During the final discussion section of my most recent MediaBistro WordPress class (October-November 2012), one of my students unintentionally asked me a trick question: “How long did it take you to get good at WordPress?” My first thought, honestly, was “Wait–am I good at WordPress?” Then I realized that she probably didn’t mean Andrew Nacin good, and might even mean “How long did it take not to be a hopeless n00b?” So I asked her to define “good.” Continue Reading How Long Does It Take to Get Good at WordPress?
Using WordPress
Checking and Repairing Your WordPress Database
A week or so ago now (time gets away from me in the most appalling fashion) I was about to post something on my personal blog when I encountered an unexpected problem. I got an “Error establishing database connection” message. Say what? This frequently means there’s something wrong in your wp-config.php file, or maybe your… Continue Reading Checking and Repairing Your WordPress Database
How to Import Joomla Content Using the WP Importer Plugin
For my sins (I learned this phrase from my dissertation advisor back when I was in graduate school), I am on the board of the Bay Area Consultants Network. Actually, I love BACN and have missed possibly 5 meetings since I started going in July 2003; if you are a consultant, coach, or other solo… Continue Reading How to Import Joomla Content Using the WP Importer Plugin
How to Mobilize Your Genesis Theme in Less Than an Hour
NOTE 4/20/2015: Genesis child themes are now mobile-responsive, so if you are a Genesis user you shouldn’t need this tutorial. Actually, most WordPress themes created in the past 2 years are responsive. You might be better off just updating your theme, which is what I did for CBI once Lifestyle Pro came out. I love… Continue Reading How to Mobilize Your Genesis Theme in Less Than an Hour
The Obvious Argument in Favor of Responsive Design
Compared to designing a whole new mobile site, installing a mobile WordPress plugin is simple, and it did a good enough job for most sites and most phones…in 2008. Actually, for basic blogs, the standard mobile themes that come with plugins like WP Mobile Detector or Wapple Architect still do a perfectly good job, though they… Continue Reading The Obvious Argument in Favor of Responsive Design
