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WordPress Wednesday: Mandatory WordPress Update, WordPress Attack, WordPress.com New Features

WordPress Wednesday: Mandatory WordPress Update, WordPress Attack, WordPress.com New Features

This week brought a surprising discovery that the latest version of WordPress had been invaded by someone directly on the server and malicious code inserted. The result was a request that everyone do a mandatory update of WordPress and to help spread the word. WordPress.com had a furry of activity around it as well, with upgrades and new features aimed at many bloggers with more than one blog on WordPress.com, or no blogs, just a WordPress.com account. WordPress Plugins are still being released at an amazing pace bringing an amazing variety of add-ons to your WordPress blogs.

WordPress News

WordPress 2.1.2 Mandatory Upgrade: As was reported last week, the latest upgrade of WordPress was attacked from a server breach and everyone was incredibly helpful in spreading the world that a new replacement and updated (and better protected) version is now available. This is a mandatory full upgrade. Due to the nature of the new version, there are no upgrade only files available. Don’t wait. Do this now.

Upgrade and Update WordPress via Shell: While not an option for most, Interweb World reminds us of Ajay’s upgrade WordPress via SSH technique as an easy way to keep up with WordPress upgrades. Not for the light hearted or code-fearing.

Install WordPress for Free: If installing WordPress intimidates you, there is a free service supported by WordPress support volunteers who will install WordPress for you at no charge. It’s called Installing WordPress for Free (aka Install4Free WordPress). The free service is limited to personal blogs only, not professional or commercial blogs. They will do only first time installations, not upgrades. It’s a great service, and totally free. No obligation. Thanks and a brag appreciated.

WordPress.com News

WordPress.com W logoWordPress.com Now Supports OpenID: WordPress.com now supports the OpenID program. This new program lets you sign in to other sites using your WordPress.com account. Just follow the instructions and sign up with your WordPress.com account information. However, I’ve heard that it will not allow you to sign in to WordPress.com with other OpenID accounts. As soon as this is tested on WordPress.com blogs, there will be a WordPressMU Plugin says Matt.

Blog Switcher Feature: Do you have more than one blog with WordPress.com? The new Blog Switcher feature is designed to help you improve your blog switching with a mouse-hover popup list of your various WordPress.com blogs when your mouse is near the name of your blog and the Dashboard link on the Administration Panels header area. There are a few bugs, and I’d personally rather see a drop down menu for easy switching than something that pops up and annoys me (and so far, this is really annoying), but it does make it easier to flip back and forth.

Global WordPress.com Dashboard: The new Global Dashboard is a modified and minimal version of the WordPress Administration Panels for those who want to setup a WordPress.com account without a WordPress.com blog. It seems there are more than 100,000 non-blogging WordPress.com account holders who use their account for the free Akismet key, to track their comments on WordPress.com blogs, and other reasons. They are taken to dashboard.wordpress.com so they can edit their password and username and manage their limited account services.

WordPress.com Gets CNN VIP Blog: Dr. Mike announces that WordPress.com has an exciting VIP blog with the arrival of CNN’s Fortune The Browser blog. Know of oher “big names” that have transferred over to WordPress.com blogs?

WordPress Plugins and Themes News

WordPress Plugins DatabaseUpdate WordPress with FTP: WordPress FTP Update Tool is a new WordPress tool designed to make it easier to update WordPress using FTP. I haven’t tried it, but it sounds interesting. Have you used it?

Most Recent phpBB Posts WordPress Plugin: Are you using phpBB Forum software with your WordPress blog? Recent phpBB Topics on WordPress Plugin is a new Plugin that will allow you to feature the most recent forum topics on your WordPress blog.

Rich Text Editor Extra Buttons Button: I’ve mentioned in past WordPress Wednesday news that there are more buttons on your WordPress Rich Text Editor button bar than you see. Well, now there is the Visualize Advanced Features WordPress Plugin which adds a button to your Rich Text Editor button bar to expose those additional features.

Love Letters and Guides to WordPress Theme and Plugin Authors: I wrote “A Love Letter to WordPress Plugin Authors” as part of my month long series on WordPress Plugins, and Ajay of Weblog Tools Collection adds his voice to the cry with “For Theme Authors“, an open letter to WordPress Theme authors and designers to help those of us who write about your brilliant offerings do a better job reporting and linking to what you have to offer. Remember, the easier you make our job, the more likely you are to become front page news on our blogs.

Update Your WordPress Theme and Plugins: Get your WordPress Theme and Plugin updated and listed in the WordPress Plugin Compatibility List and WordPress 2.1 Theme Compatibility List, and then head over to the WordPress Theme Viewer and and update your Theme and Plugin files and description so everyone can enjoy your latest version. Both of these services will soon be undergoing updates and remodeling, so make sure your WordPress goodies are updated and still active with these sites.

Looking For WordPress Themes? The Where To Find WordPress Themes list of resources on the , the online manual for WordPress Users, has been expanded and updated. If you are looking for Themes, this is the first list of WordPress Theme resources you should start with.

Editing Your WordPress Theme: If you want a good introduction to the basic elements involved in editing and changing your WordPress Theme, check out Stepping Into Templates from the WordPress Codex. It will help you understand how all the parts and pieces of a WordPress Theme, called template files, work like building blocks to create each page in your WordPress blog.

Most Popular WordPress Themes: The most popular WordPress Themes from the WordPress Theme Viewer this week has a new up and coming Theme entering the ranks called Japanese Cherry Blossom. It is a simple looking theme with the current trend in a white top part and a dark “footer” in which lies all the navigational links. It is a variation on the popular Hemingway Reloaded WordPress Theme. The new top five WordPress Themes are now:

See Also
Google search

  1. Vistered Little 1.6
  2. MistyLook 3.1
  3. WP-Andreas01 1.5
  4. Water 1.1
  5. Japanese Cherry Blossom 1.0

WordPress Community News

SxSW Conference in Austin, Texas: If you will be at the SxSW conference in Austin next week, there are a lot of fun events and activities including Matt Mullenweg and other WordPress and Automattic luminaries. Should be great fun.

WordPress Events Wanted: Late last week I released Blogging and Web Tech Events: March 2007, but I’d like to specialize only in WordPress-related blogging events or events specifically aimed at bloggers. If you know of any, please let me know on my WordPress Events page. If you are a member of a WordPress Meetup or other WordPress group, please post information about your group and when they meet regularly, so others can learn about your group.

Upgrade Over 1000 WordPress Installations at Once: I stumbled across an interesting request on ScriptLance requesting professional WordPress installation and automation expertise for a job automating the upgrade of over 1000 at one time. Several have come forward willing to accept the job, but this is just an amazing example of what is possible with WordPress. Though what they are doing with 1000 WordPresses…that’s scary.

WordPress Techniques and Tips

Know of a great WordPress tips and techniques article? I’m slowly building a fantastic collection, but would love more well-written WordPress how-to articles. Let me know and it may end up on our weekly list.

More WordPress News

For more news on WordPress, see:


Each Wednesday on will be WordPress Wednesday where I will be featuring the news around the WordPress Community. Put it on your calendar!

Lorelle VanFossen blogs about blogging and WordPress on .

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