Introduction to using Wordpress.com

1. Understanding what a Blogs is vs. a Content Management System (CMS)

1. Blog is short for Web Log

   • Traditionally used to express an opinion or thought while allowing others to read and post their own opinion in comments

   • Most blogs focus on 1 subject such as expressing a political opinion, hints and tips, or even as a way to publish a journal online

   • They offer a variety of Themes that automatically set colors, fonts, backgrounds

   • They make it easy to publish your words and pictures online

   • Simplify task of adding links

   • They automatically Archive previous posts and allow users to search your entire site for specific topics

   • They automate creation of RSS feeds so that users can be alerted of any updates you add to your site

   • Normally made up of 1 long page with links along the side

   • Perhaps think of a Radio talk show where the host talks about the subject
     
   • Popular sites can actually make money through advertising just like radio and TV stations do now. 
     

2. Content Management Systems or CMS

   • Simply defined as a system used to organize and manage large amounts of content and then display it to a user upon request.

   • They are used by larger companies and organizations who have large groups of people adding content to a website and a large number of viewers connecting and searching for that information

   • They do not require a user to know anything about HTML or using a website editor such as Frontpage

   • By default they generally have a generic look and structure and must be setup by an administrator to properly handle different types of information.

   • Schools tend to use Learning CMS because they are setup to focus towards a teacher and student environment
   • One known exception is
     
   
   
3. Using Wordpress as CMS

• Wordpress is based upon blog technology
• Allows users to create posts using a WYSIWYG interface
  
• It automates RSS creation and archiving of posts and has Search feature
  
• Ability to add static pages sets it apart and makes it more akin to a real CMS
• More limited than a true CMS but functional for simple webpages

1. Header - Found at top of screen and normally lists your blog Title along with a brief description and can customized with a picture or theme color depending on your template.
   
2. Links to static pages - Found along the left or right side or even along the top of your blog depending on your theme. Normally static pages are used to provide information about the author's of the blog, their organization, or any other content that will not frequently change.
   
3. Posts - These are the frequently updated entries to a blog that are assigned to display on one page that can be your main page or page linked to from your main page or not linked to at all if you prefer to have only static pages.  Posts can be used as notices of upcoming events, they can be articles about a particular subject or various subjects, or they can just be observations you make during your day such as one finds on personal blogs.
4. Footer - Found at the bottom and usually includes copyright info, theme author info, and RSS feed links to your site.
   
5. Sidebar - Found to the left or right of your pages main body and appears on every page you add to your blog.  The side bar holds your choice of Widgets which we'll cover later.  Some themes have multiple sidebars which others have no sidebar at all and display your chosen Widgets in the footer.
6. Dashboard - An administration page that appears when you login with links to help you create and manage your Wordpress website and monitor your Blog stats.  This page also includes the latest news from Wordpress.com and suggested links to wordpress sites using similar categories and tags as you are.
7. WYSIWYG - What You See is What You Get.  The online text editor used to add content to your webpages and posts.  Similar in look and feel to MS Word but also allowing for the use of basic HTML code.
   
8. Archives - If you choose to use posts only a specific number of them are displayed at a time.  All others are saved and linked to your main page either in a calendar view or a list of previous dates when they were posted.  You can choose to list them by date, category, author, or even alphabetically by title.
9. Feeds (RSS) - Also called RSS Feeds. A feed is a function of special software that allows "Feedreaders" to automatically retrieve any newly added content from your site.  This allows your readers to keep up to date with your blog without having to manually check to see if you have added any information recently.  Wordpress automatically creates feeds for you every time you add a new post.
10. Comments - What help to make your site interactive for your readers.  Visitors can be allowed to leave comments on each page and each post or comments can be turned off selectively for each of these.  Comments can be allowed to post immediately or moderated first by you and then allowed to post to your pages as you see fit.
11. Comment Spam - Comments left on your site by a person or automatically by a program that are used to advertise another website and increase their Page Rank index in search engines.  Wordpress uses Akismet to look for and filter out known comment spam activity. A report of blocked comment spam can also be added as a widget in your sidebar if you choose.
12. Trackbacks - Similar to CC on an email.  They are designed as a method of notification between websites when Author A, you in this case, want to notify Author B that you are writing a post about one of their posts and by including the URL to their post a comment is automatically created under their post linking back to your post.  Helps to increase traffic between sites.
    
13. Pingbacks - Built upon the idea of trackbacks. If allowed by both authors, pingbacks will automatically create a comment linking between two website posts but contain only a link and not an excerpt from Author A's post.  Trackbacks traditionally include an excerpt from Author A's post.  Again used to link information and increase traffic between sites.
    
