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John Hawkins

@vegasgeek.com
370 followers 224 following 180 posts

Owner/Operator @ vegasgeek.com where I build stuff with WordPress. Current obsessions: Learning to play guitar, 3D printing, and Peloton.

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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 15/02/2026
I'm looking for a way to take a large animated gif and turn it into a reasonable size animation to use as a background element on a site. Any suggestions on where to start?
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Reposted by John Hawkins
SpinupWP @spinupwp.com · 24/11/2025
We're kicking off Black Friday early! 🎁 For the next week, get 25% off your first 3 months of SpinupWP. Host your WordPress sites with complete control, developer-friendly tools, and lightning-fast performance. spinupwp.com
spinupwp.com
SpinupWP
Spin up your own ultra fast WordPress server with SpinupWP, a modern cloud server control panel designed to manage WordPress sites and serve them lightning fast.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 18/09/2025
If I unsubscribe from your newsletter, you can bet with 100% certainty that I do not need or want a followup email saying "Goodbye from our Newsletter"
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Reposted by John Hawkins
Amy Dalrymple @pork-chop.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
I'm still on the hunt for another WordPress developer to join me full-time at a food & beverage marketing agency. Hybrid role in Minneapolis/St Paul. Reach out to me! #WCMSP #WordCampMSP @wordpress.org
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 21/08/2025
I saw on LinkedIn some folks listing their job title as "Vibe Coding Cleanup Specialist". I loved it so much, I'm now trying to figure out how to properly word "I fix business sites that were built by the boss's nephew" for my new title.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 11/08/2025
I had a client with a daily process that stopped running and nobody noticed. I thought I fixed it by adding a daily "success" notice, but that turned into noise. The real fix was an alert when it DIDN'T run. I wrote about how the journey and solution. vegasgeek.com/never-wonder...
vegasgeek.com
Never Wonder “Did It Run?” Again - VegasGeek
Sometimes, the best product ideas come from scratching your own itch. A while back, we had a client with a daily process running behind the scenes. Everything was fine… until one day, it wasn’t. The p...
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 30/07/2025
Self reminder: When a phone call comes in and the screen says (Spam Risk), believe it.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 30/07/2025
Cleaning up some old bookmarks and ran across my favorite placeholder image site. I forget about it for long periods, and then I'm happy to rediscover it. robohash.org/300/300
robohash.org
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Reposted by John Hawkins
David Bisset @davidbisset.com · 11/06/2025
From @robertdevore.com #WordPress & #WooCommerce plugins he no longer maintains. "If you liked any of these, or wished you had created them, now’s your chance to fork them and keep them alive." robertdevore.com/wordpress-wo...
robertdevore.com
50+ Free WordPress & WooCommerce Plugins Now on GitHub
Explore 50+ free WordPress and WooCommerce plugins I've built - open source and ready to fork on GitHub. Take them, improve them, keep them alive.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 09/06/2025
I don't really mind the heat in Vegas during the summer. But, the first few days of the season when it's over 100° are awful. Then, the last few weeks when you shout "JUST BE DONE ALREADY", are awful. The rest I can deal with. But right now... ugh.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 30/05/2025
Me: We received an item in our order that shouldn't have been sent. No problem, I'll just return it. Cat: The fuck you will!
Box with cat bite holes
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 29/05/2025
If internet is out at my house, I get to treat it as a holiday, right?
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Reposted by John Hawkins
Mark Wilkinson @markwilkinson.dev · 24/05/2025
I don't know about you, but I use WP_Query a lot when coding in #WordPress. This article from @spacedmonkey.bsky.social is a great resource on how to enhance your use of WP_Query. Well worth a read. bit.ly/4kwUVfa
bit.ly
Enhancing WP_Query Performance in WordPress - Spacedmonkey
WP_Query is a powerful tool for fetching posts in WordPress. However, if you don’t carefully configure your queries, they can quickly become inefficient, particularly on larger sites. Whether you’re working on a high-traffic website, a REST API endpo...
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 23/05/2025
As a developer, I can't think of anything worse than dealing with time zones.
