Understanding WordPress

By admin • July 2nd, 2008

Business Blogs Defined

So by now you know that blogs are websites; however, they differ [mostly] because they allow the layperson [or non expert] to publish content to the web *at will.* This is a really big deal for your business because search engines are attracted [more] to active sites then static AND they are set up to identify, consume, organize [or index] and then deliver specific information to wherever it is needed [or searched.] Equally the big deal, RSS allows anyone to subscribe to your blog directly… and most all blogs offer RSS. As a business, you can be the source of ’specific information’ that is being searched, subscribed too and that is needed! YOU are a source of advertorial trade media

WordPress Business Blog Options

This post takes a general look at WordPress blog software and those that support it. To begin it’s best to know your options, which include:

1) Create a free blog, which would be hosted as a sub domain of WordPress [i.e. http:janedoe.wordpress.com].

2) Download WordPress onto a domain you own using paid host support.

3) Hire an independent programmer/ designer [at an hourly rate] to set WordPress up for you.

4) Hire a comprehensive Business Blogging service offering to outsource the management of WordPress for a fixed price.

What follows will offer some context for how WordPress and its’ supporting Open Source Community work together.

Officially there are two versions of WordPress software [WP and WPMU], but there are also a variety of open source variants and forks out there. WordPress is managed by a core development team and it is supported by an international ‘open source community’ of independent programmers & designers. The core development team manages software updates, while the ‘open source community’ mostly builds template themes [designs] and plugin features

Open Source Software Defined

Open Source software could be lightly summarized as using the power of many to develop, evolve and improve existing software. More specifically, software source code is made available by someone [possibly, via a copyright license] permitting collaborative use, change, improvement and modified redistribution. Many believe it’s the future of software development because of how [assuming the programming environment is active] it can enable rapid fixes, improvements and fine tuning. By no means should you throw your proprietary software in the trash- there are potential pitfalls here! For instance, the more people contributing to software code the sloppier it can become. Like anything, without good management things go wrong and you should know that no one pays the ‘open source community’ to participate. Hang tight and we’ll look at why they participate soon, but studies have shown versus proprietary software that open-source software has a higher, quicker flaw discovery turn around. And let’s face it, even Microsoft and Google have had their issues

So, from the core development team you have WordPress software code. You also have periodic updates for that software code. From the ‘open source community’ you have template themes [designs] , feature plugins and also the random hack to meet a specific need or goal. The core team allows certain of the ‘open source community’ to see what is coming down the pike [update- wise]. The community is encouraged to offer input and to update their various template themes and plugin features; however, software updates are ultimately in the hands of the core WordPress development team. And by the way, WordPress software is the core team’s day job. They are - very important - paid!!; whereas, the ‘open source community’ may not be. Open Source are talented independent programmers & designers who build template themes and plugin features, partly for the love of WordPress and partly because their work may serve as recognition [if widely accepted] for unique programming and/ or design skill. Other words, it’s advertising and they do it to get work so they can get hired and paid

Business Blogging Requirements

As a business, it’s important to understand this all: there is no formal [open source] template or feature plugin evaluation process. While it is NOT the rule and most certainly the exception, there can be sloppy, insecure or obsolete code coming out of the ‘open source community.’ To demonstrate, consider this recent business scenario: "I’m not familiar with what the protocol is for these matters but…many WP users have installed themes by XYZ. She has stopped updating her themes and her former website is down. I have tried contacting her w/o success. I was wondering whether protocol permits a theme developer adopting her themes and updating them (making them widget-ready for example) for the thousands of WP users who have wonderful themes like A, B & C. Many of us hope these themes won’t be abandoned." The fact is, some programmers/ designers are just learning about WordPress or worse they may not keep up with core software updates. With core code, frequent updates, themes, plugins and the random hack there is a lot to keep up with. While the many themes & plugins seem novel and fun, depending on how you actually manage it all will determine how successful you can be. Let’s face it, it can be a miserably frustrating, if not damaging, experience when something breaks, doesn’t jibe or comes down… and it happens! Business people are often too busy to keep up with the development of software, not to mention an entire supporting community

In the long run it can pay to have experienced WordPress Business Blogging help to outsource the management of WordPress for a fixed price. Based upon our experience with various Blog solutions, we’re convinced [if you have the right people managing it] WordPress is simply the most user and search engine friendly software out there. And by the way, serious companies like CNN and Dow Jones deploy WordPress… and they get good help

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