/ 5 min read / Servers and Hosting
Let Nginx Add the Trailing Slash, Not WordPress
WordPress loads completely just to redirect /page to /page/. A small nginx map does the same redirect without touching PHP.
Hi, I'm Rob
PHP Developer, Specialized in
Technical SEO, Site Speed
and Accessibility.
Developer with 19+ years experience, focused on optimising websites for performance, searchability, and accessibility for both users and machines.
What I do
PHP Development
Custom PHP applications built for performance and maintainability, from standalone tools to complex integrations.
WordPress
Plugin development, performance tuning, and technical problem-solving for WordPress at scale.
Laravel
Full-stack Laravel applications with clean architecture, API development, and queue-driven workflows.
Technical SEO
Schema markup, crawl optimisation, Core Web Vitals, and structured data implementation.
Performance Optimisation
Server-side caching strategies, asset delivery, database tuning, and front-end performance.
Server Administration
Linux server setup, Nginx and Apache configuration, SSL, monitoring, and security hardening.
What people say
He has a curious mind and is a consummate troubleshooter which are key parts of the makeup for the modern web developer.
Anthony Olsen
Founder at JoomlaBamboo
Rob succeeded at what others tried and failed to accomplish for our 2014 website re-development. He preserved 16 years of stories, images, comments and subscribers; migrated everything out of one CMS platform and into another; and is still solving every website challenge we throw at him.
Geri Weis-Corbley
Latest posts
View all → / 5 min read / Servers and Hosting
ISPConfig 3.3.3 Blocks the Nginx include Directive - Here's How to Allow It
The ISPConfig 3.3.3 security release refuses the include directive in the per-site nginx Directives field. The release notes don't say so, but there is a supported override: a custom blacklist file. Here's what changed and how to fix it.
/ 10 min read / General
What Noughts and Crosses Taught Me About Asking Jev the Right Question
I made TypeSafe's Jev model play noughts and crosses and checked every move against a perfect solver. The model never changed, but the way I described the board and worded the question took it from 55% to 83% best moves.
Have a project in mind?
Available for freelance work across PHP, WordPress, Laravel, technical SEO, and performance.
Get in touch