Running a blog for five years, like I have, is a huge deal. I never really expected to keep it going for this long. I just wanted a public space to call my own to express myself and connect with similar individuals who are just as passionate about the hobbies and interests I enjoyed. Seeing as there’s no plans to retire from my blogging gig any time soon, I decided it’s time to upgrade simpleek.
Changing the blog from having the “wordpress” extension in the web address to one with an actual domain name of my own choosing has been something I thought about for a while now. I didn’t immediately commit to the idea because I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to go from running a free site to a premium site I would pay as a yearly subscription. In the end, I decided it was time to have a more professional sounding web address.
The address is now no longer simpleek.wordpress.com, but simpleek.blog. I initially wanted to have it as simpleek.com, but apparently someone had already taken that domain name. I suppose I should have acted sooner. Along with finally getting my own domain, I made some smaller changes to the blog to celebrate this new commitment I have to simpleek.
I updated the layout theme slightly for a new look and to bring back an older photo I used in 2011 when my blog went live for the first time. I don’t have any graphic design skills, so I can’t really do anything too fancy with the layout. Working with ready made theme templates are fine for someone like me who is more focused on the content, but still wants the blog to look nice and functional when a reader visits. I always love simple, clean, and classic designs. Most themes I choose for my blog reflects my personal aesthetic.
One thing most people who are longtime readers of my blog might not notice is the tagline change for simpleek. I originally summarized it as, “The perspective of a self-proclaimed geek, intermediate gamer, & maybe a pinch of fashionista musings.” The new tagline is now, “The perspective of a self-proclaimed geek, gamer, and fashionista.” It may not seem like a significant change, but I wanted the tagline to be much shorter than what it originally was. I also don’t consider myself an intermediate gamer anymore. Back when I started this blog, I was sort of new to gaming and sort of not. I may not have played it as religiously as some of my other friends have, but I wasn’t so unfamiliar with them that I didn’t know Mario, Street Fighter, or Final Fantasy. I just became way more immersed in video games later in life. These days I consider myself a full on gamer and I completely own that identity. I’ve played a good amount of games in the last six or seven years to feel like I can drop the intermediate part in front of gamer.
My blog continues to change and grow just like I’m still changing and growing since the time I started writing simpleek. Everything continues to be a work in progress and I can only imagine what else is in store for my blog as I let it evolve naturally on its own. A greater investment in my blog is a start.
simpleek 
Congratulations on five years and the blog refresh! I love the return to your old banner 🙂 I also think the .blog domain sounds more appropriate since this is a blog. I’ve been thinking of upgrading my site as well, but haven’t committed to the change just yet.
Thanks Marina! I thought it was appropriate to have a bit of a callback to when I first started this blog by bringing back the old image that started it all. 😀 Yeah, it took me a while to finally pull the trigger and get my own domain for the blog but I was ready for it. I’d say commit to the upgrade when you’re ready. I also think the .blog domain is growing on me.
Liking the update. Very nice! Congrats on five years of blogging too! 😀
Thanks! By November it will be six years! 😀
congrats and I like the upgrades
Thank you! I’m liking them myself.
I like the new banner! Congrats on your new styling and continuing with your blog. Five years! I’m approaching my three years and am still happy with it. Decided to take the blog into the .org, self hosted over a year ago though. Quite a responsibility!
Thank you! It is a responsibility, but when you’re serious about a passion project there is no questioning it, right?
Very true!
Five years is a seriously long time. Congratulations. I always enjoy reading your posts, and I hope you will continue to write them for many years to come 😊
Thank you! Yeah, time really flies when you’re busy enjoying what you write and the kind of responses you receive for your posts. 😀 I’m so glad you enjoy what you read here. Thank you for being a regular reader and I hope to keep writing on this little space of mine for a long time too.
Your upgrade looks so stylish! Congrats on the change and getting the .blog name. (I actually have a .com registered that I should probably use someday, haha.) Blog revamping is always a nice thing to do. It’s like putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls — it’s a small change that can make a big difference. 🙂
Thanks Cary! 😀 I like doing a tiny little revamp to the blog every now and then. It keeps things fresh, you know? The commitment to the domain is much bigger than the visual change, but I’m glad I finally decided to get rid of the .wordpress in the middle of the address. It’s like taking training wheels off that you don’t need anymore!
I like the “retro” banner image hehe. Congratulations on keeping up your blog all this time and getting your own domain. Also, I totally relate to the gamer label, since as you know I started playing later too!
Thanks Ashley! Haha, I really had to change the tagline since some parts of it no longer fit like the “intermediate gamer.” We’ve both grown in our gamer experiences and tastes. 😉
I like the new look. Little tweaks to my blog’s appearance always gives my blogging motivation a boost. I’m still dragging my feet on getting a proper domain name. One of these days I will make the jump! Congrats on five years too!
Thank you! Yeah, I like freshening up the blog every now and then. It makes it look brand new, even if it isn’t. 🙂