VB SIG

When it comes to hosting your Wordpress blog, you generally have just two options: Windows with IIS running PHP and MySQL, or Linux with Apache, PHP and MySQL.

For the most part, neither has an advantage over the other, except for one biggie available on Linux/Apache, and that is mod_rewrite.

Mod_rewrite allows for friendly URLs for your permalinks.

What is a permalink? It is a permanent link, or shortcut that is used to bookmark blog entries.

The default permalink looks something like this:

http://blog.vbsig.com/?p=10

As you might have noticed, it’s not very intuitive or descriptive.

A “pretty” permalink might look something like this:

http://blog.vbsig.com/index.php/2007/06/13/sample-post/

The sample-post at the end would be the title of blog entry.

Not that you personally would spend much time looking at the permalink itself, but guess who does?

——— SEARCH ENGINES! ———

Search engines will include page names in their keyword indexing. The result… a better chance that your site will be higher in the search results.

So to maximize your blog’s station in the search engines, I’d recommend using a Linux server such as 1and1

See the tutorial “Wordpress Step by Step“

After a successful demonstration of installing Wordpress, I’d like to mention my favorite Wordpress plugins.

All in One SEO Pack does so much for helping search engines index your site. It provides for custom page titles, meta keywords and descriptions on the landing page, static pages and posts.

WP-phpMyAdmin gives you full access to your MySQL database. You can do whatever maintenance you need to do through the easy to use web interface, right from your Wordpress control panel!

Google Sitemaps Generator creates industry standard sitemaps in xml and optionally the gzip format. The Sitemaps standard has been adopted by most major search engines, and many of the search engines accept what’s called Pinging with your sitemap which tells the search engine that your site has been updated.

wp-Table Displays nice tables (use the css option) that you can type in online, or upload as csv files.

 To use the plugins, be sure you’re using a Wordpress Theme that supports plugins/widgets.

Happy blogging!

Installing Wordpress on Web Hosting - June 12th 7PM - ish

Tuesday, June 12th, 2007, after Doc releases his deathgrip on the podium, I’ll be doing a live session on installing Wordpress blogging software during the TBCS Internet Development SIG,

Wordpress is a customizable blogging application that is run on a web server (this blog is currently using Wordpress).

It supports installable Themes that allow you to choose from many color settings and page layouts. Many themes support widgets which extend the functionality of the application as well as personalizing the content on the sidebars.

Many users load it on a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) server, however it works just as well on a WIMP? (Windows, IIS, MySQL, PHP) server.

This blog and the live install and setup will be demonstrated on a Windows hosting server.

We’ll cover where to get the FREE Wordpress software, setting up the hosting account, creating the database, installing the software, configuring and customizing, installing themes, plugins/widgets and more!

I hope I didn’t bore or scare anyone off on Tuesday.

For those who are getting the book, try to read chapters 1 through 4. If you get stuck, or it’s not making sense, we’ll try to bring it all to light for the July meeting. If we don’t get through chapter 4 at the next meet, that’s OK, we’ll go as far as we can.

Also, if you bring your laptop, you can work along, trying some of the samples we’ll review.

 Again, don’t be intimidated. The object is to learn. There will be no final exam!

Things you’ll need for the Visual C# classes:

1) Visual C# (Express, or full product or Visual Studio 2005)
Visual C# Express is a free download from Microsoft >HERE<

2) The Book Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Step by Step.
Choose your best price or favorite merchant >HERE<

3) Optionally for future developement, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express .
You can download from Microsoft >HERE<

While the Book and SQL Express are both optional, they are both recommended to get the most out of the sessions and for self study.

Remember to check back to this blog from time to time for any updates and other communications. If something needs to be clarified, or is of help to the group in general, you may find it here!.

June 5th is going to be a busy day/evening, with the C# stuff.

However, if we have time, I’d like to show how I implemented a linked list in Visual Basic in a recent project.

I have some great giveaways for the June 5th meeting, compliments of Microsoft and CodeZone.

If you have an office at work or at home, you’ll ultimately want to be there for your chance to win one of the great prizes. (must be present to win!)

See you there!

June 5th, 2007 7PM at the TBCS resource center.

Mark your calendar for Tuesday June 5th, 7:00pm

The Visual Basic programming SIG (VB SIG) of the TBCS is going to do something that is, well, perhaps a little different for a VB SIG… A learning series on Visual C#… from Scratch

Why C# in the VB SIG might one ask?

A quick look at job postings and articles on programming, C# is usually the language of choice. Also, practically all concepts will apply to VB.NET or any other .NET language. We’ll be setting aside an hour or more of each VB-SIG meeting for learning to program in C# from the ground-up.TBCS Members can attend and participate at no cost, however, purchasing the study book will enhance and reinforce learning.The first meeting, Tuesday June 5th will be set aside for introductions, discussions in more detail the path we’ll take, what is needed for the series in terms of development software (free), the book (under $30), and other startup details.

Visual C# from Scratch?

The book and our series starts with the assumption that the reader knows little or nothing about C# and perhaps just a bit of programming in general. The aim is to leave no student behind.

A general synopsis is that we’ll be following the book for the most part, a mostly structured path, along with discussion from the group and editorial comment.

How long all this will take is an unknown, we’ll just go with the flow.

Hope to see you there!

Tom Kiehl, VB SIG
(727) 517-8121

The links in the Resources sidebar are organizations or companies that have contributed in various ways to our SIG and user group. The 1and1 link is the link to the hosting company used by the Tampa Bay Computer Society, parent of the VB SIG. So far the TBCS has essentially received free hosting by the referral fees generated by being an affiliate with 1and1. We would appreciate that if you choose 1and1 as your hosting company that you click thru the link at the right so we get credit for your sign-up.