How to keep your WordPress Theme from being hacked

WordPress Theme Hack!

Keeping you WordPress theme protected from being used by others is sometimes very important, especially if it is available on the web, or you intend to sell it.

Most of the times, themes are accompanied with additional information, which make them vulnerable from being hacked. A typical example of this kind of information is given below:

/*
Theme Name: Ony Happy Cloud
Theme URI: http://example.com/free-base-wordpress-theme
Version: 1.0.0
Author: Shiny
Author URI: http://www.example.com
*/

Basically this is everything all other users need, to hack your theme.

Q: So, how to prevent WordPress Theme Hacking?

Continue reading “How to keep your WordPress Theme from being hacked”

Ten initial Plugins to kick-off in WordPress

There are thousands of Plugins for WordPress out on the internet. However, there are some that worth spending a little bit of time and familiarize with them.

They tackle the initial requirements and help a lot in building a WordPress site / blog.

So, here is the list with some info for each one of them

– All in One SEO (In a few words, it integrates your WordPress site /blog with SEO)

– Akismet (Spam filter for WordPress comments)

– WPtouch (Gives your WordPress site / blog the mobile appeal. Just think of how many users reach you via smartphones, mobile phones nowadays)

– Editor Extender (Enhances your WordPress editor)

– WordPress.com Stats (Provides statistics for your WordPress site /blog)

Continue reading “Ten initial Plugins to kick-off in WordPress”

Facebook page or Website?

More and more companies nowadays tend to use Facebook as a means of creating an online presence and promote their business than creating a website. This is a result of the global recession and the dissemination of social media, which provide such services for FREE! But is it the best solution when it comes to create an online presence and promote your business?

Here are some findings and useful piece of information someone has to go through when considering online presence and its benefits and costs.

Stand-alone Website

Some of the many benefits of a stand-alone website are given in this section:

Unlimited possibilities for the amount and type of information you provide and the overall feel you want to portray. You can give your website the layout you want, using a CMS you can switch to another template instantly and benefit from all the available open source tools and applications on the web like e-commerce etc.

SEO related issues. SEO likes websites and websites are SEO friendly. You can apply search engine optimization techniques on a website using a domain name and website.

With SEO comes also Marketing! You can increase your visibility when being listed on popular search engines and transfer your potential visitors and finally your customers to your website.

Facebook Page

Facebook has evolved over the years and now provides such services as page creation which is similar to a website, allowing for a great deal of customization using a number of tools. Some companies either go directly for a Facebook page or redirect their website to the Facebook page.

There are some advantages of this strategy, like the following ones: Continue reading “Facebook page or Website?”

Poor techniques for Backlink Strategies

Backlinking Mistakes

Just like Drink Responsibly holds for Drinking, the same holds for Backlinking! Be cautious when submitting your website. Here are some tips and strategies to avoid when promoting your website:

Do not use white color when submitting your website in other white background websites, just to cheat the owner of the other website you may have access to; Google does not like that kind of backlinks.
Avoid submitting to directories that don’t review submissions and let anyone in.
Avoid submitting to directories that have several Google ads disguised to look like their own content above the other links.
Don’t submit to sites that aren’t relevant to the focus of your site.
Avoid pages with links inside of frames (this will steal your traffic).
Don’t submit to blog networks and limit blog rolls.
Don’t submit to article networks (they post your article to multiple sites).
Don’t let anyone link to you from every page of their website (sitewide links).
Check if backlinks have a noFollow attribute.
Avoid Linking to sites with bad reputation.
Check if the submitted link is a broken one.
Avoid (Spammy) Blog Commenting

Lance Armstrong and Brad Davis

Take a look at those two photos, isn’t it amazing how similar they look like!

Brad Davis and Lance Armstrong — Brad Davis

Lance Armstrong > accused for using illegal performance-enhancing drugs

Brad Davis featuring Billy Hayes in Midnight Express film > accused for his attempt to smuggle drugs to the United States from Turkey

Windows Live Messenger to be discontinued

Skype Beats MSN

Microsoft has finally decided to close the Windows Live Messenger service on March 15th 2013. From that date onwards, users will no longer be able to use it and will have to switch to Skype. The company, according to the BBC, sent an e-mail to service users, encouraging them to become familiar with Skype, which Microsoft acquired in October 2011, prior to shut down date. Last November, the company had already made known its intention to stop the service Windows Live Messenger, without specifying an exact date.

Continue reading “Windows Live Messenger to be discontinued”

IE Specific Styling

ie vs firefox

The key to create IE specific styling is called conditional stylesheet.

IE provides comment tags, supported all the way up to the current IE 8 to target specific versions, as well as greater-than/less-than stuff for targeting multiple versions at once.

Why use conditional stylesheets?

You got problems, they need fixin’
Keeps your code hack-free and valid
Keeps your main stylesheet clean
Perfectly acceptable technique, sanctioned by Microsoft

And remember, these conditional tags don’t have to be used only for CSS. You could load JavaScript, or even use them down in the content of your site to display special IE-specific messages. Continue reading “IE Specific Styling”

QR Codes: Sponsored by Smartphones

There are many ways QR codes can help your business. They can eliminate cluttered text on advertisements; instead of giving all pertinent details in an ad, draw a customer’s attention with something simple and include a QR code with a link to the rest of the information. Put a QR code on your business card with a link to your website. Use http://goo.gl/ to make a QR code that users can click on to “Like” your Facebook page. Bands can put QR codes on flyers for shows with links to download their music. Restaurant owners can put them in their windows with a link to their menu. Designers have even put QR codes on clothing! Continue reading “QR Codes: Sponsored by Smartphones”

Flash VS JavaScript

There has been lots of discussion lately about JavaScript and Flash. In this article I want to give some of the distinct advantages of both.

JavaScript Advantages:

Open Web Standard (Allows you view source).
Compatible with all devices and browsers.
There is no need to download an external application or plugin.
No dependency on an external vendor.
Easy code maintenance.
Ready to use libraries (jQuery and MooTools).

Flash Advantages:

Works fine when streamimg Videos or Music.
Is a better solution when creating effects that can’t be created using open web standards.
Is recommended when creating complex animation (3D Capabilities).
Has a Built-In User Interface.
Better for Multimedia creation.

I’d love to hear your opinion and share your thoughts about this article…

Initial Website Requirements

Here are some very initial Website Requirements that a developer and the website owner must take into account to kick off.

Metatags (Decide suitable key words for Search Engines to attract potential visitors).
Ooops I am lost. Web Site should have Sitemap.
Where is the Search area!!!
Web Site should include a Copyright statement.
Web Site should at least have an English version.
Hey, its not bad to socialize a bit, fb, t, linkedin etc.
What is the Moto for your Company? Who is your target group?
Discuss about Web Hosting plans and Web Site Statistics. Continue reading “Initial Website Requirements”