You are gonna look soooo smart

All you’ll need now is a pocket protector. 

There is a little known very cool thingie in Wordpress that comes with every installation - meaning, its already there - the Bookmarklet. Once activated, this looks like another of your bookmarks in your Bookmarks or Favorites folder.  But hiding underneath it is the coolest thing!

First, to activate it:

• in your administration panels, in the write post screen, in the sidebar, is a “Shortcuts” paragraph.  In there is a link called “Press This”.  Follow the instructions:  just right click and save as a bookmark.  Now, it looks like a bookmark in your list right?
• In older versions of wordpress, I think the link is called “Bookmark it!” and it is located at the bottom of the write post screen.
• This function was removed from version 2.5 and reinstated as “Press This!” in 2.6.

To use it:

This is the cool part:  while you are reading your favorite blogs (ahem!) and you see something that you want to publish to your readers (I can think of something), just go to the Bookmarks or “Favorites” menu and click on your Press This link.  It will automatically open a new screen.  AND it will be the write-post screen of your blog!  AND it will have the link to what you were just reading already in the post ready for you to write up!  If you don’t want to write a new post at that moment, that’s ok.  Simply press the save button and it will save it as a draft.

How cool is that?

How to remove the generic title of your blog…

When you install your wordpress blog, the only things it asks you for is your blog name and your email address.

So you enter them.  Then you upload the fancy new “clothes” that you’ve just had designed for you and your blog title, appears in the header.

You do what seems the simplest fix and that’s to take it out of the Title line in the settings, but then you realize that your RSS feed doesn’t show your blog title.

And we can’t have that, can we?

Believe it or not, there’s a simple fix.

For most templates, you’re going to want to go into your header.php file and find the string that looks like this…

<a href=”<?php echo get_option(’home’); ?>/”><?php bloginfo(’name’); ?></a>

Take out the part that says <?php bloginfo(’name’); ?>

Save your changes and your Title should no longer show up.

That easy.

Creating links in your post

1. You are typing a lovely post, title & text. (See my blog for some excellent examples, absolutely shameless I know.) 

2. Select the text that you want to turn into a link.

3. Click on the “link” icon as shown.

4. Link URL: This is the only thing that I ever complete. This is the full text hyperlink thingie: starting with “http://”.

Target: You can use this if you would like the link to open in a new window, new tab, or in the current browser.

Title: This is the text that will appear when the link is hovered over. Ie: “link to Cathy’s site”.

Class: I believe this is referring to a css class. Perhaps if you are attaching a link to an image this would come into play. Like I said, only the top blank- Link URL - is necessary.

5. Once you click on the “insert” button, your new linked text should be a different color, and most likely underlined.

6. To break the text, click the broken link. To change the link, click the “link icon” again and complete the details with the new link.

Finding and Using a Gravatar

Is your theme gravatar-enabled?  If it is, you’ll see a small image in each comment.

Gravatars are images that represent your online presence anywhere on the internet.  Gravatar stands for Globally Recognized Avatars.

With WP 2.6 we can now include a default image that matches your site instead of the little grey head.  We can set the size of the gravatar and placement within the comments.  How cool is that?  All these mods are done through the code in your theme, and why you need your site designed by a professional me.   I imagine there are plugins that modify this sort of thing too.  But Heather’s our plugin gal, I’ll let her cover that.

To find your personal avatar, you can draw your own or find some cuties here or here.  Then go to gravatar.com and upload your image to match your email address.  Anywhere on the internet that you sign in using your email address, will now be able to view your gravatar.  It will display on those sites only if they are gravatar-enabled.  Is yours?

Find and Replace is a Gift from God…

Seriously.

You know it’s true.  How much time to we save when we complete a find and replace?  Alot.  And a lot of hassles and headaches too.

I know of so many people who, after blogging for many months, or years even, decided that they were going to stop using their children’s real names.  And so what did they do?

They went back, post by post, and edited them.

By hand.

Can you imagine how long that would take you if you decided to do that today?

You’re shuttering aren’t you?

I know.

Saturday night I had the distinct pleasure of helping Beth and Christy over at Ruby and Roja move their blog to Wordpress self-hosted.  They did an awesome job as the designers.  Because that’s what they do.  And they are good at it.

