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

That sounds AWESOME!

How do I get me some of that?

Getting you WordPress

1. Sign up for a blog at wordpress.com

2. Deploy WordPress in a hosted environment

3. Download and install WordPress yourself from wordpress.org

3 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)

The Dashboard

The Posts

Adding Content

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

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

Prettiness

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

plugin- plug-in

- noun

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

a widget is a type of plugin

.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

What does it mean?

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

Let’s go play...

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)

“

“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

More Fun

Books. So many, many books

WordCamp! WordCamp Mid-Atlantic (DC) is Sept. 11

Download WordPress app for iPhone, Android or Blackberry

The Codex

The WordPress Encyclopedia

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

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

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