Daniel Felice

Introducing…WP Specialists

// April 3rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Wordpress

Over the past few months I have been working with Christina Milburn of The Easy Button on a project for The WorkBook Project. Christina was the designer for the custom theme that needed to be created, and I took care of the WPMU install, setup, configuration and data export/import from the existing WBP site.

I met Chris online probably about 18 months ago while working with BuddyPress. From memory we were helping each other figure out how to configure the forums in the very early versions of BuddyPress, before V1 was even released.

On the back of sucessfully completing the project and realising we work pretty well together, we have decided to team up on a permant basis and create WP Specialists.

By joining forces we are able to provide our customers with wider range of experience and knowledge as we both have years of experience with WordPress and website design. We also have the advantage of living on the opposite sides of te world to each other so can work of projects around the clock.

If you know someone who needs a WordPress project completed, whether it be a custom theme, new install and config, modifications, plugins, or anything else WordPress related, please check us out!

WordPress 2.8 is Out

// June 11th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Wordpress

WordPress 2.8 was released yesterday. I have just upgraded a few of my blogs and some of the improvements are great. I have listed a few of the changes below.

• New Theme Installer routines
• Add CodePress syntax highlighting to Theme and Plugin editors
• Add Documentation(function) lookup to Theme and Plugin editors
• Use “Custom Header” for menu text and revise Default theme to reflect change
• Separate Comments into a separate postbox, from Discussion postbox, on the Edit Post screen
• Make tags accessible without Javascript on the edit screen
• Don’t ask for confirmation when marking a comment as spam
• Don’t notify post author of own comments
• Fix comment paging for static front page
• Allow the dashboard widgets to be arranged in up to four columns as set via the Screen Options tab
• Make titles into links in Dashboard Right Now module (this was in 2.7.1)
• Improved Admin icons (grey-to-transparent shadows)
• Update Blue Admin Color Scheme
• Press This improvements UI, quoting fixes, plus ability for Contributors to use Press This
• Add a Cancel Upload button and a Delete link to Administration > Media > Add New
• Add column “Rating” in Administration > Links > Edit
• Improve installer to help people entering wrong email addresses
• Improved Widget user interface
• Allow editing of all plugin files (Ticket 6732)
• Improved Plugin search (this was in 2.7.1) on Administration > Plugins > Add New
• Per Page option for plugins
• Move “Install a plugin in .zip format” to new Upload tab under Administration > Plugins > Add New
• Show absolute date instead of relative date for scheduled posts
• Fix tags suggest for post quick edit and bulk edit
• Permalink editor changes and fix for pages
• Autosave post/page when pressing Control/Command+S
• Add toggle all button to the Gallery tab in the uploader
• Support more than one gallery on the same page
• Add per page option to Screen Options for comments, posts, pages, media, categories, and tags
• Overhaul of LiveJournal importer (also add define WP_IMPORTING)
• Import category descriptions for Administration > Tools > Import > WordPress
• Show Tools menu for all users so they can access Turbo
• Check for new version when visiting Administration > Tools > Upgrade
• In upgrade process, provide better explanation for database upgrade message
• Fix most popular link category list
• Add description field for Tags in Administration > Posts > Tags
• WAI-ARIA landmark roles to added to WordPress Default theme
• “Choose a city in the same timezone as you” for Timezone in Administration > Settings > General
• Remove My Hacks option from Administration > Settings > Miscellaneous
• Hide email addresses from low privilege users on Administration > Comments
• Allow case-insensitive logins
• Login and Registration pages noindex followed
• Give login screen proper iPhone viewport
• Enforce unique email addresses in Add/Edit users
• Make user_nicenames unique during registration
• Add “Send this password to the new user by email” option to Administration > Users > Add New
• Don’t set user’s Website url to http:// in Administration > Users > Add New
• Add password strength meter to Add User and Edit User
• Hide things that need to be available to screen readers via offscreen positioning
• Use invisible class for hiding labels and legends
• Use a semantic class name for text targeted to screen readers

Get WordPress 2.8 here

Explore With Me v2 Launched

// April 9th, 2009 // No Comments » // Projects

Today we went live with the new version of Explore With Me. The site has been redesigned in order to give it more of a social feeling rather than it being a blog with a few members. While the site’s own blog is still a key part of Explore With Me, we are trying to encourage people to join, create their own blog and socialise with other members.

The changes from the previous version of the site aren’t that major, keeping the original template and just modifying the content areas. It still looks similar – just better!

