When WordPress Backup Plugin Bites Back
I had a unique experience with my website hosting company recently on another website that I manage. [Yes, I still recommend them!]
I received an email saying that I was in violation of their terms of service. They said I was storing too many files with them that were not being used. Basically telling me that I was treating their web hosting service as an online hard drive storing files.
I tried to figure it out. I only had around 100 medium sized audio files and then 3 WordPress installs. I was using and had linked nearly everything that I had uploaded. After a few days, they actually shut the site down because of the issue. I was amazed and I could not figure out the problem.
Then it hit me. I had installed the BackUp WordPress Plugin a month or so before. Evidently it had been creating backups inside on my web hosting account. Not only was it backing up the files, but also the audio…multiple times. I had at least 4 complete copies of everything!
I deleted the backups and got back online. Just know that the BackUp WordPress Plugin works great! But, be careful how you set it up. It could bite you in the end. You can check out the hosting company that I use and recommend using graphic link below.
LINK >> BackUp WordPress Plugin
Share and Follow WordPress Plugin
Recently I had someone in my church ask for a simpler way to share our audio podcast on their mobile phones. Yes, of course you can copy and paste the web page address of the specific podcast and email it. But, that is more annoying to do on a mobile phone {smart or dumb} than it would be to do on a computer.
So, as I do when I need to add more functionality to WordPress, I searched for a WordPress plugin. I am sure there are other great ones our there. But, after some searching I found the Share and Follow WordPress Plugin.
It is very simple to install using the Add New
plugin link in the plugins section of the WordPress dashboard. Simple to configure too. You can see how I used it by checking out a podcast post at my Owasso, Oklahoma Church. Check out the Share and Follow WordPress Plugin using the link below.
LINK >> Share and Follow WordPress Plugin
Read MoreFinding and Installing WordPress Plugins :: WordPress Installation Series
One of the main benefits to WordPress is the flexibility and functionality of the WordPress Plugin. There are free and paid plugins available. If you are just starting out, I would guess that the thousands of free plugins in the WordPress Plugin Directory will be a great place to start.
In addition to the directory, a quick Google search for free and premium plugins will pull up too many options to choose from. So a better approach is to determine what you are trying to accomplish on your website and then search for that specific plugin. You can do this search both in the WordPress plugin directory and on Google. Most likely you will find whatever you need from administration plugins such as the Automatic WordPress Backup to plugins to display your photos on your site.
After you find and download the zip file for your plugin you can unzip it and load it into your WordPress installation. To do this you will open your FTP program and login to your website and locate your WordPress files. Then you find the wp-content/plugins folder and upload the plugin file or files into it. Then login to your WordPress dashboard plugins area and activate it.
Another way to search for plugins is in the WordPress dashboard itself and there is a search feature. You can avoid FTP and find, upload and install plugins right from the dashboard. One word of caution about plugins however. Don’t upload too many and especially get rid of ones you are not using. They slow your site down so delete them.
What do you want to do with your website? Begin searching the WordPress Plugins Directory and add more functionality to your website.
Read MoreBacking up and Upgrading WordPress
Before you upgrade your current WordPress installation to 3.0 Thelonious or any future versions you will want to back up your website and database. Not much is worse than upgrading your website and losing everything in the middle of the process. I guess the only thing I can think of that would be worse is losing a website you were upgrading for someone else.
It really is not that difficult now with a little effort and some plugins. I currently use the Automatic WordPress Upgrade Plugin and it works well for me. At some point I may write out a detailed upgrade process, but a blog I follow has already done it for you. Check out the link below for a quick overview of how to create a backup of your current WordPress website.
Worry Free Upgrade, Update and Backup Process for WordPress
Read MoreBuild an iPhone Version of Your Website
So, everyone seems to want an iPhone. I however have actually wanted it in the past because I am a Mac computer user and it would be more compatible, but have resisted making the purchase.
My current phone is actually an HTC Hero Android Phone from Sprint. I love it. But, there are a huge number of people who have iPhones, and it is probably not in our best interest to ignore those people.
The guys at iThemes.com are selling a WordPress plugin that could be your solution to serving iPhone users the best viewing experience.
Now I will be honest and say that I am not using it yet as I have just found it. But I think it is at the least a great idea, and most likely knowing the guys at iThemes, a great plugin as well.
Some of its features according to the site are…
- The ability to make your iPhone mobile site look at least similar to your actual WordPress website.
- Upload a mobile header graphic for your site to customize the appearance.
- Built in iPhone templates that you can use in case you don’t want to have it look like your site.
- Built in compatibility for other devices such as iPad and Android phones.
For a complete list of features, a more detailed description of the plugin and the price visit the plugin website at the link below.
Of course to actually use the WordPress IPhone plugin you will need to know how to install WordPress. To learn how to do that check out my WordPress Video Tutorials using the other link below. The world has gone mobile so I guess we cannot afford to be left behind. Check it out!
>>iThemes – iPhone WordPress Plugin
>>[nogeeks] WordPress Video Tutorials