Twitter Chatter: Learn what the user can’t do

Massimo Paolini on August 4, 2010

Six projects to do before you do a webside redesign: Learn what the user can’t do
Ohhhh! You mean we shouldn’t just RANDOMLY re-design our website? (Hint: look at what your users have been TRYING to do)

Six projects to do before you do a webside redesign: Learn what the user can’t do
Ohhhh! You mean we shouldn’t just RANDOMLY re-design our website? (Hint: look at what your users have been TRYING to do)Six projects to do before you do a webside redesign: Learn what the user can’t do Ohhhh! You mean we shouldn’t just RANDOMLY re-design our website? (Hint: look at what your users have been TRYING to do)

2.0 to go (web series): WordPress from start to finish

Massimo Paolini on August 2, 2010

Let’s face it, the best part of take out is that you don’t have to do the cooking.

Come spend the day in our local Tech Kitchen as we whip up some fantastic web pages with WordPress. We call it “Make it and Take It,” but you can call it a mini miracle, you decide :-)!

I’m not saying that WordPress is easy-peezy-lemon-squeezy, but let’s face it: you’re all intelligent people with a keen eye for what you want in a website. Why let someone else control the wheel? We’ve designed this workshop with beginner and intermediate users in mind. By the end of the day you will have a better understanding of WordPress and sit in the driver’s seat of your own, custom-made site. And the best part is that you won’t have to pay someone else $5,000 every time you need a picture added. (Well, the best part is that you get personalized attention from the best in the Bay Area, but saving money is a close second).

Benefits of the Workshop

  • Install WordPress on a web host using FTP
  • Select themes, add content & publish
  • What are the best WordPress plugins / widgets to install
  • Keeping your WordPress website safe and secure from internet hackers
  • Controlling spam comments
  • Getting the help you need and putting it all Together

The Details

  • Hosting
  • Installation
  • Customization
  • Configuration
  • Themes
  • Plugins
  • Widgets
  • Pages
  • Posts
  • Media
  • Links

All this for only $99 with the discount code “mpthree” ($149 from August 1st to the 18th and $199 at the door, if space is still available.)

Chopsticks are optional.

P.S. Future 2.0 To Go workshops include SEO, design, social media, and content generation. Join our mailing list and you’ll be the first to know!

PPS. For those interested, we will be having one/one trainings for people – $25/15 minutes for either Massimo or Clyde.

WordPress 3.0 Demystified – Part 5

Massimo Paolini on July 11, 2010

Part V: Give ’em what they asked for

Last, but certainly not least, is content. Today you’ll add pages, forms, and the actual MEAT (or beans, for vegetarians) to your site.

Be judicious!! Think of the things that make you leave a website and work to avoid them. For instance, I jump ship pretty quickly if there’s a ton of content on a single page that makes me scroll a lot. I’ve done my time in school—don’t make me read more novels! Get to the point and get on with it. Break up your information onto a few pages if you need. Read More about WordPress 3.0 Demystified – Part 5

WordPress 3.0 Demystified – Part 4

Massimo Paolini on July 9, 2010

Part IV: Plug it in, plug it in

So far in part one we installed configured the WordPress database on the server and uploaded the software. In part two we learned about WordPress Themes and installed Thesis and finally in part three we customized the Thesis theme and added a widget to the sidebar.

Today we will concentrate on some background information with plug-ins. These are additional coding treats that help you and your website perform better. You’ll install one that alerts you to broken links, one that creates forms, another to improve the editor, and the last that makes your site easy to read on mobile units. Below the presentation is my list of “must haves” and a few others. Read More about WordPress 3.0 Demystified – Part 4

WordPress 3.0 Demystified – Part 2

Massimo Paolini on July 6, 2010

Part II: Lookin’ Good

Yesterday in WordPress 3.0 Demystified – Part 1 we talked about the initial setup of the site, today you will review how to log in and then select a theme. One of the many benefits of using WordPress is that there are literally thousands of devotees out there who enjoy making templates. They range from the ordinary to the funky and you can spend HOURS cruising through the style choices available. Here’s one place to start: http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/

Before I continue, here’s a word about the free themes: FREE. See, I promise one word. Now remember that if something is FREE, there is usually a catch. In this case, free themes are not always updated, fully functional, or easy to use. You might happen upon one that is cool and free, but was created for a senior project in a graphic design class two years ago and still includes all of its goofy bugs.

At our workshop, I installed three for you, including “Thesis” which is actually not a free theme, but a worthwhile investment. It’s flexible, sleek, and professional.

Watch today’s slides and then spend a few minutes looking through some themes to see if you like anything out there.

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The WordPress 3.0 Demystified series:

  1. Part 1: A Little Fairy Tale
  2. Part 2: Lookin’ Good
  3. Part 3: Whatta’ Widget!
  4. Part 4: Plug it in, Plug it in
  5. Part4A: Go (Con)figure
  6. Part 5: Give ’em what they asked for