Tonight after we got the kids to bed, I made the leap and switched my blog (this site) over from the Lifetype CMS to WordPress 2.7. (Will be a work in progress for a while, so if things are a bit funny, that’s why.) Lifetype was great for years, but it doesn’t feel as though it’s kept up with the broader Web integration features becoming standard and necessary, or the new plugin and core interface development at WordPress. We recently ported out work blogs from Lifetype over to WP, and doing a 2.7 install after that really convinced me of WordPress’ power; I knew it was time to switch.
A few notes on the transition. I have imported not only my most recent Lifetype install, but the lost pLog/Lifetype database that failed to install properly into the new Lifetype when I upgraded last. I’ve also imported all of my old Blogger posts, dating back to 2001. (Wow, been at this a while!) Awesome to have these all in one place, and in the case of the pLog middle iteration Lifetype database, not just as MySql file languishing on the hard drive of my home computer. The transition was not perfect, however. The install of the most recent blog version pulled in all the posts up to about one month ago. It failed after that, and didn’t get any of the comments. So I’ve manually added back about a month of comments. Older ones than that will be missing. If you left me a comment and see it gone, my sincere apologies, and please know that I didn’t delete it on purpose. We’re still friends, I hope. Another rough piece of the import is the collection of old Blogger posts, about 600 of them. They came through with no titles, or more accurately, the titles are all in the body of the post. Ugh. Someday, if I am ever again bored (it hasn’t happened in a long time) I will go back and put the titles right.
One other note on importing Lifetype blogs into WordPress — this post on the WordPress forums can help you locate both the necessary plugin and make the changes to the database necessary to get this done. Basically, you need plog-importer.zip, and you will need to change “global_category_id” in your Lifetype database table to “category_id.”
And finally, props to Vladimir Prelovac, who designed this fantastic WordPress theme, Amazing Grace. I hope to get around to customizing this and that over the weekend, but it’s pretty sweet right out of the box. I like the title, too.
Tags: blog, import, Lifetype, pLog, WordPress
I like this. It feels open and powerful and it shows off the volume and variety of your work much better. I do kind of miss the weird tree thing.
Thanks Rick – happy to hear good feedback. I miss the weird tree thing, too, though it had been around for a long time. That was actually an image I made by running a picture I took on a hike with the kids up Mount Uncanoonuc through a couple of Photoshop filters. The tree was gnarled and full of character, and right at the top of the mountain. Among other things carved into it, someone has inscribed “Jesus” in shaky letters. I really liked that tree.
Just wanted to give you my appreciation and document my experience with utilizing the plog importer.
First the specifications:
I’m running the latest stable version of Lifetype ‘lifetype-1.2.8_r6440′
and latest build of WordPress Version 2.8.3
As you mentioned I changed the field labled ‘global_category_id’ which is found in the ‘plog_articles’ table.
I believe the plog_ is the default table prefix, for anyone that upgraded from the original PLOG blog platform, before they became LifeType.
If not, then you may have another custom prefix, but it should be a table labled something to the effect of _articles.
Note: you will need to specify the table prefix in the ‘Import’ section under ‘Tools’ within WordPress. In my case, the prefix on all my tables was ‘plog_’ .
Once I resolved these two items; the field name and my prefix, specified in the import, it ran smooth with no glitches.
Want to give you a sincere ‘High Five’ for posting this.
Also want to mention, that LifeType remains a great blog tool, and hope to see it continue as well.