I'd rather live blog about Wordpress

Wordpress from .com to Self Hosted by @JimDoran
(slides can be found at: http://jimdoran.net/joy/wordpress/fitbloggin-10 )

"The road to hell is paved with NON-intentions."


Blogging Landscape

• Blogger
• TypePad
• LiveJournal
• Tumblr
• Wordpress.com

Wordpress.com

• Easy to set up
• 17th most popular webssite according to Alexa
• Sub domain of wordpress.com, ie http://jimdoran.wordpress.com - jimdoran is the subdomain
• They offer 82 themes - more than blogger
• Upgrades - pay to... get rid of adds, custom css, etc. $239.82 to buy all of them
• WordPress is open source software
• Akismet - catches spam before it get to your blog.
• Big Names are listed at wordpress.com: CNN, New York Tims, CIA etc

Register you kids names as domains for the future!  Post their art work for now.

Put your brand on your own server - stop putting content on other sites!  Build your own brand on your own site.

Wordpress self hosted:

• Can bring your blog over, from multiple sources too, ie - blogger and posterous, etc,
• Hosting - recommended via WordPress.org GoDaddy, Bluehost, Dreamhost, etc.
• Can install as many blogs as you want to.
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Wordpress is like playdough and no two themes are the same
• Themes and plug-ins make endless possibilities
• 1100+ free themes
• Premium themes you must pay for.
• Plugins
• 8700+ plugins available
• Favorites:
•  All-In-One-SEO pack
• Akismet (spam filter)
• WP-Commerce (if your are selling anything - intergrate with paypal, etc.)
• WP Super Cache (keeps your live if innundated with traffic) 
• BuddyPress (social network for your website)
• PollDaddy
• Google Analytics
• PODS CMS (build a website on your blog - posts AND pages)
• bbPress
• Some plugins are maintained - may need to go back and fix it later.
• Plugins use code, theme's use code – some clash so be careful - don't use too many
• You can't install plugins in dot.com
• Other features:
• Automatic Upgrades
• Community support via Codex, Hackers List and IRC
• WordCamps - self organized community events with user info and tech info 
• Semantic Code (SEO, find-ability, accessibility)
• Taxonomy - categories and tags (use different names for each, ie: Recipe tag, Recipes category) 
• Non-destructive 
• Change permalink directly
• Past from MS word and remove goofy formating
• Word Count
• Paste pain text
• Enhancements coming in June to Wordpress

"... pessimism robs ordinary people of their powers."  ~Colin Wilson