Tag Archives | Admin Panel

WordPress 2

Wordpress 2.5.1 Is Available

If you’ve yet to realize WordPress 2.5.1 is now available and you should update your current WordPress to make sure that it’s up to date. The update has some bug fixes which are important and also some more performance enhancements which were unexpected. If your blog is using any sort of open registration then you need to make sure your WordPress blog is running on version 2.5.1 because there is a serious defect in WordPress 2.5 and not many people know of it yet but the public eventually will become aware of the vulnerability and capitalize off of it. To protect your blog you should make sure to download the update which is WordPress 2.5.1.

There were some improvements made to the admin panel and more specifically the posting pages and this was well needed. More importantly though this update fixed seventy bugs and some of them were quite serious. This is why if you don’t update your WordPress software then you could run the possibility of being exposed to intruders due to bugs in the old versions. The widget admin has also been tampered with, and I feel for the better as it’s now easier to customize your sidebars.

One of the best security updates implemented in this version of WordPress if the ability to add in the SECRET KEY constant into the wp-config.php file. This will help your WordPress blog become more secure which is very important when blogging, especially once you get popular. Once you’re popular at blogging people will do anything they can to gain access to your blog, and usually the main cause of people gaining access is due to an old version of WordPress being installed rather then the newest version. If you want to make sure that your blog is safe and secure then download the update which is WordPress 2.5.1 and make sure that you get your SECRET KEY for you blog. There is also other plug-ins you can find which can benefit your blogs security features. Blogging is worldwide and very popular now and people are earning thousands of dollars blogging, if you’re one of the people out there blogging then ensure you have the most up to date version of WordPress at all times. The best place to find out about the current version of WordPress is at WordPress.com.

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Boardwalk WordPress Theme – A Fun and Unique Look For Your Blog1

Boardwalk WordPress Theme – A Fun and Unique Look For Your Blog

WPnow are a popular source for WordPress themes, and with the Boardwalk WordPress theme, they certainly do not disappoint. Gaining scrutiny from web masters, WPnow have been known for creating absolutely stunning themes for the blogging platform, however, they are quite heavy on most hosting accounts, loading slowly, and providing an overall unoptimized experience for visitors to blogs sporting their themes.

The Boardwalk WordPress theme still has not improved entirely on previous problems with their loading times, however this can easily be fixed using a super cache plugin. In fact, this is the only situation that I would personally use one of their themes. Having said that though, their themes are stunning, and require very little work with their included admin panel making customization very quick and easy, and regardless of the load times that can be fixed with the use of a plugin, this is a great theme that suits those who want a colorful blog that has an outdoors style appearance.

The theme itself has somewhat of a magazine style layout, not more suited to those who want to run a personal blog, but those who want to create an information based website. Posts are laid out quite well on the front page of the theme, making blog contents very easy to access. Navigation is also very well thought out, with the strange addition of “”click to drop down”” menus in the category navigation for second tier pages and posts, which although seems a little strange, is a welcome addition to this theme.

From an SEO perspective, the theme can be optimized quite well, however keywords would need to be emphasized in titles, as they are created using H2 tags. Text can be used in the H1 format for the blog header, however if the need to use an image arose, this would mean that you would lose the ability to have keywords in the header, however this can be emphasized by using title tags for the images by using the editor. Thankfully, the coding structure behind the Boardwalk WordPress theme is labelled well, and fairly easy to understand, even for those who have a very basic understanding of website coding.

Before I lead us into the part where I will cap off this article, I will make it very clear that this theme is a theme that is not suitable to all bloggers. Whilst there are some great themes out there, such as Thesis and Frugal that serve many purposes, and are heavily customizable, the Boardwalk WordPress theme is one that is suited to those who already like the layout of this theme, and are prepared to use that theme, as is, for their blog. Sure, certain customisations can be made willingly, if you have the know how, however, for the kind of layout that this theme uses, there is only going to be a certain level of customization that is available.

Having said that, this theme is an outstanding theme, it is easy to use, it is pretty to look at, and it is easy to customize within its own boundaries. It may not be as fast as possible, but this can be solved using the super cache plugin. The plugins that come with this theme are welcome, and offer extra functionality as well, all in all, for bloggers and publishers of news, out of the various top WordPress themes that re available, this one should turn your head a little.

