Category: Articles (Page 136 of 258)

Personal opinions and how-to’s that I’ve written both here and as contributions to other blogs.

Learn WordPress. It’s Easy! (Except It’s Not.)

February 3, 2016 / Tom / 0 Comments

When it comes to what it means to learn WordPress, and depending on who you talk to, you’re going to find one of two answers:

WordPress has a steep learning curve.
WordPress has a small learning curve.

You know what’s true about both of those statements? They are both true but they are only true within the context of the implied assumptions they make. And if you’re new to WordPress and you make the wrong assumption, then you’re going to feel as if you’re at a loss.

Learn WordPress

So here’s my take on if it’s really is easy to learn WordPress (or not).

How We Talk About WordPress Influences Others

February 2, 2016 / Tom / 0 Comments

Originally, I was going to title this post “changing the vernacular of WordPress” but I didn’t think that was as clear as just saying “how we talk about WordPress influences how others perceive it.”

The bottom line of what I’m trying to say, though, is that we use the word “WordPress” to mean something different depending on the context in which we’re speaking.

As Developers, Designers, Users, etc. “All of you involved in WordPress…”
As a Core Developer or Developer. “I’m working on WordPress…”
As a Community Member. “WordPress is a pretty great community…”
As a Developer, Designer, User, etc. “WordPress can change your life…”
…and so on

And I’m sure you can come up with much better examples than I have.

Anyway, though it works for those of us who are using the platform, it doesn’t necessarily clarify what we’re talking about to outsiders.

Clean Up WordPress Because It’s a Mess?

January 28, 2016 / Tom / 0 Comments

“Clean up WordPress” is a phrase that those of us involved in WordPress hear a lot. It’s misleading though because if you’re a developer, it might mean one thing. If you’re a user, then it likely means another thing.

But without any more context, you can still ask: Clean up WordPress? In what way?

Does it mean the database?
Does it mean part of the file system?
Does it mean something in a theme or all of themes?
Does it mean various plugins or part of a plugin?

And so on. You see what I’m saying, though? It’s a particular point of discussion, but your experience may vary depending on how you use WordPress.

Though I try not to talk about content from other blogs on my blog, sometimes an article and/or a comment brings up a point that strikes a chord with me. So I feel inclined to do so.

Being More Efficient with Email

January 27, 2016 / Tom / 0 Comments

Becoming more efficient with email is one of those things I think many of us aim to do. After all, we spend a significant chunk of our day working out of our inboxes, don’t we?

The ironic part of is we all complain about the amount of email we have in our inbox, but yet we’re also responsible for filling up other people’s inbox.

First, when it comes to the idea of inbox zero, I see that like a dog chasing its tail: Even if you’re to reach it, what then? The tail still exists, and more email comes in.

I’m being a bit facetious of course, but if I’m honest, I don’t worry about constantly being in a state of inbox zero. If I can reach it by the end of the work day, I’m good.

So, if your an Inbox user (and I am), how can we turn this into something that helps us be a bit more efficient with email?

In Defense of “In Case You Missed It” (or ICYMI)

January 21, 2016 / Tom / 0 Comments

In case you missed it, or ICYMI, is one of those new-fangled Internet terms that people use when tweeting something that they’ve previously tweeted. Ultimately, it’s a strategy to raise awareness to a group of followers that may have missed something when sharing it the first time.

It used to annoy me so much.

I get it. You’ve shared something. You want more people to see it. Why not just expect them to catch up on their feeds later?

What a bad attitude. I know. Bear with me, though.

Check your computer, check your phone.

As I’ve done before, I decided to give it a try. And you know what? It works. I’ve no problem admitting that I was wrong, nor do I have a problem defending the whole idea behind it.

If you’re a blogger or someone who has a following or is working on building a following or you just want people to see your content, then go for it.

Learn WordPress. It’s Easy! (Except It’s Not.)

How We Talk About WordPress Influences Others

Clean Up WordPress Because It’s a Mess?

Being More Efficient with Email

In Defense of “In Case You Missed It” (or ICYMI)

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