The new site is being hosted on my new VPS, running WordPress MU 2.7 and BuddyPress. Hopefully within the next week or so WPMU 2.7.1 will be released and then BuddyPress v1 should follow shortly after that, which will require another small upgrade – and hopefully the last for the next few months!

The next area we are going to focus on developing are member features. As BuddyPress becomes more popular, the community will start to create plugins and other components that we will be able to implement and offer to our members.

Now the site is the way we want it, we are going to have to put a bit more effort in to keep it growing. We are aiming to blog a few times a week to keep the content fresh, and try to spread the word among young travellers, letting them know that we exist and are open for business.

Take a look at the new site – feedback is welcomed!

1 Month Left to Enter!

// April 8th, 2009 // No Comments » // Buddypress

Just a friendly reminder about the BuddyPress Theme Contest being held at Free BuddyPress Themes! Submissions close on May 7, so you only have just under a month to get your designs in.

The winner will receive some great prizes, including 12 months free membership to WPMU DEV Premium!

Here is how the contest will be run:

• There are 2 categories in which you can submit a theme for; Home theme and Member theme
• Submissions will be open from March 7 – May 7, 2009
• All submitted themes will be uploaded to FreeBPThemes.com on May 10, 2009 for public voting
• Voting will commence May 10 – May 24, 2009
• The winners will be announced May 25, 2009
• 12 months FREE WPMU DEV Premium membership (valued at US$250) will be awarded to the theme with the most votes in each category.
  

How to Enter:

• Design an original Home or Member BuddyPress theme
• Submit your theme to FreeBPThemes.com using our online form by May 7, 2009

Good luck!

BuddyPress Beta Released

// December 16th, 2008 // No Comments » // Projects, Wordpress

I mentioned a few months ago a WordPress MUplugin called BuddyPress. BuddyPress is a WordPress MU plugin that turns a standard WordPress MU installation in a social community.

I have been using very early versions of the plugin at Explore With Me for the past two months or so, and today it was nice to see that the first official beta version was released.

I was almost updating BuddyPress everyday as bugs were fixed and new features added, so I can now finally work on enhancing the members theme so it fits in with the rest of the site layout and it will also be nice for the users in the way that there are no more broken links and pages that don’t work properly!

Here are a few BuddyPress features:

• Private Messaging
• Add Friends
• Create Groups
• Activity Stream
• Post to users “wire”
• Incorporate a users blog, comments and posts into profile
• Group Forums
• and more!

Now that the first beta is released there is a feature freeze on the development of BuddyPress so that any bugs can be fixed. The first official version should be released shortly.

I’d like to thank Andy Peatling who developed BuddyPress! A huge amount of work went into it and it was just what we were looking to incorporate into Explore With Me!

Now that we have a stable version of BuddyPress my focus will shift to the rest of the site and get it officially up and running in January. It has been 3 months or so of work, so we need to start seeing it grow, and grow, and grow…until when one day someone offers us a nice multi-million dollar sum for it…

Must Have WordPress Plugins

// October 20th, 2008 // 3 Comments » // Wordpress

There are thousands of WordPress plugins on the Internet and most bloggers will install whatever suits their needs or niche. I have a few WordPress blogs and no matter on the type of blog or the size of it, I always seem to be installing the same plugins on each.

There are a handful of Plugins that are a must have for any blog. I have a hanful that I constantly use when setting up a new blog that are an integral part of how it performs and functions.

My list of must have WordPress plugins:

• Wordpress.com Stats:This is a must have for any WordPress blog. WordPress.com stats allow you to see your traffic in real time and allows you to see your best performing posts, search engine terms and referring links.
• All in one SEO pack: This is another must have if you want to optimise your site for Search Engines.
• WordPress Automatic Upgrade: This plugin will let you automatically upgrade the version of WordPress whenever a new version is released. Saves you having to download it every time!
• UBD Block Ad: This plugin will allow you to manage your 125×125 ad blocks on your blog. I use it on my sidebar. You no longer need to edit your HTML files, all you have to do is paste in the code and your ad will be displayed.
• Akismet:This plugin is packaged with WordPress. Akismet will detect any comments that are Spam and not publish them on your blog. As your blog becomes more popular you will notice how handy this plugin actually is. I currently get about 30-40 spam comments each day and it picks up every single one.

Am I missing any? Let me know if you have any plugins you think should be added to the list!