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Installing WordPress Themes on Your Fingertips

Installing WordPress Themes on Your Fingertips

Installing WordPress themes? No, I can’t do it! Of course you can! It is not a difficult task at all. WordPress themes are the latest and most widely sought after tools on the internet and more people by the day are using them. They are available free of cost and some premium themes are also available. Depending on your expertise and the revenue you want from your blogs, you can go either ways.

But first, after selection of the theme, you need to install it on your web server for everyone to see and experience a piece of your individuality and creative genius! Let us assure you, installing a WordPress theme is easier than installing other software application on your computer.

Installing WordPress

Before you even select the WordPress theme, you need to download the most recent WordPress Codex from the site. Most easy to install is from the.zip or the.rar files. Using suitable software, unzip the Codex installation files and install with the setup files.

On the web hosting server, you need to make a MySQL database. Preferably adding a user follows that.

After you have added the user, grant him administrative privileges, i.e. ensure that the user can make the necessary changes to the blog and use the settings to the fullest.

For installing WordPress, you need to make a directory (for your ease of use) on the web hosting server with a public HTML type view.

Add the desired file structure to the directory you just created on the web hosting server. The admin panel will help you achieve that.

You have to define all the permissions from the new earliest directory created to the latest created. By defining, we mean the access type should be mentioned. For individual use, make all the directories under the purview of the administrator.

You will find a file named wp_confi_sample.php. Rename this to wp_confi.php followed by opening the file and adding the desired username and other details. The renaming of the file is done to change the default configuration settings.

You can use any web browser of your choice. Open that and type the name of your desired website to initiate the launcher and finalize the WordPress installation.

Follow the instructions and you’re done.Installing a Theme

Check whether the installation files are pre-downloaded or have to be downloaded.

From the WordPress admin dashboard, under add new themes – select and add the desired theme. The already downloaded installation files will help you add the desired theme.

Upload the link of the theme on your server. Activate the theme and you’re ready to use the theme of your choice.The advantage of using free themes is that you can change the themes as and when desired. But make sure you keep the themes relevant to the blog posted.

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Boardwalk WordPress Theme – A Fun and Unique Look For Your Blog

Boardwalk WordPress Theme – A Fun and Unique Look For Your Blog

WPnow are a popular source for WordPress themes, and with the Boardwalk WordPress theme, they certainly do not disappoint. Gaining scrutiny from web masters, WPnow have been known for creating absolutely stunning themes for the blogging platform, however, they are quite heavy on most hosting accounts, loading slowly, and providing an overall unoptimized experience for visitors to blogs sporting their themes.

The Boardwalk WordPress theme still has not improved entirely on previous problems with their loading times, however this can easily be fixed using a super cache plugin. In fact, this is the only situation that I would personally use one of their themes. Having said that though, their themes are stunning, and require very little work with their included admin panel making customization very quick and easy, and regardless of the load times that can be fixed with the use of a plugin, this is a great theme that suits those who want a colorful blog that has an outdoors style appearance.

The theme itself has somewhat of a magazine style layout, not more suited to those who want to run a personal blog, but those who want to create an information based website. Posts are laid out quite well on the front page of the theme, making blog contents very easy to access. Navigation is also very well thought out, with the strange addition of “”click to drop down”” menus in the category navigation for second tier pages and posts, which although seems a little strange, is a welcome addition to this theme.

From an SEO perspective, the theme can be optimized quite well, however keywords would need to be emphasized in titles, as they are created using H2 tags. Text can be used in the H1 format for the blog header, however if the need to use an image arose, this would mean that you would lose the ability to have keywords in the header, however this can be emphasized by using title tags for the images by using the editor. Thankfully, the coding structure behind the Boardwalk WordPress theme is labelled well, and fairly easy to understand, even for those who have a very basic understanding of website coding.

Before I lead us into the part where I will cap off this article, I will make it very clear that this theme is a theme that is not suitable to all bloggers. Whilst there are some great themes out there, such as Thesis and Frugal that serve many purposes, and are heavily customizable, the Boardwalk WordPress theme is one that is suited to those who already like the layout of this theme, and are prepared to use that theme, as is, for their blog. Sure, certain customisations can be made willingly, if you have the know how, however, for the kind of layout that this theme uses, there is only going to be a certain level of customization that is available.

Having said that, this theme is an outstanding theme, it is easy to use, it is pretty to look at, and it is easy to customize within its own boundaries. It may not be as fast as possible, but this can be solved using the super cache plugin. The plugins that come with this theme are welcome, and offer extra functionality as well, all in all, for bloggers and publishers of news, out of the various top WordPress themes that re available, this one should turn your head a little.

