Nov 3 2008

WordPress 2.7: Ten useful new features – op111.net

WordPress 2.7: Ten useful new features

The first public beta of WordPress 2.7 was released on 1 November 2008. This new version of WordPress comes with an extensive UI rearrangement in the administration area and with many new features.

WordPress 2.7: Ten useful new features – op111.net

Comprehensive and illustrated list of new features in upcoming 2.7 release of WordPress. I really can’t wait to upgrade my installation. But, being a “n00b”, I will try at least to wait for a stable release – the end of November.

Besides – op111.net has brilliant articles – really worth subscription! Check it out.


Oct 29 2008

LinkedIn and the New Application Platform

LinkedIn Means Business With New Application Platform.

Image representing LinkedIn as depicted in Cru...

Image via CrunchBase

Well, I have to say it, because it irritates me!

The idea behind all those advertised applications is really good – but implementation – simply awful.

WordPress application is not working at all – either because my blog is self-hosted or – because the Application is so “buggy”.

Continue reading


Oct 19 2008

Splendid tutorial on op111.net

19. How do I use “asides” or “miniposts” in my blog?

* Add the feature yourself: http://codex.wordpress.org/Adding_Asides

* Use a theme that has it: Tarski and K2 are two.

* Use a plugin:

o MiniPosts2 — Used in op111.net.

o AsideShop — Haven’t tried it but seems good.

What are “asides”? — Short posts displayed differently than the rest.

WordPress: 20 answers – op111.net.

I told you in the previous post – that the answer how to make Asides working will sooner or later come – so – here it is! :)

This and answers for many other answers to most common problems of “newcomers” to WordPress you can found on op111.net.


Oct 15 2008

How I became the member of Theme Hybrid

This is how (I spotted it yesterday while browsing the ThemeHybrid site):

October 14th, 2008 WordPress

Club memberships at Theme Hybrid for $10

And I can tell you – it is a bargain! Great offer – just check yourself! According to me, the membership is worth more and I was thinking of becoming a member for quite some time. The only reason I did not join Theme Club on Hybrid site earlier is that I was not convinced if I will blog here for a longer time (amount of time and effort needed for it – do I have it? or rather – will I have it still?). But Justin Tadlock’ s offer was too good to resist. This offer + my “aforementioned catastrophe” = new Theme Club member.

Check yourself – among other things you will be able to acquire this Child Theme:

Beautiful Options Child Theme

I just downloaded it yesterday – and I have to tell you – it is beautiful. I just have to change the header (read it: spend some time playing in Gimp) – and you will see it here, on my site. :)

But it’s not only about what you can “get” for your money – it is mainly about supportng good cause. If you want Justin (and also other WordPress designers) to create those pieces of art – well, I think you should join their clubs. At least this is my meaning. And this is how Open Source works…


Oct 14 2008

Options Theme

I decided to write a little bit about the theme I am currently running on the blog – not because it lacks documentation – it has splendid one at ThemeHybrid site, but because I would like to share my perspective – the perspective of a new to WordPress.org user.

The most important for me in this theme are following features:

  1. It has (nomen omen ;) ) options page or – settings – it means you can easily configure some vital functions of your blog (more about it below) .
  2. It has Home page. Yes, it is very important if you would like to transform your WordPress CMS from blog to Website.
  3. It has Child Themes – actually it comes with 3 (!) different looks in the pack (blue, grey and beige – all very nice). You can also, as member of Theme Club, download one more theme – Good & Evil – which I chosen on this blog.
  4. Options being Parent Theme can be easily upgraded without you loosing your small “tweaks”.
  5. The Theme comes preloaded with many other interesting features like inserting thumbnails into the posts and few Page Templates.
  6. It has fantastic navigation.
  7. One can “easily” add new functions by editing functions.php file – well, this is not really easy – but possible – and even I could do it by following the manual written by Justin Tadlock HERE.
  8. It has splendid look – and I write here not about the colours but about typography.

One can in relatively easy way transform WordPress blog into the centre of your “Internet life” – create your own personal or professional place on the web. Options “plays well” with most of plug-ins but honestly speaking – you will not need many additional.


Oct 14 2008

Great catastrophe…

So, it finally happened – my dear, modest blog – clothed with Thematic theme by Ian Stewart – “exploded” on me. Well – it did not literally explode – it simply disappeared – together with the content.

Sad…

I spent whole night trying to recover the thing – but, shortly speaking, I did not manage. (I have a backup of a few first posts from September but not the last ones).

Why did it happened? He, he – my own fault – I was “tinkering” too much and experimenting with some plug-ins and themes. The poor, old blog did not obviously stand this amount of ill-directed “creativity”.

I strongly believe though that all events – especially of the aforementioned kind, have an aim. My “mini-catastrophe” made me thinking. Perhaps I was going the wrong way…? Well, certainly, I was! The thing I know a bit about is how to write and present things, which eventually become interesting for some people. It is definitely too early for me to write my own style sheets or PHP functions.I should rather keep for a while easier (from the user point of view!) blog theme.

I also realized that I need some kind of support – just like I had while starting with Linux (3 years ago) – and nothing beats the support one can get from the forum (Ubuntu, Arch, Sidux). That’s why I decided to try Options Theme right now – it has marvellous documentation and – you can browse forum on the ThemeHybrid site. Not mentioning the quality of the theme – splendid, a lot of pre-built functions and possibilities.

But Options is another subject – I feel obliged to write about this piece of software next time and a bit more than just few sentences.