14. Blogroll - Now just referred to as Links most of the time, is a list of links you can add to your sidebar that you feel your readers will also be interested in.  These can be organized into categories and even imported from 3rd party link managers such as BlogRolling.com and Blo.gs.
15. Tags - Short, one or two word, comments about what your post is about.  These help categorize the information in your posts and aid when people search your website.
16. Plugins - Tools used to extend the functionality of Wordpress software.  Wordpress.com provides certain plugins such as Akismet to filter your comments.  A self published Wordpress site can install and take advantage of numerous plugins provided for free on the internet that will help in a variety of tasks including managing users, authors, comments and even advertisements on your wordpress site.
    
17. Widgets - Are tools similar to a plugin that will help to organize and display content in your sidebars.  Wordpress provides widgets that will display your categories, links, tags, archives, recent posts, comments, and even just pictures and text.  A self published Wordpress site can install and take advantage of a wide variety of Widgets people have created and offer for free.
    
    

1. Sign up for free at www.Wordpress.com. You will receive 3 GBs of space for free and may pay for upgrades to space and features later if you wish.
• Later you may also choose to set up your own Wordpress site in webspace purchased from another company.  All major Webhosting companies offer quick and easy installs of wordpress software and using the export and import features of Wordpress the move is relatively painless from Wordpress.com to your own webspace.
  
2. Choose unique user name and secure password
3. Choose a Unique and fitting Blog Domain
• This can not be changed after this point, though you can delete the site using that name and create another one.
  
• The blog domain is what users will search for or type into the address bar, and should be easy to remember
  
• Must be unique and should relate to your subject matter
• Examples: lhsenglish, lakelandhistory101, tlhstigertales, timberlakedrama, nelsontechnology, ect....

4. Choose a blog title that fits your site

• This can be changed later on in your options
• This will be displayed in your header automatically

1. Dashboard - Provides an overview of your latest posts, blog stats, comments, and links to create new posts.  Also includes over view of what's currently popular on Wordpress.com
2. Write - Where you will create posts and pages that will be published to your website.  You also Upload pictures and documents through these pages.
• Posts - These are updates or articles and will eventually be moved off into an archive over time
  
• Pages - Static content that will always be as you wrote it.  Pages appear along the tops of your Header or in the Sidebar depending on your chosen theme
  
• Links - Are links out to other sites you feel are interesting and related to your content.  They will be added to your sidebar by using a widget. You links can have descriptions and also have categories which will be important when you list then in your side bar.  Categories will act as titles to your link lists.
  
3. Manage - Where you will Manage your Posts, Pages, Uploads, and Categories.  You can also import your blog content from another blog site or export your wordpress content to import into another blogging site.  These pages allow you to view, edit, and delete any of the content you have added to your website.
• Posts - Displays a list of current posts and the list can be filtered by category to help sort it out.
• Pages - Displays a list of your current pages and information about the author and status of the page
• Links - Where you will manage your list of links and click to change their settings
  
• Categories - These are the categories you have associated with your Posts and you can add or delete right from this screen.  They help to organize your information and make it easier for readers to sort and find what they find most interesting
  
• Tags - Add and Delete tags here.  They are another way that readers can organize and search your information.
• Link Categories - How you group your links when they are displayed in the sidebar.  Any links not part of a category are listed under Blogroll
• Media Library - Where you can view and delete the pictures, videos, audio, Media...which is any office document or PDF file.
• Import/Export - These allow you to export a copy of all your text to make a backup of, or import into another blog site.  Or if you already had a Blog using one of the other popular software choices out there you can import your content from their export.  Media uploads though are not included, only the text and formating you have set up.
  
4. Design - Where you will pick a theme, add Widgets, Extras, and Edit your CSS
• Themes -  One click changes the entire way your page is displayed.  You can choose from 1 column, 2 column, 3 column and even a 4 column theme that displays your content and side bar information.  Theme choice affects the Header, fonts used, size of your page and also whether or not tabs are used  to display a link to your pages.
• Widgets - They will be covered in more depth, but they are modules you use to add content to your sidebars.  This means the links you have added, or the pages you have created, or a list of recent posts, or even the categories you have chosen to use.  All of these help to direct your readers to information inside and outside your wordpress site.
• Extras - Currently "Snap Shots" is the only extra on the Wordpress site, but on other sites such as Edublogs.com there are a bigger variety or even more if you start your own blog site.
• Edit CSS - Not used unless you purchase an Upgrade.  You can try out changes and practice on your theme, but can not save without the upgrade.
  
