web 2.0 workshop series: wordpress 1- the basics

Web 2.0 Workshop Series: WordPress 1 - The Basics

About us

Instructor: Zac Matthews, TA/GA ITD & Help Desk matthws2@illinois.edu

Instructor: Kelsey Bates, TA/GA ITD & Help Desk kbates2@illinois.edu

Overview of WordPress 1

1. Uses and Possibilities of WordPress2. Blogging3. Getting Started4. Using the Dashboard Interface

What is WordPress?

• Website• Blogging Tool• Content Management System (CMS)• Micro-Site Generator

– (more on this in Wordpress 2)• Community

What is WordPress?

What do you want to do with WordPress?

What Makes a Blog Successful?

?

What Makes a Blog Successful?

FOCUS!

What Gives a Blog Focus?

• A clear sense of purpose• A recognizable perspective & identity• An identifiable audience• A theme

What Makes a Blog Successful?

• Focus– Purpose– Perspective– Audience– Theme

Creative Commons License- Some rights reserved by Menage a Moihttp://www.flickr.com/photos/bearpark/3149679619/sizes/l/in/photostream/

What Makes a Blog Successful?

• Focus– Purpose– Perspective– Audience– Theme

• Frequency

Creative Commons License- Some rights reserved by Menage a Moihttp://www.flickr.com/photos/bearpark/3149679619/sizes/l/in/photostream/

What Makes a Blog Successful?

• Focus– Purpose– Perspective– Audience– Theme

• Frequency• Consistency

Creative Commons License- Some rights reserved by Menage a Moihttp://www.flickr.com/photos/bearpark/3149679619/sizes/l/in/photostream/

What Makes a Blog Successful?

• Focus– Purpose– Perspective– Audience– Theme

• Frequency• Consistency

Learn more on WordPress.com’s site!

http://learn.wordpress.com/get-focused/or

is.gd/4NM6XZ

Getting Started:Three Options

• WordPress.com (free)• WordPress.com (paid)• WordPress.org (free*with your own hosting space)

WordPress.com (free)

• Quick and Easy!– Never goes down– Always backed up– Potential for extra

traffic from tied-in WordPress community

• It gets you started!• No $$$ Commitment

WordPress.com (paid)

• Quick and Easy!– Never goes down– Always backed up– Potential for extra

traffic from tied-in WordPress community

• It gets you started!• No $$$ Commitment

• No plug-ins• No PHP customization• No customized themes• Less professional web

addressyourblogname.wordpress.com

vsyourblogname.org or .com

WordPress.com (paid)• Quick and Easy!

– Never goes down– Always backed up– Potential for extra

traffic from tied-in WordPress community

• It gets you started!• CSS customization• Pro web address

• No plug-ins• No PHP customization

• Some customized themes• Moderate $$$ investment

WordPress.org (free-- but you supply your own web hosting)

• Infinity customization• Fully customizable

themes• Fantastic for building

technical experience

• Infinity customization• $$$ investment for

managing your own domain

• No tech support• No automatic backups

Enough with the Slide Show!Let’s Try It!!!