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Reposted by John Hawkins
Donna Fontenot @donnafontenot.com · 19/05/2025
Life gets real between paychecks, so I’m running a quick flash sale this week. Starting at just $30 gets you: – A website fix – A blog post or content cleanup – A polished email or social caption – etc If it helps you shine online, I’ll write or fix it. Fast, friendly, professional. DM or comment
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Reposted by John Hawkins
Una Kravets @una.im · 12/05/2025
*Very* cool use of typed attr() for grid placement! 😀 dev.to/madsstoumann...
dev.to
Guitar Chords in CSS
In my previous article, I looked into the new, improved attr() method in CSS. I was over the moon...
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Reposted by John Hawkins
Remkus de Vries @remkusdevries.com · 13/05/2025
www.troyhunt.com/passkeys-fo...
troyhunt.com
Passkeys for Normal People
Let me start by very simply explaining the problem we're trying to solve with passkeys. Imagine you're logging on to a website like this: And, because you want to protect your account from being logged into by someone else who may obtain your username and password, you've turned on two-factor
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 09/04/2025
Just spammed myself with 6,101 test emails on accident. So, yeah, Wednesday is feeling like an extension of Monday.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 08/04/2025
About once a year I check to see if this vital plugin is still in the repo. It may be THE most important plugin in the repo. (or, it's one of those silly ideas that pop up at a WordCamp. You decide.) wordpress.org/plugins/the/
wordpress.org
The
Adds a [the] shortcode, that will generate output based on specific parameters.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 02/03/2025
If you have an hour or two to kill, this 6000+ word post (+600-ish photos) about a font way more interesting than I expected for a post about a font. I may also now be obsessed with finding the Gorton font in the wild. aresluna.org/the-hardest-...
aresluna.org
The hardest working font in Manhattan
A story of a 150-year-old font you have never heard of – and one you probably saw earlier today.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 24/02/2025
You know what today needs? Today needs a pic of a kitty sleeping in a box holding his fishy.
A kitty sleeping in a box holding a fish toy.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 21/02/2025
The entire #4nations tourney has been fantastic hockey. It's only fitting for USA/Canada to be going to overtime in the final.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 20/02/2025
Looking to add 10 new PokemonGo friends. Hit me up! #pokemon #pokemongo #pokemongofriendcode
PokemonGo Friend code QR code
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Reposted by John Hawkins
Mychal Threets @mychal3ts.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Seat belts, everyone 💚 If you’re on the struggle bus, please remember your seat belt (your seat belt is self-care). It is NOT selfish to prioritize your mental health, take care of you. Visit your local library or favorite bookstore, watch your comfort show, drink some water, pet all the dogs… 💚
A smiling Ms. Frizzle, in colorful dress, sits in driver’s seat of The Magic School Bus. Liz, a smiling green lizard, sits in her lap holding the steering wheel.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 15/02/2025
Me: [sign in to website] site popup: Need help? Start a chat! me: oh, perfect... [starts chat] site popup: we're sorry, chat is offline on weekends. me: then why did you ask me to start a chat?
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Reposted by John Hawkins
Elliot Sowersby #WCEU @elliotsowersby.com · 14/02/2025
You can now protect your KadenceWP and MailPoet forms with Turnstile, in the latest version of the Simple Cloudflare Turnstile plugin (1.30.0)! 🎉 🔗 wordpress.org/plugins/simp...
wordpress.org
Simple Cloudflare Turnstile – CAPTCHA Alternative
Add Cloudflare Turnstile to WordPress, WooCommerce, Contact Forms & more. The user-friendly, privacy-preserving reCAPTCHA alternative. 100% free!
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 13/02/2025
I like to think that checking "I never signed up for this mailing list" when unsubscribing from yet another spammer's email list that it informs @mailchimphelp.bsky.social and they actually slap the senders hand.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 12/02/2025
Do ya ever watch a video that gives you goosebumps and makes you sad for all the music that could have been? For me, it's this one. Every. Damn. Time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEMm...
youtube.com
Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night (Live On MTV Unplugged Unedited)
YouTube video by NirvanaVEVO
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 10/02/2025
If somebody asks what your favorite movie is, do you feel compelled to have some deep philosophical answer about an Oscar-worthy that touched your soul, or are you fine to say something like... Galaxy Quest, Grandma's Boy, That Thing You Do.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 07/02/2025
When everything it feels like the world is burning down around us, do you find it hard to celebrate the little victories at work? or is that just me?