5. Comments - Where you will view and manage any comments that have been posted to your website. Depending on your comment options, all comments will either be posted directly to your website or will be listed under Awaiting Moderation if you prefer to read any comments before they are posted.  Comment spam caught by Akismet will also be listed here if you wish to view and delete them.
6. Upgrades - This is how Wordpress.com helps to add value to your free website and makes the money that allows them to offer basic accounts for free.  Note that Credits are really just = to $1
   
7. Settings - Where you can change the options that govern the way your website is posted to and read.
• General - Where you can change your Blog title, Tagline description, displayed laguage and format of the date and time displayed with your posts.
• Set Your Time Zone - Your posts are all Time Stamped so the correct local time is important.  UTC is the newer time standard.  We are -8 hrs *EXCEPT* because of Day light savings time we are currently -7 hrs.
  
• Writing - Where you set your default post Category and default link category.  You can change these manually at the time of each addition, but it's handy to set a default if you have a preference.
• Reading - Important because here you set which Page will be displayed are you opening page and the page where your posts will be displayed.  Default makes your Posts page the opening page since a Blog is all about Posts.  A blog as an informative website though might choose to have an About Us page displayed first.  Also you will use this page to set how many Posts will be displayed before they are removed to the the archive.
• Discussion - Where you may set the defaults governing comments, ping backs, and trackbacks.
• Privacy - Used to limit how visible your blog is to search engines and general readers.  You can set your blog to be completely private and only viewable to your list of 35 wordpress users for free version and you can purchase an upgrade to unlimited users.
  
• Delete Blog - If you are sure you a finished with your blog and wish to recover the space it is using you can easily delete it all from here.
• Media - Allows you to set a default Width and Height for your thumbnails.
  
• Open ID - Used to login into other sites that support OpenID without having to re-enter your name and password.
  
• Domains - You may purchase a domain name from a Webhost and set it to link to your Wordpress website instead of purchasing space and setting up your own wordpress install. An example is instead of http://timberlaketechs.wordpress.com you can purchase www.Timberlaketechs.com and have it point to your wordpress content. It helps to separate your identity from the other thousand or so blogs with similar names on the wordpress.com site.
8. Users - On Wordpress.com you can only add users that are part of Wordpress.com, but students can sign up for an account only and not a blog, or you can sign up generic accounts that all students might use if you wish protect your blog by allowing only certain users to view it.  You can also edit your Profile and Send out Invites to your friends and colleagues.
   
• Default makes everyone a possible subscriber to all non-private Wordpress blogs.
  
• User as Contributor - Can edit text content
  
• User as Author - Can upload files add content
  
• User as Editor - Can manage content, comments, and links
  
• User as Administrator - Can make changes to Themes, plug-ins, add users, and manage options

1. Pages are one item that sets Wordpress apart from regular Blogger software
2. Used for your static, or semi-static, content such as About Us, Product Information, Class information, Homework, Lesson plans, or just pictures.
   
3. Edited the same as posts with WYSIWYG and can include pictures and links and simple HTML code.
   
4. Page content does not age so is outside the Archive rules.
5. Pages can be Hierarchical with parent pages and sub pages which will display this way when using the Pages Widget in your sidebar
6. Pages don't use Tags or Categories
7. Can be password protected
8. Page order helps determine where a page will display in your list on the sidebar, but is not supported by all Themes.  Some themes only list pages alphabetically.

1. Login and click on Write Posts
2. Posts can be about resources you find interesting,  can be updated News about what your class is doing, or even reminders of upcoming events such as tests
3. You can also choose to not use posts at all and focus on the content on your pages.
   

1. Title - give your post or page an informative title.  Post titles will appear above the post, but Page titles should be short because they often will display in Tabs or in your side bar.
2. Body - Type in your content and add anything else you need to get your idea or information out there.
3. Tags - One word descriptions that help to tell what your Post is about and make it easier for your readers to find the subjects they are after. Similar to Categories, but displayed in the sidebar differently.
4. Categories - Can be added when writing a Post.  Help to organize your posts and make them easier for reader to search for and find at a later date.  Post can be part of many categories.
5. Excerpt - A general summary of your post and used when people subscribe to your site.
6. Trackbacks - Used to keep Wordpress compatible with other blogging software so you can notify an author you have linked to them.  Optional
7. Comments & Pings - Block or Allow comments to your post or pages here.  Allowing Pings allows others to link to your posts and lets you know when they do.
8. Password Protect - You can set a password so that only those that know your password can read your post or page.
9. Publish Status - You can save a page as unpublished if you are still working on it, or you can Publish it so it will be displayed with your other posts and pages.
• Publish When - a small option here is when you want your Post or Page to be published.  Default is Now, but if you have an upcoming event you can set the date and time for the information to be published.
  

