Domain docking

I’m currently in the process of merging content from WordPress sites and WordPress Multi Site networks into fewer installations and reducing the need for domain names and their associated renewal fees. The table below summarises the URL changes and the domains that are going to be allowed to expire.

From URL	to URL	domain	expiration
rowlandscastlewebdesign.com	na	=	2020-03-10
rowlandscastlewebdesign.co.uk	na	=	2020-03-10
rowlandscastlewebdesign.com/phphants	bobbingwide.com/phphants	na	-
rowlandscastlewebdesign.com/top-10-wp-plugins	bobbingwide/top-10-wp-plugins	top-10-wp-plugins.com	2020-08-15
rowlandscastlewebdesign.com/wp-pompey-mar-2012	bobbingwide.com/wp-pompey-mar-2012	na	-
rowlandscastlewebdesign.com/wp-brighton-mar-2012	bobbingwide.com/wp-brighton-mar-2012	na	-
rowlandscastlewebdesign.com/wp-secrets	bobbingwide.com/wp-secrets	wp-secrets.co.uk	2020-08-07
rowlandscastlewebdesign.com/wedding	bobbingwide.com/wedding	18may.co.uk	2019-10-26
rowlandscastlewebdesign.com/findaballtees	bobbingwide.com/findaballtees	na	-

Migrated sites

PHPHants – Nov 2013

• Developing dynamic documentation for WordPress plugins, APIs and hooks
• Imported: 24th September 2019
• Theme: bobbingwide/oobit – child theme of Twenty Twelve
• Status: OK

Top 10 WordPress plugins

• Originally: WordUp Pompey! August 2012
• Imported: 23rd September 2019
• Theme: bobbingwide/oobit – child theme of Twenty Twelve
• Plugins: bobbingwide/oik-presentation
• Status: Slightly broken. During import the images were not attached to the oik_presentation CPT since those posts didn’t import first time as the plugin to registers the CPT was not activated.

WordUp Pompey! – Mar 2012

• Content: Galleries and Slideshows
• Imported: 24th September 2019.
• New theme: Twenty Nineteen
• Status:
  • Some plugins are disabled, so shortcodes don’t expand.
  • I’ve not used the Portfolio slideshow plugin for a long time.

WordUp Brighton – Mar 2012

• Content: Shortcodes – what, why, how?
• Imported: 23th September 2019
• New theme: Twenty Nineteen
• Status:
  • I’ve seen better
  • Comments have been disabled
  • Bookmarks – linking to documentation on shortcodes were not imported
  • The sidebar needs to be on the right for it to make sense, but Twenty Nineteen doesn’t support this.

WordPress Sucks because…

• Content: Top 10 WordPress misconceptions
• Imported: 24th September 2019
• Theme: Twenty Fifteen
• Status: Better than original

18th May 2013 – Susan and Herb

• Content: Some notes about Susan and Herb’s wedding on the 18th May 2013 and the stag and hen parties.
• Imported: 25th September 2019
• Theme: oik2012
• Plugins: requires
  • All-in-One Event Calendar by Time.ly – for historical events
  • oik-tunes – needed an update bobbingwide/oik-tunes#1
  • oik-moreoptions – Third contact plugin
• Status: Events don’t work. WSOD on view

Find a ball tees

• Content: Golf ball finding tool
• Imported: 26th September 2019
• Theme: Switched from the original Artisteer them to the Genesis-BW theme used on the master site. bobbingwide/genesis-bw
• Plugins: oik-nivo-slider
• Status: I need to create some more entries future years. e.g. Cream tees, eco tees and brexi tees.

Domain switching and redirection

In order to complete the docking process I need to rename the primary domain on rowlandscastlewebdesign.com to rowlandscastlewebdesign.co.uk

Since I don’t have shell access to the site I can’t use either method suggested by Mika Epstein (Ipstenu). I’ll use the manual process documented by Siteground.

Siteground: How to change the domain of a WordPress Multisite

Ipstenu: Changing Your Domain Name In Multisite

Then I can safely redirect requests to rowlandscastlewebdesign.com to bobbingwide.com while still being able to access the original site. Just in case I discover that something had gone wrong. I then need to transfer the expiring domains and set up the domain mapping again. This time I’ll use the logic builtin to WordPress Multi Site.

Expiring domains

If you have a desire to own the domains that will be allowed to expire then please get in touch before the expiration date. If you also want to own the existing content then please also let me know.

Network sites