WORDPRESSTHE GENIUS OF

by Jen Riehle

What is WordPress?

WordPress is...an open source content management system, often used as a blog publishing application, that uses PHP and MySQL.

What makes WordPress SO AWESOME, Jen?

WordPress Awesomeness

Open source = YAY!

Large user community

Used by > 12% of the largest 1,000,000 websites on the web

Flexible deployment options

More WordPress Awesomeness

Availability of cool widgets

Extendable and flexible with plugins and APIs

Easy to get in; Easy to get out

widgets: twitter, meebo, flickr, etc.plugins: google analytics, google maps plugins; video player plugins, WPTouch

That sounds AWESOME!

How do I get me some of that?

Getting you WordPress

1. Sign up for a blog at wordpress.com

2. Download WordPress from wordpress.org and install in a hosted environment

2 options:

wordpress.comversuswordpress.org

.com BasicsRequires an account for blog owners; no account for browsing (can limit access)

URL is http://yourblogname.wordpress.com

Takes care of everything: setup, upgrades, spam, backups, security, etc.

Free account comes with 3GB storagebut may have text-only ads

Premium option available for a fee (css editor; domain mapping)

“From time to time, we display text ads on your blog to logged-out users who aren’t regular visitors.”

Premium: custom css editior; domain mapping; VideoPress; no adswordpress.com community: your blog cane be highlighted on home page; ratings for your posts/blog available

The Dashboard

trackback: notification when someone links to your siteManage commentsView usage statisticsQuickpost PollsALL INCULDED AUTOMATICALLY. Some auto available on wordpress.com but others only available as a plug-in YOU have to install

The Posts

Stats - comments - likesNote the “likes” (aggregated throughout Wordpress.com)

Adding Content

Trackbacks and pingbacks both refer to when other people link back to content on your site; pingback is essentially the same but with an extra step to verify that the host is there and real - helps limit spam.Trackback block helps confirm to other sites that you’ve linked to them

category- cat e go ry- noun- definition: a class or group of things possessing some quality or qualities in common

All posts must be in at least one category; can have more than oneCategories may be hierarchical

Categories must be uniqueAre generally displayed with each post (depending on your theme)Clicking on a category gives a list of posts that use that category

tag- tag- noun- definition: a children’s game in which one player pursues the other until he or she is able to touch them

Not hierarchical On wordpress.com, clicking on a tag

will show you all instances of that tag in all wordpress blogs

Can create tags for wordpress.com account but they are community tags

Prettiness

Search for themes by:colors, #-column layout, left/right sidebar, language translation availability, widget availabilityBUT THERE ARE NOY MANY OPTIONS ~100

widget- widg et- noun- definition: a GUI element that displays information in an arrangement that is changeable by the user

Very useful, drag-and-drop functionality

plugin- plug-in

- noun

- definition: an accessory software package that is used to extend the capabilities of the existing application

a widget is a type of plugin

Not available for wordpress.com account

.com Limitations

Can’t install a custom theme

Can’t hack the PHP or CSS*

Can’t use plugins

Your blog is tied into wordpress.com community of blogs

* Can hack CSS with limited options with a for-pay accountPay account also allows domain mapping

What does it mean?

No plugins in wordpress.comLimited themesTags, ratings, etc. tie-in to wordpress.com community

wordpress.org:Time to Level Up

With great power comes great

responsibilityHave a good web host; need a database and PHP

You’re responsible for backups, upgrades, managing spam, etc.

Mismanage the site and you can lose it all

WordPress 3.0(the next generation)

What’s NewNew default theme and theme APIs

Multi-site functionality (formerly WordPress MU)

Updated menu management

Custom post types

Custom taxonomies (with hierarchical structure)

WordPress MU was a separate installation of WordPress, now functionality built into 3.0Allows one installation of WordPress to manage multiple blogs - one administrator can deploy a community of blogsTaxonomy: a way of classifying dataBy default, Wordpress has 3: categories, tags and link categoriesWordPress 3.0 lets you create who new taxonomies, for example if you host a movie review blog you might have a new taxonomy for genres and then create new terms within that taxonomy

“

“Matt Mulleweg

(WordPress creator)

Normally this is where I’d say we’re about to start work on 3.1, but we’re actually not. We’re going to take a release cycle off to focus on all of the things around WordPress. The growth of the community has

been breathtaking, including over 10.3 million downloads of version 2.9, but so much of our effort has been focused on the core software

it hasn’t left much time for anything else. Over the next three months we’re going to split into ninja/pirate teams focused on different areas of the around-WordPress experience, including

the showcase, Codex, forums, profiles, update and compatibility APIs, theme directory, plugin directory, mailing lists, core

plugins, wordcamp.org… the possibilities are endless.

- June 18th, 2010

3.1 is now available

More Fun

Books. So many, many books

WordCamp! WordCamp Raleigh is May 21-22

Web lists of WordPress plugins, themes, etc.

Download WordPress app for iPhone, iPad, Android or Blackberry

WordPress for Dummies, 3rd edition (2010); WordPress 24 hour trainer (2009)WordCampMashable has lists of Top Plugins for RSS feeds, for managing multiple blogs, etc.Don’t get to become one of the biggest website deployment tools out there without a solid user base - google your question and you’ll find help.

The CodexThe WordPress Encyclopedia

GREAT resources with tons of information (primarily for installed instances of WordPress)

wordpress.org also includes a blog, forum and hosting info

Documentation source

Photo HelpSlide 1: flickr/crystal/bb_mattSlide 4: flickr/a street called awesome/ moonlightbulbSlide 7: flickr/bitter beer face/a4gpaSlide 9: flickr/proof testing imperial equipment/stefanSlide 14: flickr/double happy carebear rainbow/pink sherbert photographySlide 16: flickr/mario kart wii promo event/goodrob13Slide 19: flickr/chief engineer/striatic

Questions?Jen Riehlejen_riehle@ncsu.eduTwitter: @ncsumarithttp://www.slideshare.net/ncsumarit