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?  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.