Here’s a look around the blogosphere at some of the recent Web and WordPress news.
If you need a bit of guidance getting started with WordPress, ElitebyDesign has an absolute beginner guide. Then check out the newly-launched WordPress.tv, and Six Revisions list of 30 WordPress video tutorials.
Word is that there’ll be an online WordPress Handbook which will supplement the WordPress Codex and act as a basic guide to using WordPress.
If you’re still undecided about whether to use WP, take note that blog pinging service Royal Pingdom checked the top 100 blogs as listed on Technorati and found that the vast majority of them run on WordPress.
Convinced about using WordPress? If you’re looking for hosting for your WordPress blog (or any website for that matter), watch our hosting reviews section for upcoming reviews.
Looking for WordPress themes? Elite By Design and Six Revisions both have lists (of 10 and 50, respectively) of free WP themes. Or you might find some inspiration from Vandelay Design’s list of 25 outstanding magazine style website designs.
When you do choose your blog’s theme, ask yourself if you intend to post a lot of pictures. They’ll add visual texture to your site, especially if you publish a lot of long articles. Need some inspiration to convince you to consider lots of pics? Have a look at the collections of photos at Digital Photography School and Smashing Magazine.
Once your WP blog is set up, you’ll need protection from comment spam. Trollguard claims that their WP spam plugin actually learns as it goes, based on what you indicate is spam. The general idea is that it’s adaptive, and should reduce your spam-fighting efforts. Haven’t tried it myself but you can download it free for WP 2.7 and higher from Trollguard.
When you’re ready to start customizing your site, check out ProBlogDesign’s 30 best free icon sets for bloggers.
Ready to start writing articles for your blog? FreelanceSwitch gives you 50 ways to find article ideas. Some of them might not apply to the topics in your blog, but you could learn ways to open your mind to ideas.
Of course, you’ll need to have content on your blog if you want it to rank in Google Search. While I’m always wary of sites that tell you how to become number one on Google Search for various keywords, BoagWorld has some suggestions for ranking high.
