Nightstand 7: A WordPress Overview
Headstand Media announces Nightstand 7 for July 31st, from 6 to 8:30 PM. We’ll have an assortment of beverages and food (We’re going Chinese this time!) at 6 PM while guests arrive and join in some informal networking. We’ll start short introductions around 7 PM, then go into our featured presentation and discussion.
A WordPress Overview
Since Headstand Media began in October of 2007, we have been exploring and using the WordPress blog engine as a Content Management System (CMS). Our own website is built using WordPress, as are many of our customer sites.
Randal Birkey, Benjamin Nelson and Kyle Williams of Headstand Media will demonstrate how to set up and configure a WordPress site in a step-by-step live demonstration process.
Covered in the presentation will be:
- Downloading the core WordPress files
- Installing WordPress files on a web server
- Configuring the mySQL database
- The initial WordPress Administrative area setup
- WordPress Plugins and how they work
- WordPress Themes and how they work
- The SEO strengths of WordPress
We encourage you to invite friends and associates who may be interested in this topic. We only ask that you RSVP by using the commenting feature below. We’d love to see you there!
Confirmed Attendees:
Randal Birkey - Headstand Media
Benjamin Nelson - Headstand Media
Kyle Williams - Headstand Media
Kent Thompson
Scott Ruth - Breakthrough Urban Ministries
Justin Verburg and 2 friends (Nick and Brian) - STA Group
Patrick Flanagan - ShopLocal
Chris Arndt - Moody
Steve Tanner - Kidology
Peg Corwin - Twain Associates
Lauren Dillon - Sunshine Gospel Ministries
Erik Vorhes - Tanagram Partners
Tim Schwaar
Lauren Schwaar
Joshua Ginter
Fyne Nsofor
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July 9th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Hey Guys,
I’ve been exploring Wordpress and successfully set it up on my web server. However, I wanted to throw out my two big questions that I’d be happy to see you touch on at the meeting:
1. How to give the site a custom design.
2. How the edit and test the site within Dreamweaver or something similar. (For example, Wordpress uses PHP and a database, so dreamweaver is telling me I need to set up a testing server to preview files in a browser. I’m having some trouble with that part.)
Thanks!
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
will attend
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Scott,
Thanks for the good questions. We will be covering some of what you are asking about at the next Nightstand. A custom design in WordPress is done by essentially creating a custom “Theme.” This entails creating all the necessary files in .PHP and .CSS and putting them in a folder within the “/wp-content/themes/” folder of WordPress. Once you do that, the custom theme shows up in the “Design” area of WordPress administration, and you can apply it to your site. You can also edit the theme from within WordPress Admin.
You can also use Dreamweaver to connect to the server and to edit your Theme files. At Headstand, we use both methods of creating and editing custom themes… sometimes using Dreamweaver, and sometimes the built-in “Design>Themes” area of WordPress Admin. I think this will become clearer for you on the 31st. See you then!
July 24th, 2008 at 5:11 am
Can’t wait. Thanks for the preview!
July 31st, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I plan on attending - sorry for the last minute RSVP.
July 31st, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Donny - no problem - glad to have you join us!