1. Custom Fields - Can be used to add Custom Data or Meta-Data.  This can be as simple as Mood: Happy, Weather: Hot and Sunny or even more complicated code to set a refresh rate for your posts and pages.
   
2. Set Parent Page - Pages can all be stand alone parent pages or have sub-pages that continue a subject in greater depth.  These will be displayed in your side bar as pages and sub pages.
3. Page Template - Newer themes are allowing pages to have additional features or custom layouts.  Older themes will not use this option, but there will be more and more available as people work on their newer themes using this.
4. Page Order - Doesn't work in All Themes, but in some themes is determines how your pages are displayed in the side bar.  Default is alphabetically.
   

1. New - Recently they added a full screen mode for when you are typing.  Always keep in mind though that when you publish your Post or Page it will be refitted into your chosen theme.
   
2. You can use another editor such as MS Word and then directly copy and paste your content over into the Post space.  Images must then be uploaded and positioned though.
3. Most common key combos work when using WYSIWYG such as Ctrl +B, +I, +U, +C, +V, +Z, +Y...
4. Hold mouse pointer over symbol if you are unsure what it represents.
5. Remember there is the Advanced Toolbar options also
   
6. Default text size is determined by the Theme, but you can set different sizes of Headings and Copy & Paste formatted text from MS Word.
   
7. Editing Links - Using the Chain link icon you can create, edit, and remove hyperlinks in your posts.  Also you can set behaviors of your hyperlinks to open outside your page or within your page.
8. Editing Images - Click on Picture symbol to edit your pictures properties.  Images can be uploaded or linked to if they exist outside your site.
9. Splitting Large Posts - If your post is rather long you can choose to show only the first part of the post and then people can click on your Post title to see More of what you wrote.  Helps to keep your list of posts from taking up too much space and readers can choose to keep reading what they find interesting.
10. You can also switch to view the Code and add your own custom HTML and CSS.  Not all HTML is accepted to avoid problems with your chosen theme, but basic formatting can be applied as well as background images and colors.
    
11. When Formatting Goes Wrong - If you've made changes that have an undesired effect on your formatting you can always copy your text out of the WYSIWYG and into Notepad.  Notepad will strip away ALL formatting and leave only your text which you can then paste back into wordpress and then you can work at creating the formatting you want again.

1. Images - Click on image icon to start the upload module.  You will choose a file to upload or you can choose a file you already have online on another site.  After it is processed you will add descriptive information, choose how to align it within the text, choose what size it should be displayed as and then click to Insert.  Where ever you cursor was last the image will appear there.  You may later adjust the size and alignment of the image within your WYSIWYG.
   
2. Videos - Because of their size it is best if the video is hosted somewhere else.  You can link to Youtube videos, Google Videos, Daily Motion, and others such as TeacherTube...but be aware that not all content on Youtude and Google is student friendly so much is blocked to students.  So TeacherTube was set up to help educators host the videos they need while avoiding the dangers of most sites.
   
3. Audio - Great for your own created Audio files for "Podcasts" but any audio that is protected by licensing will be rejected such as commercial CDs and many other Podcasts you might have downloaded, but it's a good idea to experiment to see if it works because not everyone restricts their Podcasts.
   
4. Media - You can upload any Office style document at any time, but this icon is used to link out to Media files that are hosted on another site. 
   