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How to Make WordPress Themes1

How to Make WordPress Themes

Many blogger swear by WordPress as the best platform for blogs, websites and content platforms to publish content, pictures, videos etc. Though popular for blog, people are using WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS). WordPress is open source and the best thing that makes it an absolute favorite with web developers and bloggers is that you can incorporate plugins effortlessly from your WordPress admin panel. You can get these plugins by doing a simple Google search or through the official WordPress site.

You may have seen several WordPress themes and may feel that even you can develop such theme. For those who want to know how to make a WordPress theme, here are some pointers:

1. Designing a theme does require hard work and patience. It is always better to know html or php and the good thing is there are many resources online that can tell you how to learn them.

2. Go to an html and php tutorial website online and find how to use tags, codes and plug-ins. If you are a novice, go to a tutorial site that shows you to build a WP theme right from the beginning teaching you the basics of html and CSS. For those who already know these, you can also go to tutorial sites that show you how to build themes assuming you know these two programming languages.

3. HTML is the most important language, which is absolutely necessary needed to make WordPress theme. So make sure you learn those basic HTML commands and coding. You can make use of Microsoft Frontpage or even Dreamweaver to experiment with HTML codes.

4. Styling a webpage and jazzing it up is the next thing to do after you become familiar with html functionalities. This is where your CSS(Cascading Style Sheets) knowledge come in. When you know CSS, you will know how to make a stylish WordPress theme with colors, fonts, pictures etc.

To sum up, in order to know how to make a WordPress theme, you have to know to create the CSS template which is nothing but HTML and CSS combined. In other words, this is an HTML page stylishly done with CSS. So learn the four following things to make an attractive WordPress theme, yourself:

1. Gain knowledge about using HTML codes and tags2. Learn CSS3. Use the above two to create the CSS layout.4. Convert this CSS layout to form an attractive WordPress theme.

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How to Install WordPress Themes1

How to Install WordPress Themes

One of the most popular CMS systems going around the world today is WordPress. Much of it’s success is down to ease of use, and how beginner friendly the whole platform is. This ease of use also extends to installing WordPress themes, but sometimes you need a bit of a hand.

Starting from WordPress Version 2.7 onwards. You can now install WordPress themes straight from your admin section. Once logged in into the backend, go Appearance –> Add Themes. From here you can search through WordPress own back catalogue of templates. After choosing one it is just a few simple clicks and follow the steps to install it.

However you may not always be able to find the template you are looking for through this catalogue. Often it is hard to gauge just how well it will look on your site from a tiny thumbnail. In instances like this you can surf around the web looking for free WordPress themes.

Once you find a theme you like, you will need to download it to your own PC. It will likely be in either RAR or ZIP format, so you will need a unzipping tool. WinRar is free to download if the file has a.rar extension. Once unpackaged, you will need to FTP/Upload the files to your own webhost. Most webhosts put your files into the “”public_html”” folder so that is a good place to start. If your WordPress installation is in the root directory, you should be in the right place instantly on connection, otherwise you will need to navigate through the folders.

You then need to navigate through to the themes folder. The directory tree goes something like: public_html –> *WordPress installation folder* –> wp-content –>themes.

You can upload your unpackaged theme to this folder.

Then it is is a matter of logging back into your admin panel. Going Appearance –> Themes and activating your new theme. If on this screen you cannot see a thumbnail picture of the the theme you just uploaded. Try doing a refresh of the page by pressing f5 on your keyboard. If it still doesn’t show, make sure that when you uploaded the new theme, that it was placed into it’s own folder. If this still doesn’t resolve the problem you may have downloaded a dud package and you can either try downloading it again, or finding another theme.

Learning how to install WordPress themes just becomes second nature after a while. Especially once you work out the WordPress directory structure. Plus don’t forget that once you settle on a nice looking theme, you rarely change it again!

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Best WordPress Plugins to Help With Website Design and Functionality

Best WordPress Plugins to Help With Website Design and Functionality

The great thing about WordPress is the ability to continually add new functions into your blog as they are developed. This functionality is added through plugins which can be easily added through an admin panel. As someone who uses them daily, these are the best WordPress plugins in my opinion.

Deans FCK Editor

This replaces the default WordPress editor that comes with WordPress 3.1. The main reason that I use this is for setting columns and rows inside the pages. This plugin makes it child’s play for setting pages as you can tell it to make the width 100%. The plugin then figures out the pixels for you. With different width themes this is a time saver.

