About the CMS WordPress A brief overview of both Wordpress.org & WordPress.com WordPress is one of the most popular content management and blog publishing applications available on the web today. It can be downloaded or used without charge.

WordPress.org and WordPress.com WordPress is open source software for blogging and web site design and has two products. Those being Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org. Wordpress.com is formulated for users who wish to establish a blog or limited website without the need for technical skill, out- hosting or a domain name. Wordpress.org is free software which you can download to your own web host’s server. WordPress.org allows you to fully manage your site and customize it according to your specifications.

WordPress Dashboard To manage both WordPress.com and WordPress.org sites, you would log into the DASHBOARD, or control panel as shown above. From there you can easily update, edit or delete any part of your website or blog. WordPress.org offers more features within the Dashboard and you can download plugins that increases the functionality of your site or blog For example, clicking the POSTS option results in the following…..

WordPress Dashboard It opens and takes you into the content area which connects you to your online text or the WordPress term is post. You then simply type your changes, press update and the revisions are auto-populated online. Each Dashboard function is managed in the same manner. There are options to add Widgets, which are functionality features that make your site more useful. For example, a calendar, map to your location, Facebook ‘like’ feature and so on.

Free website themes for WordPress.com WordPress.com offers many free themes. Some allow slight revisions, most do not. You may also purchase premium themes that offer some flexibility as to appearance and structure.

Pros Easily login to the dashboard and update the site or blog features More than one author with different permissions possible Free to download with no hosting fee Auto-installation, upgrades, spam, backups and security managed by the host Download plugins to increase security You can turn off comments and set-up as as a limited-feature web-site Can upgrade so that you might use plugins, your own domain name, extra storage space, more Widgets and more. Yearly cost of $99.00 U.S. WordPress.com Cons Limited to the themes (or templates) provided You cannot modify the structure (although you can add new headers to some themes) Your web address is limited to something.wordpress.com (something indicates your name of course) It is a WYSIWYG software (or What you see is what you get) WordPress.com lets you easily create your own limited website or blog. It is free with the option of adding upgrades such as personalized domain names, custom structuring (CSS), videos, extra storage, and more. Hosting and Installation Your blog/site is hosted through WordPress.com freely No installation is required

About Wordpress.org It is a self-hosted system that is installed to your web hosting account giving you the ability to log into the dashboard and create fully-functional web sites. Things to know and do before installing WordPress.org codex You must have access to your web server via FTP (or File Transfer Protocol software) You must have a text editor such as Notepad You must know if your web host allows WordPress installs and their MySQL (database) and PHPmyAdmin system levels Unzipping software Things you need to do to install WordPress.org codex Download the latest release of WordPress in a zip file (unzip and place on your hard drive) Install manually to your server using simple instructions found at WordPress.org Or you may install through your host’s C Panel using Fantastico (or other similar software). Your host must offer this feature. Or use your host’s one-click install feature, if supported Installation issues If you are unsure of the above, contact your web host’s support If your site does not offer the minimum requirements you might wish to consider moving to a webhost that allows the installation or one that offers a one-click install. Such as: Go Daddy Host Monster Bluehost

Sampling of free WordPress.org themes WordPress.org offers many free themes. They are customizable, unlike the WordPress.com themes

Sampling of paid WordPress.org themes You can opt for a free WordPress.org template or purchase a premium design. The prices vary, but are generally about $70 per (some are whole-site designs)

Pros Ability to upload themes Ability to upload plugins and add features like Google Calendars, photo slideshows, search and login features and so more Can refine the site’s structure and appearance Can use your own domain name You can download the Password Resrict Plugin to enhance your site’s security WordPress.org Cons Hosting a Wordpress.org site requires you have a web hosting account that accepts this installation You must install the system onto your server and set-up the database You are responsible for stopping spam In order to have your software supported, you must upgrade when newer versions are rolled-out WordPress.org lets you easily create your own website or blog. It is free with the option of adding upgrades such as personalized domain names, custom Cascading Stylesheets, storage and so much more. Assistance The above may sound daunting, but there are YouTube videos with installation instructions, website forums and even individual help available on WordPress.org. If your site is hosted through the Diocese, special restrictions apply. Please contact the webmaster.