Missing Your WordPress Scheduled Posts?

December 31, 2009 by Kathy Drewien · View Comments
Filed under: WordPress - Blog Tips, Plugins & How-To 

Many WordPress users report their self-hosted WordPress site missed scheduled posts. The earliest reports of the “missed schedule” posts date back to WordPress version 2.7, with more frequent reports noted with the WordPress version 2.9 upgrade.

I believe this is because the timeout value is too short: wp_remote_post($cron_url, array(‘timeout’ => 0.01, ‘blocking’ => false));

When making a request to wp-cron.php, it won’t return until all cron jobs are executed. And 0.01 is too short. It doesn’t hurt to extend the time span, as much as 10 minutes even. It will return as long as the mature crons are fired up and executed; in most cases only a few seconds.

For those of you who know how to edit the /wp-includes/cron.php file, simply edit 0.01 to 10 and extend the time allowed for running future scheduled posts.

Detailed instructions for extending the timeout value in /wp-includes/cron.php are below. You need ftp access to your server and a text editor. I use Notepad++, however Notepad2 or Notepad may work well for you.

How To Correct Missed Schedule Posts in WordPress

  1. Login to your ftp server account and locate the /wp-includes/cron.php file.

    How-To Fix Your Missed Scheduled Posts in WordPress: Image 1 ftp screen capture
    The cron.php file is located within the wp-includes folder.
    How-To Fix Your Missed Scheduled Posts in WordPress: Image 2 ftp screen capture

  2. Open the cron.php file in your source code editor.
    NOTE: Save a copy of the original file to your desktop prior to editing.


    Locate the following source code in the cron.php file.
    }
    set_transient( ‘doing_cron’, $local_time );
    $cron_url = get_option( ’siteurl’ ) . ‘/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron’; wp_remote_post( $cron_url, array(‘timeout’ => 0.01, ‘blocking’ => false, ’sslverify’ => apply_filters(‘https_local_ssl_verify’, true)) );  }

  3. Change ‘timeout’ => 0.01 to ‘timeout’ => 10
  4. Save the edited cron.php file and upload to the /wp-includes folder, overwriting the current cron.php file
    REMEMBER: Backup the original file before overwriting.
  5. Schedule a post and test for success.

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The Power of Time Off

December 29, 2009 by Kathy Drewien · View Comments
Filed under: Small Business Owners - Running the Show 

The winter holidays provide us time off from work to celebrate our faith and enjoy our families. We relax. Okay, maybe we don’t fully relax. We relax in our freedom from work deadlines. Holiday stress — generally self-imposed — is anything but relaxing, and a subject for another time.

As we move through the remaining days of the year, media is replete with new year predictions and end of year reflections. The top 10 this and the top 10 that. I can’t even predict what I’m going to wear tomorrow, so I leave predictions of trends for others to write. I’m good at taking time off.

The Power of Time Off

I’m fortunate to own several time-share weeks on Hilton Head Island, a 5-hour drive from my home. For the price of 2 tanks of gas and some groceries, I can retreat from the daily routine of work for a week or two.

Sleep late.
Read Stephen King novels.
Sun on the beach.
In other words, a vacation.

Other trips are planned sabbaticals.

I pack mounds of unread magazines, books and business notes with the sole purpose of business planning and goal setting. Creative ideas are sparked. Plans are made. Sleeping late is the by-product of creative thinking into the wee hours of the morning. (Not terribly unlike my current routine of working in the wee hours, and yet those wee hours are project focused.)

This year, 2009, marked a strategic and focused change in the direction of my business. Time off from work was work in a different setting.

Barcamps.
Tweetups.
Meetups.
Conferences.
Valuable, yes.  Relaxing, no.
Networking and learning are neither a vacation or a sabbatical.

Stefan Sagmeister closes his business for a year every seven years. He splices the learn-work-retire time line to include a retirement year for every seven work years. Watch the video below and discover the creative power he unveils.

My week-long sabbaticals to focus on implementing new strategies for business growth are booked for each quarter in 2010.

Do you take sabbaticals? How do you carve time for strategic and creative thinking? If you scheduled focused time off, how might your business change? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.


Stefan Sagmeister TED Video on YouTube

Photo credit: Terry Wha via Flicker

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Share Technology Devices Between Friends

December 28, 2009 by Kathy Drewien · View Comments
Filed under: Tips & Tricks - Sites, Software, Shortcuts 

save-moneyMoney Saving Technology Tip #12

Share Technology Devices Between Friends

“Swap technology with friends and business colleagues.  If your friend has the latest video camera and you have the latest digital camera, swap technology for a few days.  That way, everyone gets the technology and usage they need – without the price tag attached.”

Staci Wood, Small Business Trends Radio, @SannWood

Courtesy of Small Business Trends




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