Time to Read: ~2 minLooking back on my web site traffic for 2020 (thanks, Google Analytics), I thought it'd be fun to recap my top 10 visited posts of 2020. I think they paint a nice picture of my diversification of interests, and also a hint of a visitorship intent on improving their backyards. Here's to 2020, and to these popular posts (in order of increasing views):
10: How To Create Interactive Maps with React and Leaflet
In May, a Smashing Magazine post inspired me to combine my love of skiing with React and Leaflet. The result: an interactive map of ski resorts. This project led me to some contract work, too, so that was really cool.
9: DIY Wine Rack
Has it really been 3 years since I built this wine rack? Seems hard to believe. This year's wine consumption put this rack through its paces; we've stacked it frequently with 20+ bottles.
8: View transactions within a specific date range in Mint
A lot of my posts are inspired by a) not being able to do something straightforward, and b) figuring out how to do it anyway. I wrote this one in January after I figured out how to hack Mint's URL structure to my liking.
7: Create a Custom Post Type in Wordpress with Database Content
Another blast from the archive is still popular, three years on. My wife's Emoticakes bakery web site, when it was running on Wordpress, needed some custom post types for the cake gallery and testimonials. I wrote a tutorial about it.
6: Backyard Barrel Sauna Project: A Suburban Oasis
Another 2017 gem continues to be popular. To be sure, our affinity for our backyard sauna has not waned, either. We had a blast putting this in, and use it frequently.
5: Improve Your Backyard: Install a Shade Sail
Another high satisfaction-factor backyard improvement, this time for 2015, our shade sail is a fabulous part of every summer meal on our deck. It's not as hard as you'd imagine to install a shade sail.
4: Simple CSS for Disabled Buttons
Posted seven years ago (an eternity in web years) this post is still generating a ton of interest. Who knew there were so many disabled buttons out there? CSS is important, y'all.
3: Classroom Tech: Teaching Math with the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil
Back in 2016, my wife starting using her iPad Pro and Apple Pencil as part of her teaching technology arsenal. The post continues to be incredibly powerful for teachers, and her follow-up posts in 2018 and then this March are equally powerful.
2: How to Find Your MAHR (Maximum Aerobic Heart Rate)
I decided to try my hand at heart-rate training in 2015, and this is the second-most visited post for 2020. The punch line: if you can stay below your MAHR, in the aerobic zone, you rely on fat stores (good enough for 100+ hours of activity).
1: How to Export Strava Workout Data
Here we are, my NUMBER ONE post of the year. It's another example of being frustrated by the lack of a feature, in this case, Strava. If you're a numbers geek AND a fitness geek like me, check out this method of exporting your fitness data.
That's it! My top 10 posts from 2020. If you liked this list, follow me at @scottpdawson. I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year!