Calvin Freitas » WordPress

WordPress 2.9 Released

Calvin Freitas — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:35:36 +0000

WordPress 2.9 has been released and is available for download. The most important new features are a new “trash” system for deleting posts or comments, a built-in image editor, batch plugin updating, and easier video embedding.

On a related note, Elitwee MyTwitter 3.0.3 is compatible with WordPress 2.9 and is a great way to include your tweets as a widget on your WordPress blog.

WordCamp Seattle 2009

Calvin Freitas — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:33:05 +0000

WordCamp is coming to Seattle! Bloggers from all over the Northwest will meet to network, share knowledge and experiences, all while learning from some of the biggest names on the web.

Centered on the world’s most popular blogging platform – WordPress – this is THE event to learn about the blogging tool used by millions of consumers and businesses alike. WordPress powers some of the world’s most visited sites and blog networks.

WordCamp Seattle 2009 is happening on September 26, and runs from 8:30am to 5:15pm at the Adobe office building in Fremont. Tickets for the event cost $25 and can be bought at http://wordcampseattle.eventbrite.com/.

The keynote speakers for the event are Chris Pirillo (Lockergnome) and Liz Strauss (Successful & Outstanding Bloggers).

Getting Started With WordPress

Calvin Freitas — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:15:38 +0000

To get started with a fresh install of WordPress 2.5.1, here is a list of some handy resources.

Initial Resources

Download WordPress
Install WordPress: follow the installation instructions available here

Design Resources

Free WordPress Themes: some free, basic WordPress themes
Template Monster: higher quality themes for purchase
Using and Creating WordPress Themes: DIY guide to using, customizing, and creating WordPress themes

Enhancing WordPress

WordPress Plugin Directory: 2,000+ plugins
Akismet: the premier anti-spam tool for WordPress, the most important plugin you can have
Weblog Tools Collection: a great resource for discovering new plugins/themes and general WordPress news

If you need any help setting up, installing, or customizing WordPress for use as a blog or content management system for your own website, please contact me and I can provide you an estimate for the work you need completed.

Upgrade to WordPress 2.5: Done.

Calvin Freitas — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:43:58 +0000

I have upgraded to WordPress 2.5 on this blog. The process was simpler than I expected. One thing WordPress has done very well is ease the simplicity of upgrading. In this case, the lack of changes to the database schema made it even simpler upgrading 2.3.3 to 2.5 than any previous upgrade I’ve done. Summarized: remove the wp-admin and wp-includes directories, replace it w/ the wp-admin and wp-includes from the new version, copy over the updated files in the main WordPress folder, and then run the wp-admin/upgrade.php script. Done!

Of course, you’ll want to check your plugins before you upgrade. I had no trouble w/ the ones I use on this site (Akismet, MyTwitter, Contact Form 7, etc.)

One nice feature of the new version of WordPress is the built-in ability to update plugins automatically. On the new version of the WordPress Plugins screen, any plugin that needs updated will tell you and also provide a link to “upgrade automatically.” I tested it out for two plugins: I updated to the new MyTwitter 1.6 beta and the newest release of Contact Form 7.

The best change in WordPress 2.5 is the overhaul of the admin interface. It has a cleaner interface, improved post editor, better support for adding media to posts, improved tagging, and miscellaneous tweaks here and there.

If the enhanced features would improve your life and you’ve got about thirty minutes to spend upgrading it and testing out the new capabilities, I recommend giving WordPress 2.5 a try.