How to Start a Blog: Part 3

// October 6th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // How To

So you have decided on a niche and you have a domain name and hosting plan. Now you need a blog! I am going to go through step by step how to download, install and configure WordPress. The format of this guide will be a little different to the others – more of a step by step rather than an explanation.

Download WordPress

1. Go to http://wordpress.org/download/
2. Click on “Download Wordpress” on the right hand corner
3. Save the zip file to a safe and memorable location on your PC
4. Extract the zip file to your PC

Create a Database and User

You will need to create a MySQL database and user in order for WordPress to function. The setup of the database will vary depending on your hosting provider. I am going to show you how to setup your database using cPanel, however you might want to check with your hosting provider before you start this step.

The below steps are taken directly from the WordPress website.

1. Log in to your cPanel.
2. Click MySQL Databases.
3. If a user relating to WordPress does not already exist under the Users section, create one:
   1. Chose a username for WordPress (‘wordpress‘ is good) and enter it in the UserName field.
   2. Choose a difficult-to-guess password (ideally containing a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols), and enter it in the Password field.
   3. Write down the username and password you chose.
   4. Click Add User.
4. If a database relating to WordPress does not already exist under the Databases section, create one:
   1. Choose a name for your WordPress database (‘wordpress‘ or ‘blog‘ are good), enter it in the Db field, and click Add Db.
5. Under Databases, select your WordPress username from the User dropdown, then select your WordPress database from the Db dropdown. Make sure All is checked under Privileges, then click Add User to Db.
6. When you return to the main MySQL Account Maintenance screen, cPanel will list information about the database you just created. You should see the username you just added to the database (with ALL PRIVILEGES), as well as a few sample Connection Strings for you to use in Perl or PHP scripts to connect to the database. The PHP code will have the following format:

$dbh = mysql_connect(“hostname“, “username“, “<PASSWORD HERE>”) or die (“message“); mysql_select_db(“databasename“);

Write down the values of hostname, username, databasename, and the password you chose. (Note that hostname will usually be localhost.)

Edit wp-config.php

1. Browse to the location where you extracted the WordPress zip
2. Rename the file wp-config-sample.php to wp-config.php
3. Open the new wp-config.php in notepad or another text editor
4. Edit the following fields
   DB_NAME
   The name of the database you created for WordPress
   DB_USER
   The username you created for WordPress
   DB_PASSWORD
   The password you chose for the WordPress username
   DB_HOST
   The hostname you determined (usually localhost, but not always)
   DB_CHARSET
   The database character set, normally should not be changed.
   DB_COLLATE

The database collation should normally be left blank

5. Save the file

Upload Wordpress

In order to upload WordPress to your server, you will need the FTP details you received when you signed created your hosting account and an FTP client (such as CuteFTP or WS_FTP.

Configure the FTP client with your FTP address, username and password and connect. Once you log into your FTP account, browse to the root directory. If you are unsure you should confirm with your hosting provider as the location varies between hosting providers.

Once you have selected the folder you wish to upload WordPress to, browse to the WordPress folder on your local PC and send the files to the server. This should take about 10 minutes or so.

Install WordPress

1. Open your Internet browser
2. Browse to http://example.com/wp-admin/install.php
3. Follow the on-screen prompts

The on-screen prompts will ask you for the title of your blog and e-mail address. You will also be asked if you would like your blog to be visible to search engines such as Google. I suggest you leave the box un-checked so your new blog can be indexed in the search engines. You will be able to change all of these options in the administrator panel within WordPress.

Once you complete the installation of WordPress you will be ready to log in and start posting! I will explain in my next guide some tips and tricks to WordPress.

Many 70-640 and 70-236 professionals insist that IT professionals should blog so that new students of 220-602 and 350-030 can utilize from there.

How to Start a Blog: Part 2

// September 27th, 2008 // 3 Comments » // How To

So you have decided on the topic of you blog, so the next thing you need to do is find a suitable domain name. There are plenty of free blog hosting websites around on the Internet, but if you want to be taken seriously you are best off registering your own domain name.

Choosing A Domain Name

Your domain name is the most important identifying factor of your online presence. Your domain name should relate to the title and name of your blog and also represent your niche. Choosing a domain name that represents the type of blog you are going to create will also help your potential users find you a lot easier and will also fare better results within the search engines.

