WordPress in Depth

by Bud E. Smith, Michael McCallister

A guide to WordPress provides bloggers with everything they need to know to build, design, manage and customize their blogs, including step-by-step coverage of everything from installation and security to publishing and customization, as well as themes, widgets and more. Original.

Genres: Technology, Nonfiction, Website Design, Reference

410 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

As background, I have been using WordPress for about three years now to manage my blogs - they are pretty basic in terms of form and structure; while I am not the super-experienced user, I don't consider myself a novice. This how-to book should appeal not only to the experienced user but to the novice as well.

The book has a nice layout and is well-organized. I especially like how the table of contents was laid out by topic, and I was able to flip to the section I wanted to learn for the first time. It is well-written for people like me who know there way around a computer but don't consider themselves too technical. I have been considering going to the *.org version which allows you more control vs. the *.com version which is maintained and managed by WordPress, and this book lays out the pros and cons for both sides in order to assist you to make a decision.

Overall, this is a well-written guide - I recommend it not only to people who are considering using the WordPress platform for the first time but those who have been using for a while now like me as you wil learn a few new tips and tricks.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the title, I expected to be overwhelmed by the “in depth”, technical details of WordPress. Instead, I was bored by the first 3 parts, which are mainly aimed at novice WordPress.com bloggers, and explain posts, graphics, links, and content creation. I was relieved to find that Part IV speaks to WordPress designers and developers, briefly covering themes, plugins, CSS, and PHP. Still, each topic is only given a few pages.

The authors claim that the “in depth” part of the title refers to the fact that they explain the “why”, not just the “how”; they explain the history behind the technology, and the rationale for certain design and development choices. The book briefly reveals the Web’s history, and concisely describes the origin and development of HTML, CSS, PHP, the GPL, and web standards.

There are too many sidebars that distract from the main text, but I liked the text font and the layout is otherwise decent. The appendices are fairly useless; they explain the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, list documentation resources, and exhibit examples of WordPress sites.

Anyone except a complete WordPress newbie should skip straight to Part IV. The authors point out several excellent WordPress resources, so it's worth reading that part just for those.

Notes

Media Settings
thumbnail: 80 x 80
medium: 200 x 200
large: 400 x 400

Categories
Categories are like the table of contents (topics). Tags are like the index (keywords).
Limit categories to 4, or 12 max.
Use a single level; no subcategories.
Put each post in a single category.

Free WordPress themes
WordPress.org Free Themes Directory
Weblog Tools Collection

Commercial WordPress themes
WordPress.org Commercially Supported GPL Themes
iThemes
Themeforest
Thesis
WooThemes
WP Remix

Free WordPress plugins
WordPress.org Plugin Directory
Weblog Tools Collection

Recommended WordPress plugins

Administration and Security plugins
Update Notifier
WordPress File Monitor
WB-DB-Backup
Exploit Scanner

Statistics plugins
Google Analytics for WordPress

Comments plugins
IntenseDebate Comments
Disqus Comment System
Subscribe to Comments
AJAX Comments

SEO plugins
Google XML Sitemaps
All in One SEO Pack

Links plugins
AddToAny
Sociable
ShareThis

Permissions
The wp-content directory and its contents should be 775. The owner should be the WordPress user.
Theme files should be group-writable.

Additional notes
“new” and “free” are the most powerful words in marketing. Use them on your site.
Use XAMPP to create a local environment.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been blogging using WordPress for some time. I’ve tried other blogging formats but really like the ease of use and the flexibility of WordPress. It’s one of those programs that a beginner can easily pick up and as they become more comfortable can start to make their blog look unique.

If you are interested in blogging but don’t know where to start you may want to pick up a copy of WordPress in Depth. The book begins by looking at whether you should go for the WordPress.com premade blog or upload the software on your own site. Of course, there are pros and cons to both choices.

Then, the rest of the book is mainly how to use the various standard features to actually blog. Essentially, this is a beginner’s guide to writing that first blog entry and the formatting that is available to do so. There are even entries about adding images and media.

[Bill Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great 2nd book after WordPress for Dummies, and includes detailed information on hosting your own site using WordPress. A must read for anyone who wants to become more expert in WordPress

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good introductory book on WordPress.

[Policythinkshop Blogger · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I am working on a social media strategy triangulating Twitter, a web page and blogging to promote ideas. This book has been very helpful thus far."

[Tabs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Useless to advanced Wordpress user.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful. Good.