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 07/02/2025
Saw this on a password reset page today: "Please do not use a password that you also use on other websites or accounts because administrators will have access to your password." New Password: F1x Y0uR ShI77y Cod3 Hope an admin sees it.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 07/02/2025
When I first set up Cursor, it felt like a game changer from VSCode. Turns out, I hadn't yet taken the training wheels off. Do yourself a favor and read this post (and watch the vid!). 🤯🤯🤯
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 31/01/2025
I'm just gonna keep on shouting out companies with amazing support. Today it's @spinupwp.com that is just crushing it. Support email response in under 15 minutes. Not just some blanket response. Super specific step-by-step instructions for my request. Huge thanks!
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 29/01/2025
Did y'all watch the SNL 50 Years of SNL Music special? SO good! Seeing all the music clips was great, but even better was hearing the stories about how the performances came to be, and how some very nearly didn't. I absolutely loved it!
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Reposted by John Hawkins
Brandon Dove @brandondove.com · 28/01/2025
Hey! I'm thinking of doing a virtual workshop where I'll show you how to set up ads on your website and follow a proven checklist to monetize your content. Price is $47. If I did, would you be interested?
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 28/01/2025
I'll say it again... QuickBooks Live Expert is unbelievably helpful. Instant call-back, super helpful, friendly, knowledgeable. Can't recommend it enough.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 26/01/2025
Feature request for concert/sports ticket seller websites. I want a "price including fees" viewing option. Because those $20 seats aren't really $20. Just tell me it's $34 to begin with. "fee roulette" isn't a very fun game.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 19/01/2025
My new favorite use for ChatGPT is learning new guitar chords. #learningguitar
Screenshot of a chatGPT conversation where I asked for how to play a cadd9 chord on guitar.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 03/01/2025
A world where all logos are the same shape would be pretty boring, but holy crap would it make displaying a series of sponsor logos easier/cleaner.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 02/01/2025
A few months back, I stopped tracking my weight daily because it was adding to my stress level, which was already topping out. Time to kick it back in gear. For me that means drinking a lot of water (100 oz/day) and limit the chips & cheesecake intake. (notice I said limit and not eliminate)
a chart of my weight over the past 2.5 years
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 31/12/2024
How good is @cloudflare.social Turnstile? I had a @gravityforms.com form getting CRUSHED by spam and causing thousands of emails to be sent to the client daily. Set up Turnstile, added the GravityForms add-on, and it was like flipping off the light switch.
Chart showing daily email usage dropping after installing Turnstile
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 21/12/2024
Many years later, this is STILL my favorite family photo. It shows up in my FB Memories every December and always makes me smile.
Family photo. But instead of everybody looking at the camera, they are all looking at their phones.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 14/12/2024
I was wrapping up a call with a client and VERY nearly ended the wall with "Love you". Awkward!
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 13/12/2024
I'm positively blown away by the support team at KadenceWP. I submitted an edge-case issue and said "I've already found a workaround, this is just FYI", and yet, they went above and beyond to dig in, find the root issue, and provide a code snippet to fix more elegantly. You get all the high-fives!
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 11/12/2024
This year I decided to learn to play guitar. I initially used the Fender Play app, but in March I switched to Yousician. Just received this email with my stats for the year. Not too shabby.
A screenshot of my stats from Yousician. 3188 songs played, 276 active days, 173.4 hours. Top 0.01% of active learners.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 06/12/2024
Them: Thank you for contacting support. Please take this 8 page survey to tell us how we could do better. Me: For starters, you could stop sending surveys after every single interaction of any kind.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 03/12/2024
Peloton devised a way to ensure their Cyber Monday emails weren't lost in the flood of emails their users received. They sent them out today instead!
media.tenor.com
Tkt Smart GIF
Alt: Animated gif of a guy tapping his head giving a "Smart" vibe
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 03/12/2024
I found this thanks to Jeopardy tonight. Your welcome? youtu.be/HPIVczZGm74?...
youtu.be
Sometimes When We Touch sung by Manny Pacquiao and Dan Hill
YouTube video by Top Rank Boxing
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 02/12/2024
Before the year ends, I will have ready ~37 books. Here's a thread of my top 5 favorites, in no particual order.
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John Hawkins @vegasgeek.com · 01/12/2024
On the 1st, I send invoices for ongoing clients. I struggle to send invoices for less than an hour as they feel like a nuisance. I've often skipped sending them thinking "I'll just add it to next month", and then never do. Is there a fancy term for this? "Stupid" is the only thing that comes to mind
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