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What is the Difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?

May 17th, 2012
by Joyce S Kaye.
No comments yet
wordpress com vs org

Thanks to Jahan Choudhry for this image on her WordPress.com blog.

I know that WordPress has quite a buzz these days, but perhaps you didn’t know there are TWO WordPresses. Huh?

There is WordPress.org and then there’s WordPress.com. Let’s go over the basic differences…

WordPress.org provides free blogging software. You can install themes and plugins, run advertisements, edit the database, and modify the source code. While the software is free, it must be installed on a web server and there is usually a monthly hosting fee. You have to purchase your domain name, i.e., angelswithus.org. You are fully responsible for the management of your WordPress.org website – but you also own your site. WordPress.org allows for great flexibility and functionality through plugins, and the ability to customize code.

With WordPress.com you do not have to download software, pay for hosting, or manage a web server. When you sign up for a WordPress.com blog, you get a free domain name like “spirit.wordpress.com” (or, for a fee, you can have a domain name without the “.wordpress.com” portion). You can choose a free theme, but your choices are limited (to about 200); you cannot upload a custom theme. You do not control the software or the database, you cannot upload plugins, and you cannot change the code (again, for a fee you can get some options here). For no charge, WordPress.com provides web hosting, unlimited database storage with redundancy and backups, automatic software upgrades, community support forums, etc.

There is much information on the Web about the differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. You can check out the WordPress.com site for the finer details distinguishing WordPress.org and WordPress.com.

How to choose which WordPress solution is best for you? (more…)

How Do I Fill Newsletter Content Each Month?

Apr 10th, 2012
by Joyce S Kaye.
No comments yet

Newsletter
You don’t have to fill your newsletters all by yourself. Many business owners and nonprofit managers don’t consider themselves writers. Nevertheless, they understand the value of content-rich newsletters being delivered to their customers, members, and prospects.

Here are some suggestions for easy newsletter content:

  • Link articles of interest
  • Republish articles (with permission)
  • Answer questions
  • Promote area events

If the content you share resonates with your readers and gets them to engage with you, then your newsletter is successful.

These suggestions on how to fill newsletter content are from a post by Jeff Ferrazzo, Constant Contact Regional Development Director, Minnesota. Click here to read the full post, Content that Writes Itself.

The Fabulous, Fun, Format Painter

Mar 17th, 2012
by Joyce S Kaye.
2 comments

Microsoft Office Format PainterDid you know that the Format Painter is a copying tool within Microsoft® Office that allows you to add text formatting (fonts, colors, bold, italics, underline, alignment, etc.) and some graphics formatting (borders, fills), quickly to other parts of the document? You’ll find it in Word, Publisher, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access.

You do not have to redo everything again to apply the same formatting to another word, sentence, paragraph, cell, etc. in the same file.

You’ll want to use this tool for several reasons: (more…)

Backing Up Your WordPress Website

Feb 26th, 2012
by Joyce S Kaye.
No comments yet

FileZilla Window Backing Up Your WordPress WebsiteIt is prudent to always have backup copies of your website (just like your other electronic work). Otherwise, you will have to recreate your website if something happens to the files and the database.

Here are some points about backing up your website… (more…)

Getting More Out of a Simple Google Search

Feb 18th, 2012
by Joyce S Kaye.
4 comments

Getting More Out of a Simple Google SearchHere are some of my favorite little tricks to get more out of a simple Google search. Not only do they make better use of your precious time, but they’re fun to use – enjoy!

1. Use the “site:” operator to limit searches to a particular website. This is particularly handy because the built-in search tools of many sites don’t return the results you’re looking for, and some sites don’t even have a search feature. If I’m looking for New York Times Op-Ed posts, for example, I would try this search: op-ed site:newyorktimes.com.

2. Use Google as a spelling aid. Entering a word into Google is a quick way to see if you have the right spelling. If it’s incorrect, Google will suggest the correct spelling. Additionally, if you want to get a definition of a word, you can use the “define:” operator to return definitions from various dictionaries. For example, try define:syrinx. (more…)

Help Keep Your WordPress Site From Crashing

Jan 31st, 2012
by Joyce S Kaye.
No comments yet

Bang!There are some things you can do that will minimize the possibility of your WordPress site crashing:

  • Use a good and trustworthy hosting service.
  • Install only quality themes and plugins.
  • Do not use “admin” as the login for any account on the blog.
  • Make sure that passwords are strong and don’t contain any dictionary words.

The above precautions are a must. That being said, the reality is that these precautions won’t protect you against WordPress crashing, so you need to take care of some additional things if you want to be able to get your site back to work as soon as possible. (more…)

How Can I Get More Contacts to Open My Emails?

Jan 10th, 2012
by Joyce S Kaye.
No comments yet

If you have viewed your open rate, and it doesn’t compare to your industry’s average open rates, you might want to improve it.  To increase your open rate, you need to re-evaluate three things:

1. Content
2. Delivery day and time
3. Contact list quality and age

Let’s explore these a bit more…

1. Check your content:

  • Use a recognizable “From” name. Make sure you use a “From” name and address that includes your name, company, product, or service name – whichever the recipient will know best. When you repeatedly brand the “From” line like this over time, you assure the recipient that the email is coming from a reliable and trusted source and builds familiarity and credibility. (more…)

WordPress Training

Jun 4th, 2011
by Joyce S Kaye.
No comments yet

Computer TrainingIt seems only natural that since there are 25 MILLION WordPress sites in existence, that some folks might need some aid in creating and managing their own sites. I can indeed help – you are not alone!

I offer training in the WordPress software (in addition to Microsoft® Office and Windows). With you in the driver’s seat, we will work on the kinks in your site, advance your practical knowledge of WordPress, and discuss how to not only improve your site, but what precautions to take to keep it safe and up-to-date.

Have you been wondering about… (more…)

Make a Comment – It’s Easy!

May 4th, 2011
by Joyce S Kaye.
No comments yet

Leave a Comment!Now that you’re on The Computer Spirit’s website – please leave your mark! You aren’t just a reader here, you can contribute too – we welcome that!

On the bottom of each page you’ll find a section titled “Leave a Reply.” Before you get to say anything, you have to provide your name and email address to let us know who you are and that you’re really you.

Your email address will not show up anywhere on our website and we won’t give or sell it to anyone.

You can put your website address in too. There are two reasons to provide it. First, someone may just click on it and go to your site – how cool is that? Also, because your website address appears here, it will help your site’s search engine optimization, thus moving you up the ladder of search results and helping drive additional traffic to your site. You don’t have to provide your website address if you don’t want to – if you don’t have a website of your own, you’re in the right place!

Now make a comment. Tell us what you liked or disliked about what we wrote. Provide additional information or resources that are relevant to what we’ve written. Share you ideas. Then, click on the “Post Comment” button. You’re done.

Your comment will not show up immediately. That’s because (more…)