Videos
Managing WordPress Users
Now that you know how to update your WordPress user profile, you may want to create additional users. You might need to do this because you’re running a group blog, or you wish to allow additional authors to contribute to your blog from time-to-time.
This video will show you everything you need to know about managing users in WordPress, and provides an introduction to WordPress user roles and permissions. For a more detailed analysis of user roles be sure to watch the special video explaining WordPress user roles.
Updating Your WordPress Profile
After logging in to WordPress for the first time, you’ll want to edit your user profile. There are several reasons for doing this. First of all, you’ll want to change your system assigned password. Second, you’ll want to enter your complete name and customize your display name, so that you’re readers know who you are. Finally, you may want to modify the WordPress editing options.
These videos shows you everything you need to know about editing your WordPress user profile.
WordPress User Roles Explained
User roles provide bloggers with an easy and flexible way to control access to various WordPress feature. Unfortunately the user role system can be confusing to new bloggers. Even experienced WordPress users are frequently baffled by the role system and the permissions that are associated with each role.
If you’re collaborating with multiple bloggers, working with an editorial staff, or requiring subscribers to create user accounts in order to comment, an understanding of the WordPress user role system is essential. This video will help you sort out your options by explaining the permissions associated with each role, and demonstrating how the WordPress administrative interface changes depending on a user’s role.
The video covers the current standard WordPress roles:
Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, Subscriber
Configuring WordPress Settings: Permalinks
This video is a continuation in a series of videos detailing each of the WordPress Settings pages. This video will focus on Permalink Settings.
Permalink Settings allow you to define the link structure that WordPress generates for each of your post. Permalinks are one of the few areas where the WordPress default settings are highly undesirable. One of the firs things you’ll want to do after setting up your WordPress blog is to modify your permalinks.
This video will show you how to easily setup human-friendly permalinks that should also perform well with most search engines.
Managing WordPress Comments
One of the greatest things about blogging is the immediate feedback a blogger can get from his or her readers. Unfortunately, too much of a good thing can be challenging and problematic. Fortunately, WordPress has a great comment management system.
This video will demonstrate how to manage comments in WordPress. It also touches briefly on using Akismet and comment spam. For a more detailed discussion of Akismet, see our video on fighting spam with Akismet.
The WordPress Dashboard
The first thing you see when you login to WordPress is the Dashboard. In fact, you see so much of the Dashboard, that most users tend to take it for granted. There’s actually quite a bit of useful information contained in the Dashboard. This video gives users a complete overview of the WordPress Dashboard.
Two videos are presented below. The first video covers the new dashboard introduced in version 2.5. The second video covers the classic WordPress dashboard.
Fighting SPAM with Akismet
SPAM is bad enough, but comment SPAM somehow seems even worse. You work hard to create and maintain quality content for the readers of your blog, then some spammer comes along and tries to disrupt your comment threads by deluging your blog with ads for pharmaceuticals that promise to enhance body parts you may not even have.
Fortunately, Akismet does a great job of eliminating the vast majority of comment SPAM. Akismet comes pre-installed with WordPress. This video will show you how to activate Akismet, and will discuss day-to-day usage of the SPAM filter.
Upgrading WordPress
The WordPress system is upgraded fairly regularly. That’s a good thing, for a number of reasons. In addition to providing new features, upgrades address critical security issues and patch annoying bugs.
However, the only way to benefit from WordPress upgrades is to actually install them. Many hosting services even offer a simple one-click upgrade. If that’s the case, then there’s almost no reason why you should delay in upgrading when a new release is available.
Manual upgrades are also fairly easy (remember, WordPress is the blogging system that takes only five minutes to install). This video demonstrates the manual upgrade process and discusses some of the precautions you’ll want to take before you perform an upgrade.
If you’re following along at home, you’ll probably want to install the plugin below and backup your data before you begin:
Install Wordpress in Five Minutes
The legendary WordPress five minute installation is no myth. Provided you’ve got all the tools you need to get started, you can easily have WordPress up and running on your server in five minutes or less.
This video demonstrates the quick and easy WordPress installation process. As you’ll see, I complete the installation with time to spare.
Creating Content in WordPress: Posts vs. Pages
This is the first in a series of videos devoted to creating content in WordPress. This video discusses the two basic content types in WordPress: Pages and Posts. It’s important to understand the difference between the two before you begin blogging.