A blogroll is simply list of related blogs that a blogger recommends. Each blog is an RSS (really simple syndication) feed and is typically listed in a sidebar widget, though that’s not a requirement. The key thing to understand about having a blogroll available to visitors is that it essentially places an additional management burden[...]

Search engine optimization (SEO) is just as important for a blog as it is for any type of website. While the primary objective of SEO is to achieve high rankings in search results, it involves more than just providing highly relevant content. These days, search algorithms also take into account site performance in terms of[...]

Without a doubt, the single most important piece of advice I can give a WordPress blogger is to disable automatic updates to everything, especially the core. When I first started using WordPress I was unaware that it updated automatically and consequently was blindsided when an update caused many of my coveted plugins to stop functioning.[...]

I confess I struggled at length trying to decide how to implement categories and tags in WordPress. While there is a lot of buzz on the subject on the web, the most common explanation uses the book metaphor in that if a blog is a book, then categories and sub-categories represent the table of contents[...]

There are basically three ways to extend your WordPress blog’s functionality namely: 1) Find and install applicable plugins and/or widgets; 2) Write your own custom code by modifying the applicable theme files; 3) Hire someone one to do it for you. By far the best way to extend WordPress is to find an already developed[...]

Pretty much anyone can install WordPress on their host’s server and be blogging pretty quickly. As such I won’t go into the details of that process as it is well documented all over the web. My focus here is to highlight some cool things and share some customization and testing tips that only experienced webmasters[...]

The answer to the question about how often one should blog really is “it depends.” It stands to reason that a blog that hasn’t been updated in a while will not attract visitors and certainly not repeat visitors. A blog that has already built a community will consist of members who have certain expectations regarding[...]

Admittedly, coming up with a blog post can be a challenge for me. After years of teaching online and as a student in graduate school (two masters and a doctorate degree), I have a hard time making myself read or write anything that isn’t absolutely required. As I mentioned in my previous posts on blogging,[...]

In my initial post on blogging (Do I Need to Blog?) I concluded that blogging is a good way to document the lessons I’ve learned on topics that interest me. This post thus briefly explains some important lessons about what platforms are available and why I chose to install WordPress on my own host. The[...]

Frankly I’ve struggled with this question for a long time and although my gut says yes, I should have a blog given I’m an IT professional and professor who has a lot to offer, I can’t help thinking how I’ve managed to get along without one for decades. Admittedly, this is the third or may[...]