One of the struggles I have had recently is determining the best way to allow my clients to update the content on their websites. Although there are a myriad of content managment systems to choose from, in my experience most of them are too complicated for the needs of the clients I normally work with.

I have personally become a convert to using WordPress as the backend for most sites that I design. By doing so, I can update most client sites from anywhere in the world through the WordPress web based interface. This is a great advantage as I am no longer tied to the various desktop software applications in my office in order to accomplish most updates.

With the exception of blog themes that I have done, none of the clients for whom I have setup WordPress as a CMS system have ever updated the content on their sites. Not a single one. This isn’t a client failing, but rather I feel that WordPress is just a bit too complex for most clients.

May 15th, 2008 | Search Engine, Web Stuff, Website Design

One of the deficiencies I noted in WordPress 2.5 was that the dashboard interface no longer showed the ID numbers for Posts, Pages or Categories.

Although this might not be much of a problem for the casual user of WordPress, those of us who write custom WordPress applications have come to rely on these ID numbers to add custom features to our projects. In fact, WordPress itself instructs end users to utilize these ID numbers in a variety of the WordPress template tags, such as in_category().

I have come to rely on these ID numbers in many of my applications, having used them in various template tags and in creating category page templates. As a result, I was frustrated with the new interface and the lack of information regarding these ID numbers.

I was discussing this issue with my friend Deborah over at Lireo Designs. Deborah is also developing sites using WordPress, and she is not one who lets a problem like this get in her way. After doing some research on this problem, Deborah discovered a neat little plugin that once again displays the ID numbers in the WordPress 2.5 dashboard.

Thanks for the help, Deborah! It’s a very useful plugin that makes my life a bit simpler.

April 30th, 2008 | WordPress

Having only been in the south of France once, traveling from Lyon to Avignon via riverboat, I consider myself an expert regarding nothing in the region. I do consider myself an expert, however, in what I like. Make no mistake about it - I like the south of France.

My wife and I were fortunate enough to visit in December of 2006, which is not precisely the time when the countryside is in full bloom. Nor is it the time of year that most people find southern France to be the most endearing.

Nonetheless, the south of France invoked affection in me. The startling beauty of the countryside and landscape were in winter retreat, yet enough bursts of beauty remained for me to imagine what great sites the the onset of warm spring sunshine would bring to the region.

Just yesterday I stumbled upon a website that belongs to a very fortunate man. Julian Merrow-Smith is a British painter who now lives in Provence in the South of France. In February 2005 Julian started Postcard from Provence. Julian now undertakes a painting a day, all inspired by the beautiful surroundings of southern France. His project has received international acclaim, and has been featured in The London Times, The New York Times, USA Today and The Sunday Telegraph.

If you find the time, and think you would enjoy the beautiful work of a very talented painter, take a visit over to Julian’s website and see for yourself that to which I refer.

April 15th, 2008 | This 'n That