Building A Wordpress Blog People Want To Read

by McNulty, Scott

• ISBN13: 9780321749574
• ISBN10: 032174957X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-12-03
• Publisher: Peachpit Pr

Summary

The essential guide is back to teach everything about building a drop-dead great WordPress blog--and then keep people coming back for more! Fully updated to cover the just-released WordPress 3, which merges WordPress and WordPress MU. Provides complete instructions for installing, using, and customizing; covers the updated Dashboard; and includes special coverage on writing that will keep people coming back for more Author Scott McNulty is a recognized and respected expert in the blogging world. Having your own blog isn't just for the nerdy anymore. Today, it seems everyone--from multinational corporations to a neighbor up the street--has a blog. They all have one, in part, because the folks at WordPress make it easy to get one. But to actually build a good blog--to create a blog people want to read- -takes thought, planning, and some effort. From picking a theme and using tags to choosing widgets and building a community, creating a blog really starts after the set up is complete. This new edition of the popular Building a WordPress Blog book covers the recently-released WordPress 3. WordPress 3 merges Wordpress and WordPress Mu, or Multiuser, which lets blog admins manage unlimited blogs and users at one time. The book shows readers how to navigate the updated Dashboard-- which came out since the first edition of this book. Blogger extraordinaire Scott McNulty also teaches readers how to: Install and get their WordPress blog running. Set up their site to ensure it can easily grow with them and their readers. Be the master of user accounts, and manage unlimited blogs and users. Manage their site with the latest WordPress Dashboard and extend its capabilities with plug-ins. Make the most of images. Work with pages, templates, and links and--of course--publish their posts. Deal with comments--if they even want readers commenting at all. Find a theme--or build one themself. Maintain their site and fix common problems.

Author Biography

Scott McNulty is a simple geek living in Philadelphia. Scott has been blogging for over 10 years about whatever strikes his fancy. He runs more WordPress blogs than anyone should, and even has a few other blogs using other blogging engines. More of Scott's words can be found on his personal blog, blog.blankbaby.com, or at Macuser.com, where Scott is a senior contributor, or Obsessable.com, where he writes a weekly feature about technology.

Table of Contents

Why WordPress?	p. 1
The Downside of WordPress	p. 2
The Upside of WordPress	p. 3
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org	p. 4
New in WordPress 3.0	p. 6
Installing WordPress	p. 7
Getting What You Need	p. 8
Setting up the MySQL Database	p. 12
Choosing Your Blog's URL	p. 15
Installing WordPress	p. 16
Editing the wp-config File	p. 23
Troubleshooting Common Installation Problems	p. 27
Managing User Accounts	p. 29
Managing User Profiles	p. 30
Adding and Deleting Users	p. 36
The Dashboard	p. 43
Right Here: Right Now	p. 45
Meeting the Public: Comments and Links	p. 46
Plugins	p. 48
QuickPress	p. 48
Recent Drafts	p. 49
WordPress Blog	p. 50
Keeping Current: Other WordPress News	p. 51
Customizing the Dashboard	p. 52
Beyond the Dashboard	p. 53
Futureproofing Your Blog	p. 55
General Settings	p. 56
Writing Settings	p. 64
Reading Settings	p. 72
Discussion Settings	p. 75
Avatar Settings	p. 81
Media Settings	p. 83
Privacy Settings	p. 86
Permalink Settings	p. 87
Preparing to Post	p. 93
Breaking Down the Elements of a Post	p. 94
Composing and Formatting a Post	p. 95
Adding Media to a Post	p. 105
Creating Tags and Categories	p. 123
Setting Advanced Posting Options	p. 128
Customizing the Add New Post Screen	p. 132
Publishing Your Post (Finally!)	p. 133
Setting Status	p. 134
Setting Visibility	p. 135
Posting to Your Blog	p. 136
Using the Press This Bookmarklet	p. 137
Managing Posts	p. 141
Managing Categories	p. 145
Managing Tags	p. 148
Working with Pages	p. 153
Working with Page Settings	p. 154
Understanding Page Permalinks	p. 157
Creating a Page Template	p. 158
Managing Pages	p. 160
Custom Post Types and Taxonomies	p. 163
Types, Taxonomies, and Your Blog	p. 164
Types and Taxonomies Combined	p. 165
Some Uses for Custom Post Types and Taxonomies	p. 175
Handling Links	p. 177
What the Heck Are Links?	p. 178
Configuring Links	p. 179
Importing Links	p. 184
Managing Links	p. 187
Coping with Comments	p. 191
Comments: Bad or Good?	p. 192
Deciding Who Can Comment	p. 193
Understanding How Users Comment	p. 194
Moderating Comments	p. 196
Managing Comments	p. 201
Dealing with Comment Spam	p. 209
Working with Themes and Widgets	p. 213
Viewing the Current Theme	p. 214
Installing a New Theme	p. 221
Managing Themes	p. 225
Working with Menus	p. 226
Adding Widgets for Code-Free Customization	p. 231
Customizing the Current Theme	p. 240
Theme Tweaking	p. 247
Using the Theme Editor	p. 248
Tweaking a Stock Theme	p. 250
Using Plug-Ins	p. 257
Managing Plug-Ins	p. 258
Finding Plug-Ins	p. 266
Creating a Plug-In of Your Very Own	p. 268
Troubleshooting and Maintenance	p. 271
Troubleshooting Problems	p. 272
Heading off Trouble Before It Begins	p. 276
Bloggerly Wisdom	p. 283
Content	p. 284
Consistency	p. 287
Community	p. 289
Final Thought	p. 290
Index	p. 291
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