Independent Digital

Wanting to customize the look of your WordPress blog? Then look at the following articles:

• Using WordPress Themes – Themes are what gives your WordPress blog its unique (or not so unique) look. This article explains what themes are, where to get them and how to use them.
• Blog Design and Layout – More on themes plus CSS, plugins and design specifics.
• Using Pages – All you ever wanted to know about WordPress pages.

The following simple guides will help you customize your WordPress Theme:

• Lessons on designing your WordPress site ? Covers WordPress for beginners, site design, template files, website development and more.
• CSS Overview, Tips, Techniques, and Resources This article briefly describes the use of CSS in WordPress, and lists some references for further information.
• All about Template files. Template files are the building blocks of your WordPress site. Read this article to find out more about them.
• What are Template Tags ? Well, if you want to know, then read this article.
• WordPress Template Tags Template tags are used within your blog’s templates to display information dynamically. Read this and you?ll be a Template Tag specialist.
• Understanding the WordPress Loop – Crucial if you?re going to make changes within the code to customize your WordPress site.
• The WordPress Loop in Action ? More on the LOOP with a simple example.
• Editing Files in WordPress – To customize your WordPress site, you will need to edit the code. This article discusses that.
• Design help ? Some good links to information on designing your WordPress blog.
• Frequently Asked Questions about Site Layout and Design – A good starting point regarding layout and design.

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Google gadgets are handy little things that you can place anywhere on your webpage with not too much hassle. WordPress makes it even easier if you use widgets. It is so easy to insert Google gadgets on your sidebar that you will wonder why you have not done so before.

Here is a quick and easy tutorial on how to do it:

1. Make sure you have the latest version of WordPress
2. Make sure that you have a widget enabled theme
3. Get into your Admin panel and select Presentation > Widgets from the options. Drag the Text widget onto the Main sidebar. Click the configuration tag (right hand side of Text widget) to open up the input window. Enter your title for this widget (the title will be displayed above the widget on the sidebar.)
4. Open the Google gadgets page in another window. Select the gadget that you want displayed on your sidebar. Configure the display settings to your liking. Press the Preview changes button to see how the gadget will look. If you are satisfied, then press the Get the code button. A window will open up with some code in it. Select and copy this code.
5. Go back to your WordPress admin window and paste the code in the large window of the Text widget. Save the changes and view your site. The gadget should be displayed in your sidebar.
6. You may need to play around with the sizing of the gadget to ensure that it fits within the sidebar.

That’s it. What could be simpler?

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You’ve installed WordPress, set it up and now it’s running like a finely tuned Ferrari. Here are a couple of helpful articles to help you keep it that way:

? Introduction to Dealing with Comment Spam - A great intro to SPAM and what WordPress is doing about it.

? Moderating Comments - Covers the basics of how you can deal with comments.

? Using the Links Manager - Explains how you can deal with links on your WordPress blog.

WordPress in Languages Other than English ? Check this out if you want to use WordPress in another language.

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Okay, so you have successfully installed WordPress, now it?s time to set it up. Have a look at the following for help:

• First Steps With WordPress – Takes a step-by-step tour through your WordPress site. Explaining the different functions and how to customize it.
• Administering Your Blog – This is a quick look at the various activities involved in administering your WordPress site. Have a look at the administration panel. The available options include:
  • Users > Your User Profile – set the user information you want published on your site
  • Your User Profile > Other Users – add authors and users that will be using your site, if applicable
  • Options > General – set your site name and other site information
  • Options > Writing – set the settings of your Write Post screen
  • Options > Reading – set how many posts to show on the front page and in categories and your feed requirements
  • Options > Discussion – Turn on or off comments and set how to handle them
  • Manage > Categories – add a few categories to get started from your category list
  • Manage > Posts – After you have written a few posts, this is where you will manage them by editing or deleting
  • Presentation > Themes – maybe change the look of your site?
  • Manage > Pages – add a Page or two like “About Us” or “Contact Me”
  • Write > Write Post – start adding content to your site
  • Writing Posts – step-by-step instructions on writing posts

Happy blogging!

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Once you?ve planned your installation, you can now install WordPress.

• Before You Install WordPress – Lists what you need to know and what the hosting requirements are. So before you install WordPress, read this document.
• Installing WordPress ? Clear instructions on how to install WordPress faultlessly. You can even have the installation done by experts for free. See this document.
• Hosting WordPress – All the information your host needs to successfully host your WordPress blog. Includes information on PHP and MySQL requirements.
• Editing the wp-config.php file – As part of the WordPress installation, you must modify the wp-config.php file to define the WordPress configuration settings required to access your MySQL database. This document explains how.
• Frequently Asked Questions About Installing WordPress – Chances are that if you have a question concerning your WordPress installation then you will probably find the answer here.
• Using FTP Clients and Software – Great stuff to help you with FTP client software, which you will need to upload your WordPress files to your host.
• Changing File Permissions – Different files and directories have permissions that specify who and what can edit and read them. WordPress may need access to write to files in your wp-content directory to enable certain functions so it is important to know how to change file permissions. This is also crucial for the security of your site. Read this document for more information.
• Upgrading WordPress – You?re an old WordPress blogger and now you need to upgrade to the latest version. Read this helpful document on the 3-step upgrade.
• Common Installation Problems – This document covers some of the most common installation problems.
• Trouble logging into WordPress ? Check this document out if you are having trouble logging into your WordPress site.