greg sennema library.wlu.ca/blogs/technolibrarian library blogs using wordpress greg sennema...

Greg Sennemalibrary.wlu.ca/blogs/technolibrarian

Library Blogs using WordPress

Greg SennemaElectronic Services Librarian

Wilfrid Laurier University

Session 1318



• why use a blog

• choosing blog software

• what is WordPress

• installing WordPress

• using WordPress

• customizing WordPress – themes

• customizing WordPress – plugins

• WordPress resources


Why use a Blog

More than just a personal story platform…

• Organizational stories, news, highlights

• Parse content maintenance to staff

• Parse content into web site, make current

• Picked up in blog search engines

• RSS is a core function of a blog


Why use a Blog – Examples


Choosing Blog software

Criteria for choosing blogging software?

• what are the required technical skills needed to install and edit• what does it offer for site navigation: pages, categories• can posts be easily created and modified• can pictures and multimedia be easily uploaded• can posts and comments be displayed, turned on/off• can posts be moderated before published• can the blog generate RSS feeds• can the appearance and layout be easily changed• is there technical support• is it locally or remotely hosted• does it provide usage statistics



“We need to get up and running quickly, without technical skills…” • WordPress (hosted) • TypePad $

“We want to tailor the blog, and someone technical can help set it up,but non-tech-savvy folks will be posting.”

• Blogger • TypePad $• WordPress (installed)

“Our organization is pretty technical all around, and we want the mostflexibility in a blogging tool.”

• WordPress (installed) • TextPattern • ExpressionEngine $ Source: “Getting Started with Blogging Software”

www.idealware.org/blogging_software



Hosted or Installed?


Choosing Blog software (free, hosted)

Source: “Getting Started with Blogging Software”www.idealware.org/blogging_software



Blogger.com WordPress.com

• owned by • appearance easily customized• navigation bar• no categories

• large open source community• choose from 54 themes ($ to edit)• no navigation bar• categories


Source: “Getting Started with Blogging Software”www.idealware.org/blogging_software

Choosing Blog software (free, installed)


Choosing Blog software (free, installed)

evolution WordPress.com

• supports multiple blogs• appearance easily customized• categories• small (but growing) user group

• single blog per install• appearance easily customized• categories• large user group


What is WordPress

WordPress started in 2003 [and] has grown to be the largest self-hosted blogging tool in the world, used on hundreds of thousands of sites and seen by tens of millions of people every day.

Everything about WordPress was created by and for the community. WordPress is an Open Source project, which means there are hundredsof people all over the world working on it (more than most commercialplatforms.) It also means you are free to use it for anything from yourcat’s home page to a Fortune 500 web site without paying a license fee.

Large user community and completely customizable (themes and plugins)

Source: wordpress.org/about/


Installing WordPress – Requirements

• web server (virtually any!)• PHP version 4.2 or greater • MySQL version 4.0 or greater


Installing WordPress – Steps

http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress .

• WordPress Installed for Free• Things to Know Before You Begin Installing WordPress• The Famous 5-Minute Installation.• Detailed Installation Instructions• Common Installation Problems • WordPress in Your Language • Installing WordPress in Your Language • How to Install Multiple Blogs • How to Install WordPress Locally

• Getting Started with WordPress (much more installation info)


Installing WordPress – Steps


Using WordPress

• Dashboard• making posts• writing pages• administration


Using WordPress


Customizing WordPress – Themes

• Hosted: plug and play

• Installed: acquire, plug, tweak, and play•Requires understanding of CSS and PHP



Source: wordpress.org/about


Customizing WordPress – Plugins

• Hosted: plug and play

• Installed: acquire, plug, tweak, and play



Source: codex.wordpress.org/Plugins


WordPress Resources

June 2006 October 2006 January 2006 August 2007

wordpress.org



Greg SennemaElectronic Services Librarian

Wilfrid Laurier University

Session 1318

Questions or comments?

greg sennema library.wlu.ca/blogs/technolibrarian library blogs using wordpress greg sennema...

Documents

wordpress wordpress

blog slide

blog software free

blog examples

hosted slide

cablogstechnolibrarian

wordpress themes

blog software criteria