So – step by step – how to upgrade your WordPress :

1. Install 2 backup plugins:

1. Plugins, Add New
2. Search for wp-db-backup, install and activate
3. Search for WordPress Backup, install and activate
4. Go to Tools, Backup
5. Tick everything, select to email backup to your email address, and click Backup now.
6. Go to Settings, WordPress Backup
7. Check the settings there (follow the notes provided or shout if you get stuck)

Now you should have a full backup of your WordPress – just in case – and have regular backups scheduled for peace of mind.

2. De-activate your plugins:

1. Go to Plugins
2. Select the Active list
3. Click to select all
4. then click on the Bulk Actions drop-down and select Deactivate, and Apply

And now you can click the Upgrade Automatically button that is offered from the Please Update now  link at the top of your Dashboard.

WordPress will work through the process of upgrading and will mostly not have any problems at all. So then as soon as it’s complete, you need to then re-activate your plugins:

1. Go to Plugins
2. Select the Recently Active list
3. Activate each one individually – this is where most problems might occur – if there is any incompatibility between the plugin and the new version of WordPress, it will happen as you work your way though re-activating. Doing it this way tells you which plugin is the cause of any problem.

If all is well, you’re live again and running smoothly.

If you do have a problem, watch out for the next blog post which will take you through how to deal with most issues. You’ll need your ftp access details for that.

Good luck – and if you need a hand at any time, pop an email to hello@blogmistress.com and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.

Babs

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Simplest thing we’ve found is to install the WP Columnize plugin.

Once activated you do need to carry out a couple of actions to get working:

Add your preferred style details to the style.css file for your theme (Appearance, Editor and be sure to select the style.css file). You can use the plugin creator’s suggestion here, as follows:

div.column-sect {
    clear: both;
    display: inline-block;
    overflow: auto;
    }

div.post-column {
    display: inline;
    float: left;
    margin-right: 18px;
    text-align: justify;
    width: 45%;
    }

Just add that code to the end of the style.css file, save it and your columns will be nicely formatted.

Next you want to use the columns. With the plugin activated and using the HTML sheet, you will see the two extra buttons – one for “column” and the other “col-sect”.

The first thing to do is write your first column, highlight it and click the column button – this will add the required code to make your first column. Then do the same for your second column. And after that, select both columns and click the col-sect button – encompassing the whole into a column section. And hey presto – columns. The plugin programmer offers more detail on his website here.

We’ll add a short video to this post next week, or if you get stuck, give us a shout.

Babs

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And before anything else, you need to know where it will live. Do you want a blog that lives within your website’s domain and hosting? Or is this to be a separate, new project?

What we’re outlining here are the essentials you need for hosting your WordPress. And if you cannot find the information you need on your host’s website, just ask – these are not silly questions, indeed some might think them a tad silly for not making such information easily available!

WordPress offer you the wording to send to your hosts asking for the information, as follows:

I’m interested in running the open-source WordPress <http://wordpress.org/> blogging software and I was wondering if my account supported the following:

• PHP 4.3 or greater
• MySQL 4.1.2 or greater
• The mod_rewrite Apache module

Thanks!

Once you know that these requirements are met, we suggest you then consider the pricing, the level of customer service, and also how helpful they can be for WordPress hosting. Some now offer specific packages just for WordPress, so that would certainly suggest they know what they’re on about. But another thing to consider is how well their servers respond, are the load times good – if you can visit some of their hosted websites to gauge load times for yourself, that can offer you a further level of confidence in their service.

My current favourite is ezpzhosting (not an affiliate link) – for the price, the ease of installing WordPress (a few clicks and it’s done) and the exceptional support. There are of course plenty other reliable and excellent WordPress hosts, feel free to add yours, with reasons, below.

We have helped people set up their WordPress on some of the bigger names and too often it is not as straightforward as it really should be. So go with a recommendation from someone you trust.

If we can help further, just ask…

Babs

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To build on these and new projects, we need more bloggers. You don’t need to be a professional writer, indeed we love encouraging and enabling those of you with an interest to start blogging. And we have plenty of places to publish you! If you don’t fit a category we may just knit a new one!

So whatever your topics and level of experience, we need you!

Especially:

• Blokes - the Blokes on the Blog site includes all kinds of posts with the opinions, family and life blogs as well read as business blogs.
• Birds - already a welcome success – eclectic and readable – a strong team with guests always welcome.
• Kent business owners – a baby that we know will grow strong and popular – if you run a business in Kent, jump in.
• African heritage bloggers for a new project.
• Mums who want to blog – another “on the blog” kicking and screaming into the world following overwhelming insistence!
• Over 45s who like to let off steam – Grumpy Old Bloggers! Go on – let it out!

So if you enjoy writing and keen to spread your words far and wide, or just fancy dipping your toe in the water, then we have a use for you!

Why bother? Well it attracts people to you – they get to know you, your style, your area of expertise perhaps, or just your way of thinking. Many of us have a secret desire to write, and many of us won’t get to the book stage – but we can blog!

Either add a comment below or email hello@blogmistress.com with your ideas, available commitment or if you want to guest, on which topic, or if you just want to explore blogging for the first time. This really can be a good way to find out if it’s for you and we’re very helpful!

Guest bloggers always welcome too, so even if you just want to dip your toe in the water, get in touch. We’ll hold your hand and help all we can.

Babs

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Long recognised as an essential plugin for WordPress blogs and websites, and something we’ve encouraged you to activate, Akismet does a good job of halting spam comments. Indeed each time we install a new WordPress blog, we’ve include the activation of the Akismet spam filter as standard- it’s always seemed sensible, being pretty good at what it does, and already sitting there ready for it’s API key (which makes it work, basically).

But last weekend, for the first time, on popping to the Akismet site for said key, I found that they’ve started charging for any but personal blogs. Now this is fair enough, in the grand scheme of things – a good service is provided and they’re not running a charity, after all.

Now we need to know if it is still the best option for those of us running business or even non-profit WordPress websites or blogs (though they do offer the latter a discount). Is Akismet worth the $5 per month? Should we pay it anyway out of loyalty for a service well provided?

I did ask the fine folk at Akismet what will happen to existing accounts but have yet to receive a reply – it may be that we’ll simply find out in due course, perhaps when their next update is due, or they may just let it go – there are a lot of us! In the meantime we’re reviewing the alternatives and considering the best service to halt the waves of comment spam. It’s unlikely that any free service will remain so if the mighty, omnipresent Akismet is now charging, so that needs to be taken into account before changing providers.

We’ll update you further as we are able. And if you have thoughts, suggestions, ideas for this, please share them…

Babs

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