All In One SEO

Setting a website without this plugin is tantamount to criminal neglect. The plugin adds fields underneath the blog post for title, description and keywords metatags. You don’t need to know code or visit metatag generator sites any more.

CBNET Ping Optimizer

During the initial set up of your website, you will probably make lots of changes to pages. This will save your WordPress blog from being tagged as spammer as it won’t post the edits only the new pages.

Contact Form 7

This allows you to set up a contact form on any page. You can create as many forms as you like for the various pages including radio buttons and drop down selections. It creates a piece of code that you can then place on the web page in the appropriate area.

Really Simple Captcha

This useful plugin allows you to have a simple captcha on your contact form above. It’s not the hardest captcha to break but it will stop a certain amount of automated rubbish traffic to your email which can be very annoying otherwise.

Google XML Sitemaps

This plugin automatically updates your sitemap and sends it to Google, AOL and Bing automatically. You need to get an API from Yahoo for it to send automatically to it. You can manually rebuild the sitemap or leave on automatic. It is a great set and forget plugin.

WP-Sticky

This allows you to make a post sticky at the top of the blog. For those who have never heard the term sticky it simply means that when you click the sticky option on a blog post it is never pushed to the bottom of the page when other posts are made.

Multi Level Navigation Plugin

This allows you to have drop downs from any top menu on your site. It allows unlimited drop down levels if you want. For SEO purposes placing too many sub levels will not be great but it’s there if you really want it.

Page Lists Plus

This allows you to create pages but not show them in the menu. This is perfect for creating privacy policy, terms of use and similar pages which you will probably want to manually add in the footer.

To add in a plugin for your blog, simply click on the plugin menu on the left in the admin section and then choose the “”add new”” option. It will then give you a search box. Type the plugin name and it will find it for you from the WordPress extension site.

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How to Create a WordPress Theme

How to Create a WordPress Theme As most bloggers know, WordPress is an amazing platform for blogs, personal sites, businesses and portfolios to publish content, news, pictures and anything it comes to your mind. It’s very powerful and nowadays, it’s not just for blogs, most people are using it as a CMS (Content Management System). WordPress is for free & incredibly secure! It’s open source and one of the best thing about it, is that you can integrate plugins very easily from your WordPress admin panel. You can search for plugins all over the web, in the WordPress official website (WordPress.org) or anywhere else. How to Create a WordPress Theme

Designing a theme can be a hard task, specially because you can get a bit lost if you know nothing about html or php, but it’s definitely not impossible. With patience and perseverance anything is possible. Looking around the web you can find several interesting tutorials, very useful and easy to understand, they guide you step by step on how to use the codes and tags, but very few of them are precise about what it takes to build a WordPress theme from scratch and what you need to know beforehand. They usually assume you already know about html and CSS. First of all, you need to understand how HTML works. HTML is essential to learn how to create a WordPress theme. You need to find a way to learn and get familiar with the basic html tags and commands. How to Create a WordPress Theme

Use Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage to play around a bit and get used to the html structure. Without HTML, you are completely lost, because you are going to deal with a lot of coding! Simply Google and key something like this ""learn html from scratch"", ""html for begginers"", ""html for newbies"", ""html step by step"". After learning the basic html tags and functions, you need to learn how to style a webpage, that is to say, in other words, you need to learn CSS (Cascading Style Sheets ). Learning how to Style an html page will allow you to style a WordPress theme, with pics, colors, font sizes, etc. Why is this so important? HTML + CSS = CSS TEMPLATE. In order to build a WordPress theme, we need to create an HTML CSS layout first. It is the easiest way to build a WordPress Theme. How to Create a WordPress Theme

That would be an html page styled using CSS. As we already mentioned before, with CSS you can control the different font sizes, font styles, colors, layer positions, margins, etc. Once you’ve created a CSS template, THEN you will be able to easily convert it to a WordPress Theme. So, to sum up the first phase: 1- Learn html. 2- Learn CSS. 3- Create a CSS Layout. 4- Convert the CSS Layout to a fully functional WordPress Theme. Remember it’s a process that takes time but it’s definitely worth it if you aim to work freelance to make some extra money! don’t be afraid, use Google and search for tutorials, play around with Dreamweaver, and you’ll be able to create a WordPress theme! How to Create a WordPress Theme

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