The document discusses WordPress, an open source content management system used for blogging. It highlights that WordPress is flexible, extendable with plugins, and easy to use. It also describes the differences between WordPress.com, which hosts blogs, and WordPress.org, which allows users to download and install WordPress themselves. The document provides an overview of getting started with WordPress and some of its key features.

1. THE GENIUS OF
WORDPRESS
by Jen Riehle

2. What is
WordPress?

3. WordPress is...
an open source content
management system,
often used as a blog
publishing application,
that uses PHP and MySQL.

4. What makes WordPress
SO AWESOME, Jen?

5. WordPress
Awesomeness
Open source = YAY!
Large user community
Used by > 12% of the largest 1,000,000
websites on the web
Flexible deployment options

6. More WordPress
Awesomeness
Availability of cool widgets
Extendable and flexible with
plugins and APIs
Easy to get in; Easy to get out

7. That sounds
AWESOME!
How do I get me
some of that?

8. Getting you WordPress
3 options:
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

9. wordpress.com
versus
wordpress.org

10. .com Basics
Requires 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 storage
but may have text-only ads
Premium option available for a fee (css
editor; domain mapping)

11. The Dashboard

12. The Posts

13. Adding Content

14. 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 one
Categories may be hierarchical

15. 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

16. Prettiness

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

18. 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

19. .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

20. What does it
mean?

21. wordpress.org:
Time to Level Up

22. With great power
comes great
responsibility
Have 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

23. Let’s go play...

24. WordPress 3.0
(the next generation)

25. What’s New
New default theme and theme APIs
Multi-site functionality (formerly
WordPress MU)
Updated menu management
Custom post types
Custom taxonomies (with hierarchical
structure)

26. “ 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

27. More Fun
Books. So many, many books
WordCamp! WordCamp Mid-Atlantic (DC)
is Sept. 11
Download WordPress app for iPhone,
Android or Blackberry

28. 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

29. Photo Help
Slide 1: flickr/crystal/bb_matt
Slide 4: flickr/a street called awesome/ moonlightbulb
Slide 7: flickr/bitter beer face/a4gpa
Slide 9: flickr/proof testing imperial equipment/stefan
Slide 14: flickr/double happy carebear rainbow/pink sherbert photography
Slide 16: flickr/mario kart wii promo event/goodrob13
Slide 19: flickr/chief engineer/striatic

30. Questions?
Jen Riehle
jen_riehle@ncsu.edu
Twitter: @ncsumarit
http://www.slideshare.net/ncsumarit