My job was to make it look like they wanted to within WordPress and then make it function the way that they wanted.  So we set up a test blog, got it all layed out the way we wanted it and then moved it over in the middle of the night.

However, when we moved it, all of the links pointed back to the test site.  All of the graphics.  All of the internal links.  All of the permalinks.

All 575 URLs that were contained within that site.

Lucky for me though, I remembered the plugin that Krissy told me about months ago, so I hopped over to her blog and started looking for it.  I knew she had blogged about it and I found it.  The Search Regex Plugin by Urban Giraffe.

Coincidentally, they were also the ones that told me that I had 575 links.

I installed the plugin, activated it and then did a search for the domain of the test blog and replaced with with rubyandroja.com

It took a minute, if that.

So, if you’ve got a mountain of terms or links that you need to change, I highly recommend this plugin.

And here’s another benefit of self-hosted WordPress… you could never do that with the other platforms… just sayin’.

ISP, FTP, HTML, OMG, LOL

When I began, my hubby set me up with a blog. On some site. Now if you’re like me, you have no idea what in the world is going on behind the scenes, you just really love google, and some blogs you’ve been reading. And maybe you do your banking online and search for phone numbers.

Perfect!

Wordpress is for you, honey!

It is all a little overwhelming at first, but here is what information I could gather from picking my hubby’s brain (like sticking a fork in an electrical outlet).

Here’s a diagram of the “internet”.

1. You.

2. Your “host” company.

3. The WEB.

Let’s start with #3 just to mess wi’ya.

I used to ask my hubby - where is the internet? WHAT is the internet? Have you ever asked a technically-inclined person this question? They don’t react well.

This is why: it isn’t really a thing or a place. It is organic. Growing. changing shape. etc. Just like a fib… Have you seen Larry and the Fib from Outer Space? I have. Too many times. Um… fib, fib, oh yeah - internet.

So with all these computers, and new ones added all the time, there are huge issues with how to get them all to communicate the same language. So far it speaks HTML or XML, PHP and a couple others. We don’t even use the same electrical current! And don’t get me started on the States - rebels that they are, have an entirely new way of doing stuff than anyone else. Not like us, we Canadians are a nice passive bunch. A little behind, off to one side, and very nice. I’ve heard.

Review:

• Internet - fib, I mean growing mass of connected computers
• HTML, PHP, XML - languages that all/most computers on the above mass, understand.
• Canadians - RULE.

———————————————————

So where were we? Ah, yes. #2: the Host.

So to keep the Canadians and the Europians and the Americans all playing nice, we have this huge mass of computers, the internet, all over the world. No one person has access to all of it. There is not too much control in any one person’s hands. That’s why tracking online criminal activity is so difficult for the authorities.

And to further keep individual users safe, we are separated from the internet. Plus, our cute little pink laptops couldn’t filter through all that information and get it down into bite sized pieces. We need bigger and better to do that. That’s our favorite HOST.

These host set-ups are one of the things that separate my 8 year old on Barbie.com from Harry in sickville. The host filters content so that we can google it. And it provides a wall of safety between our home’s pc and the big bad web.

So if I want a website (Canadians Rock), then I call my host company, and rent space on their server to get me connected to the internet. Usually an annual or monthly fee. The next step is getting my cool name on the site.

A note about domain names: If you have a website, then you store all that content (in html or similar language) on your host’s server. And then IT communicates with the rest of the internet to let them know what content is on there. At DSW, Heather offers domain name registration too. This is a separate service, provided by registrars. Somebody has to check to see if the name is used, and rents out the name to you for an annual fee. Now that you have a “name” you have something to call that space on your host’s server. Which would otherwise be called something like 168.651.11. Catchy, eh?

Review:

• Host/ host server/ host company: the computer between you and the internet. It filters content, and provides safety.
• Domain Name: a pretty name for your space on the host server.

————————————————————-

And if you’re still reading, you deserve a prize. But not from me. Heather? And maybe the low-down on individual users. YOU.

So how do YOU, get your site to the internet. So far, we’ve:

1. thunk up a name, and registered it (approx $10)
2. found our favorite host company (ahem!) $20.

Now, you need some stuff from your host company in order to get all your pretty names, and content onto her server. You need:

FTP address

This is the address on the internet where you go to administer your host package. If my domain is http://canadiansrock.com, (I wonder if that’s a beer site?) then it is usually ftp://canadiansrock.com. Or sometimes numbers after the site: http://canadiansrock.com:2082.