1. Themes - Determine the look of your page and are easily changed by browsing and clicking.  Different themes have different options including the size of the page, number of columns, header images, and now even different styles for different pages.
2. Extras - On wordpress.com so far only the Snap Shots and Akismet extras are installed.  Extras are programs, utilities, or enhancements that add abilities to your site.  Snap Shots is an enhancement that shows a Snap Shot of the contents you have links for, a preview of a word document or picture.  Akismet is more a program that filters all your comments for spam and keeps them for your review. Though there are hundreds more out there for those that start their own personal sites.
3. Custom Image Headers - Some themes allow you to upload your own pictures to use as a header behind your tittle and tag line. It's popular so more and more themes offer this option.
4. Edit CSS - You must purchase this upgrade but it gives you the ability to change your theme using Cascading Style Sheet codes to change colors, alignments, and fonts.
5. Widgets - Are like extras, but are specifically for displaying content in your Sidebar.  They add links to your pages and calendars showing your archives but they also can do so very much more.Wordpress.com again only offers you a select few useful ones, but again if you set up your own wordpress site you can choose from hundreds of additions.
1. del.icio.us - A social bookmarking site where you can save and share your bookmarks.  This widgets displays a specified number of links from the tags you pick
2. Pages - Displays the pages you have published in Hierarchical order so that sub-pages are listed beneath their parents.  A must have if your theme doesn't display links in any other way.
3. Calendar - Not a true calendar but instead a Calendar displaying the dates of when you have created posts or pages.  You can only go forward or back as far as you have posts or pages.
4. Archives - Displays your Archived Posts in a list format by months
5. Links - Formally known as the Blog Roll.  This displays the links you have created and Link Categories are displayed as Titles for each list of links.
6. Meta - You can always login through the main wordpress.com web page, but this puts an admin login in your sidebar.
7. Search - Adds a search window to your sidebar.  This is where your Tags and Categories really come into play.  When a person searches your website those tags and categories let the search engine know what each post and page is about.
8. Recent Post - Like the name suggests it puts the titles of your most recent posts in the sidebar. You can choose the title and number of posts to show.
9. Tag Cloud - If you have been good about using Tags then this will display all your tags in a cloud like display in your sidebar.  Readers may click on any keyword to get posts about that subject.
10. Categories - Again if you have been using Categories for your pages and posts this will display them in a list in the side bar.  A great example of this is a school new paper with categories about Sports, UpComing Events, Student Life, Weather, Sponsors, ect...These displayed in the side bar would help readers find the subjects they are interested in.
11. Text -  Just a text area you can add to your sidebar but the uses are limitless.  Besides just text you can use it to add pictures and links in the form of an advertisement.  You can use HTML code as well.
12. RSS - Displays RSS Feeds from other site. RSS is the heart of all newer web pages and you can display the latest content added from sites you feel your readers will be interested in.
13. Recent Comments - Displays a number of your recent comments that have been approved.
14. Meebo - Adds a Chat window to your Sidebar.  It's a separate service you must sign up for that will link your MSN, AOL, Yahoo, or Google Talk chat program without risking the general public having access to your name or password.
15. Sonific Songspot - Adds a music play list to your sidebar from another website where you can pick out songs to add to your websites over all theme.  It's a newer site so the selection is alittle thin right now but should be really interesting in a year or so.
16. Vodpod Videos - Adds a video play list to your sidebar from the Vodpod website.  It's a youtube clone and like youtube is not well filtered so use at your own risk.
17. Box.net File Sharing - This site allows you to store any type of document online and provides access to that content according to privacy limits you set.  Free version is pretty limited but could be useful.
18. Category Cloud - Same as a tag cloud.  This displays your categories in a cloud like formation in the side bar allowing readers to click on the categories they are interested in.
19. Akismet - Show off how well your Akismet filter is doing at catching comment spam for you.
20. Blog Stats - Displays visitor statistics for your Blog in the side bar. Otherwise known as a hit counter.
21. Top Clicks - Displays a list of the posts that are most clicked on in your site.
22. Flickr - Displays pictures in your sidebar if you set up an account at Flickr.com.  Flickr is in the Yahoo family so if you have a yahoo account you have a flickr account already and just need to start uploading pictures and creating slide shows.
23. Platial Mapkit - A Social Map website.  Instead of a company such as Rand McNally telling you about the sites in a given area, people from that area join this website and tell you about the sites they know of in that area.
24. Authors - Displays a list of the current Authors for your site.  Larger sites, such as an online newspaper, will have multiple Authors and readers may have a favorite they prefer to read.
    

1. You click Manage to make changes to your Post, Pages, Links, Tags, Link Categories, and Media Library.
   
2. When you work on Posts and Pages you can save them as Drafts or set to Private.  You then return here later to edit and eventually Publish when you are ready.
3. For Links, Categories and Tags; this is where you can Rename or delete those items.  It is good house keeping to delete old Tags and Categories if you no longer use them.  It is possible to search for web sites using these items and readers will be confused if they are looking for site about Science and finds that your web site no long writes about Science, only Math now.
   
4. Imports and Exports - As mentioned before you can export from wordpress, use as a backup, or even to move to your own personal webspace without loosing any of the text.  You must keep separate copies of any uploaded Media though to reload at your new location.