Customize WordPress
Using WordPress Plugins
WordPress plugins allow bloggers to easily add additional functionality to their blogs. There are a huge number of plugins available that extend the functionality of WordPress.
What can you do with a WordPress plugin? Just about anything. There are plugins to block spam, help you publish a podcast, and to improve the performance of your WordPress blog. If you have some specific need that is not yet accommodated by the core WordPress code-base, chances are there’s a plugin to meet your needs.
This video is an introduction to working with WordPress plugins.
Working with WordPress Widgets
In the past, modifying your blog sidebar required mucking around with your theme code, and even knowing a bit of PHP. Fortunately, WordPress widgets eliminate the hassle by allowing bloggers to easily configure a custom sidebar with drag-and-drop ease.
The WordPress community has developed a large and growing collection of widgets that will allow you to plug all sorts of things into your WordPress sidebar. From Flickr photos to your Twitter status, if there’s something you’d like to add to your blog sidebar, chances are there’s a widget to help you do it.
This video is an introduction to installing and using WordPress Widgets.
Installing and Activating WordPress Themes
One of the coolest features of WordPress is the ability to dramatically change the design of your blog by simply activating a new theme.
The WordPress community has created hundreds (possibly thousands) of free, high-quality themes that you can use on your blog. This video will show you how to find, install, and activate themes.
You can download free themes from the WordPress Theme Viewer.