Password & Login Name

You know?

FTP Client

This one isn’t essential, but, well, yeah, it IS. Instead of using your ftp address & control panel, you really ought to use this program. It opens up a window, and lets you drag and drop programs from your computer to your ftp address without ever having to log on and use a server-based program. It makes me feel safer to be on my own computer and not my host’s server, while I mess around with wordpress. Not that I mess around. it’s just my recommendation to you people.

Review:

• FTP: the address on the host server for uploading content
• Password & login: duh.
• FTP Client: the program that you should use for messing around

Once, you have FileZilla downloaded to your computer. Go here to learn how to set it up the first time. Once the set up is done, you’re rockin, like a Canadian.

————————————————————

Now you know the main stuff & concepts behind some of the weirdo names in techy-land. If you get all this under your ‘do, you are SO ready to upload wordpress and begin playing with it! See our tutorial here for upgrading/ installing wordpress.

And we have a winner

Heather’s the winner of the blog installtion and we’re tickled pink as she doesn’t have a blog… so we can get her off on the right foot.

Didn’t win?  Never fear!  We can still help!

Contact us and we’ll get you up and running!

UpGRADING our favorite pc of geekiness: WordPress

Apparently, we are in love with WordPress.  But what can I say, she’s single… she needs a little romance. ::ducking the flying spit balls::  Okay - tease Heather - check.  Write tutorial - next.

Oh!  And thank you so much for the comments and questions.  I will get to each one.  And I’m going to email responses to the specific questions as soon as I can.  (These darn children get in the way of my blogginess!)

So, Upgrading WordPress, AGAIN

I’ve heard whiney’ness about the frequency of WordPress updates, not from you or anything.  Just others. But you really ought to do it, here’s why:

• each release actually changes/ improves something (whether or not you can tell from your side of the screen) Well, not that there’s two sides to your monito… well, there ARE 2 sides… but not like that - you know?
• some of the security updates are important
• your themes and plugins will be compatible with the current release (if you use the automatic upgrade option for these)
• I came on board with WordPress just before the HUGE change in 2.3.  They changed to a taxonomically-ionic-obia system or something.  Anyhow, it makes a difference and gives theme writers MUCH more flexibility with listing your categories, images, tags, and attachments.
• 2.5 brought on the awesome automatic upgrade for the plugins.  And some other features - like media organization from right in the write post.  haha.  Right in the Write.  I’m so clever.
• And 2.6 - has some absolutely divine features that FIXED that media-input-er screen option.  I know, I know, it wasn’t perfect with 2.5.  But it was still useable - which we love.  And now, it’s nearly perfect, which we kinda like too.
• And apparently, there is talk of automatically upgrading wordpress itself!  How cool would that be if all my work on THIS POST was just a waste of time?  I know, you’d love it.

Enuf Chit Chat, here’s the HOW TO:

1. Back up everything first.  I wrote a very wordy post here.  I know - how unusual!
2. Go to WordPress.Org to download the latest version (2.6 as of this post).
3. See that big gawdy looking black jaggedy not-pretty line on this screenshot?  Email my hubby and tell him that I NEED that wacom tablet or y’all  ‘ll go blind with the ugliness of it all.   Seriously.  Do it.
4. Okay, so now you have that new version of wordpress on your computer somewhere.  Go to ’somewhere’ and unzip the file.  (Usually just right click on it and select ‘extract’.)
5. Now you have some beautiful brand new wordpress files.
6. Open up the handy-dandy Filezilla.  Use their instructions to set it up for the first time.  Or just click “reconnect” in the file menu.
7. Move the files from your computer to your host’s server.  (all the files and folders - see image) - I have a sad, deprived face on.  See #3 above.
8. When it asks you to overwrite them?  Say, YES.  If you aren’t sure if it is safe to do so, then go back to the back-up your blog post.  And make sure you have saved those items just in case they go missing (but they won’t).
9. Now, go back online to your blog.  And click to “log in” it will automatically take you to a “You Need To Upgrade” screen.  Click <upgrade>. (the only button on the screen)
10. Voila!  That’s it.  IF you have troubles after you’ve erased a bunch of stuff, it is a little more difficult to figure out what went wrong, than if we do the upgrade from the beginning.  So if you suspect it won’t go smoothly, let us know, and we’ll get to your blog, upgrade it for you, and even provide support!  Right Heather?
    

