I think Pam said it best there.

The problem is that i don't know what's causing me tech pain until it causes me pain. (although right now I'm about ready to punch the wordpress developers. I use exactly the same code with a different category name, and one of them works and one doesn't.)

Post a survey and I'm sure there will be things on there that will make people go – “Ooh cool. I never knew I needed to know how to do that.”

As for your question, I personally have been a web developer for several years and don't come to this blog to alleviate tech pain. I come for the clearheaded, punch-you-in-the-gut, laser targeted, obvious (though not while your in the throes of it), logical, genuinely CARING ideas, questions and feedback that Catherine gives about building a web presence – not the blog itself. Perhaps I'm different than most of your readers, though.

My first stab at blogger was in 1999, and it was frustrating enough that I was too caught up in the tech to get to what I wanted to say. Now, I start working in wordpress and I can have a basic site up and running quickly. Believe me, I love that aspect of things.

Ok, where to start…. I think I would start with site management and design. Either that, or streaming (which I'm starting to get a handle on, and some of it is a matter of throwing money at the problem). Looking at the tools out there, either I have to start digging into PHP to make something work well enough or customize enough to get away from a blog, or start with a system like Joomla, and (as easy as it is considering the way things used to be) read, digest, and assimilate book after book to become versed enough to handle the site management and issues on my own.

And the thing is, do that while I have a real world job that keeps me fed and with a roof over my head until either the gamble pays off or I just go under and give up.

Reading all of that back, I sound like a whiner. I sound like I just don't want to put the effort into learning all the tools that are out there. But frankly, I don't want to be an SQL admin, or a PHP code writer, or any of that. I like putting stuff out there, blogging and podcasting, editing audio and posting content. That's what I want to do, and suffering through manual after manual just to get the content out there isn't what I want to do.

Does it sound whiny? Seriously, let me know. I have been dealing with faking my way through WordPress for a few years, cutting and pasting PHP and trial and error with CSS editing, and I feel like there has to be an easier way.

There are amazing tech demo videos going back as far as ten years (probably more) showing flying-car-level technology that never quite seems to get here. I remember in particular an AMAZING demo two years ago of a browser enabling data mashups in an incredibly flexible way. It was like watching Mickey Mouse in the Sorceror's Apprentice, rather than the labour-intensive floor-tiling way of doing things that it can feel like it always breaks down to.

So if we were to chip at the edges of your frustration with your new project, is there a particular pain point that stands out? Where would be a good place to start shovelling?

Ask and you shall receive, Pam. I'll put my thinking cap on and put a survey together over the next few days, because you raise very good points – you don't know what you don't know.

Thanks muchly for the feedback!