Things to consider when choosing a domain name are:

• Keep it short
• Avoid numbers and hyphens
• Avoid trademark words or brands
• Make it easy to remember
• Make it unique
• Register a .com or .net where possible, and even both
• Register it NOW. Don’t procrastinate too long as it might be registered from right under your nose.

There are millions of domain names registered already, so chances are the first attempt you make the name you choose is going to be taken already. It is best to try and have a few different alternatives just in case you are unable to register you first choice.

Registering A Domain Name

Now you have decided on your domain name it is time to register it. There are a number of places where you can register a domain name and every person has their own personal preferences due to factors such as cost, location and service.

If you are registering a .com or .net you shouldn’t pay anymore than about US$10 a year. I use a number of different registrars depending on what kind of name that I am registering.

Whoever you choose, most companies operate the same way when it comes to registering the domain name. You will normally have to type in your desired domain name and search to make sure it is available to register.

Once you find an available domain name you will be prompted to add it to your shopping cart.

Hosting Packages

Once you settle on a domain name you most likely will be prompted to purchase a hosting package. This again varies on the company you are registering with, however they all are basically the same.

There are a few things to consider when choosing a hosting package – such as Windows or Linux based, bandwidth, disk space, e-mail, online tools.

This of course depends on your needs, however as you are starting a blog from scratch is it best to start with the lowest package available and then as your blog grows you can increase your package as you need to. There is no point in spending the money at this stage.

You will also need to make sure the package you choose meets the below requirements if you are going to run WordPress:

• PHP 4.3 or greater
• MySQL 4.0 or greater
• The mod_rewrite Apache module

Once you choose the package you are happy with, and meets the WordPress requirements, add the package to your shopping cart.

It is now time to check out and complete the purchase. You will be prompted to enter some personal details such as name, address, e-mail address and payment method.

Depending on the type of domain extension you registered you will receive confirmation and approval within 24 hours, but if it is a .com or .net address then you should receive the confirmation almost straight away.

Your hosting details will normally be sent in a seperate e-mail and contain your user name and password for the admin control panel and FTP server addresses. This may take 24 hours or so to come through and be setup, depending on your hosting company.

Keep these details in a safe place because next time we will be downloading and installing WordPress!

5000 Premium Expired Domains Per Month

Unique Blog Designs Citrus Theme

// September 6th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // General, The Internet

I upgraded my blog theme last week to help refresh the look of my blog in the hope to generate new interest. I think it is important to keep your design fresh and a change once in a while doesn’t hurt.

I got this current WordPress theme from Unique Blog Designs, who do some great work. UDB are responsible for the designs of JohnChow.com and ShoeMoney.com. I found them a few months ago and have been tempted by a few of their designs since.

They have just released their new Citrus Theme which comes in 6 colours, features 2 unique layouts and comes with a built ad management. UBD also offer support and video tutorials which will show you how to get the most out of your theme.

There are three different licences available for purchase – the single user licence, multi user licence and developer licence. The single user licence starts at US$79 which in my opinion is very cheap considering you will be buying a professionally designed blog with some great features.

Get your Citrus theme now!

WordPress Automatic Upgrade Plugin

// September 2nd, 2008 // No Comments » // Wordpress

I was searching around the WordPress website today and came across the “WordPress Automatic Upgrade Plugin“. I always think it is a bit of pain upgrading to the new versions of WordPress so I thought that I had to give this one ago as I had yet to upgrade to 2.6.1.

So I downloaded, uploaded and activated the plugin. While I was connected to my FTP server I thought it might be a good idea to backup my entire site and database just in case the plugin destroyed the site and the database along with it.

So after being a bit hesitant I started the upgrade process. It is very easy to follow and tells you what it is doing every step of the way. Wordpress automatic upgrade upgrades your wordpress installation by doing the following steps.

1. Backs up the files and makes available a link to download it.
2. Backs up the database and makes available a link to download it.
3. Downloads the latest files from http://wordpress.org/latest.zip and unzips it.
4. Puts the site in maintenance mode.
5. De-activates all active plugins and remembers it.
6. Upgrades wordpress files.
7. Gives you a link that will open in a new window to upgrade installation.
8. Re-activates the plugins.

There is also an option to run the click automatically so you don’t have to click “next” at every step.

My upgrade ran smoothly and I am very happy that every time there is a new version released I don’t have to go through the process of downloading it, connecting to the FTP server, backup files and database, disable plugins, upload new files, enable plugins and make sure it alls works as it should.

I would definitely recommend this plugin for any blogger using WordPress.