Have a great weekend, ladies & gents.  And don’t forget #3. 

Are you a control freak?

I do quite a few installations for Wordpress.com blogs and often times, I’ve noticed that they pay for both domain mapping and the custom CSS ability. That amount adds up to $30 a year (roughly) and for that they can basically make it LOOK like their site is on it’s own domain and modify the look of thier blog.

What I don’t understand is WHY they would choose this platform and pay $30 a year when they could spend the same amount and have a self-hosted WordPress blog?

For me, it doesn’t make sense.  The backend of Wordpress is the same whether you’re on self-hosted or Wordpress.com, so it’s not like you would have to learn anything new.

You have more control over your blog with self-hosted than you do on the wordpress.com site in that you can make your blog function like you want to.

You can add Javascript to your blog.

The list is endless as to what you can do.

But what I did learn at BlogHer this year in talking to people is that they are worried about losing subscribers if they make the move and here’s what I want to say…

If they don’t notice that you’ve moved?  If they don’t read your blog regularly now in that they miss the annoucement that you’ve moved, do you really care if you lose them?

If you’re a wordpress.com user, take some time to think about what you want to do with your blog.  Are there things that you wish that you could do, but haven’t figured out how?  Are there tweaks that you would like to make but can’t?

If you’re paying $30 a year for more functionality on your wordpress.com blog, why not pay $30 a year for a self-hosted blog and have comeplete control over your blog?

Of course, if you are happy with wordpress.com and it does everything you want it to do, then by all means stick with it.  Wordpress.com is not a bad service unless you want a little more control… like me.

::stepping down off my soap box::

Welcome to our first giveaway!

So….maybe you’re a new blogger and just don’t know what to do about all this stuff… or maybe you have a blogger blog, or wordpress.com blog or even a typepad blog that you don’t want to pay for anymore.

Regardless, if you’re looking to either start or move your blog, this is for you.

Included in this package is:

• Domain registration for 1 year. (Domain name after that will be approx. $9.95 a year)
• Assistance in choosing and purchasing the domain name
• 1 Year of free hosting (hosting after that will be $15 a year)
• Installation of Wordpress on your domain name
• Installation of a theme with a custom header design by a new designer- Healing Designs.
• Installation of 10 plugins of your choice
• 2 hours of Q&A/training for your new blog (i wouldn’t just feed ya to the wolves ya know?)
• Transfer of posts from blogger or typepad to the new blog

If I were still running my business and offered this package to a client, I would charge them $400. There are some more nitty gritty details that I’ll have to go over with the winner, but they aren’t that hard.

So here’s what you need to do.

• Leave a comment on this post before the clock strikes midnight on Friday (EST) and let me know what you hate about your current blogging platform.
• Links back to this contest will grant you an additional entry… so link away!

I’ll tell you why I’m an avid WP fan…

• it’s mine. Period. If blogger or typepad go belly up, you’re going to lose all your stuff. You don’t control it, and yes, I’m a control freak.
• You can do much much more with it. Seriously. There are so many cool things you can do that you just can’t do with blogger or the WP.com versions…
• It’s so easy… not only is there more power with WP, but it’s so simple to use. My 11 year old has been using it since he was 9. And he’s fine with it.
• With the exception of the domain name and hosting (about $25 a year) it’s free. Free is good

Now the fine print…

• Contest is open to anyone regardless of where you are geographically sit-chi-ated
• You must leave your comment by Friday at Midnight EST
• Only one comment per person…
• Winner will be notified on Monday and will have 3 days to respond.
• Winner must abide by the guidelines set forth by me when installing the blogs. Let’s face it, as cool as WP is… there are somethings that you shouldn’t do in the long run… and if i say that it’s not a good idea, it’s not… and i know this from experience only.
• Technical support is NOT included in this package after the installation is complete, however, I am a pushover and more often that not will help when asked… and then I’ll call Lisa B. in a panic and make her help me.

Ready? Leave your comment… and make sure you hit up all the other ones this week!

And after you’ve left your comment, check out all the other giveaways at Bloggy Giveaways!

Until next time…