Hi <<First Name>>,

WordPress news and tips - June 2011 

WP-phpmyadmin plugin is now a security risk

Firstly you can quickly check if your site has been compromised here: http://sitecheck.sucuri.net/scanner/

If you have the plugin called wp-phpmyadmin installed on your website you need to deactivate it then delete it. Hackers have worked out how to access server details via this plugin. I actually observed a file called update.php being added to a clients website to leave a back door open to come and go as they please with malware to the website.

More info here: http://wpcandy.com/reports/wp-phpmyadmin-is-insecure

This months posts in the spotlight

9 great WordPress shopping carts
I have listed 9 shopping carts that were featured in a poll recently and briefly discuss them with links to the shopping cart.
WordPress plugins I find useful
This is an old post but I have updated it with 30 plugins I find useful.
Why use mediatemple.net webhosting?
I get asked about webhosting a lot so I though it would be easier to write a post on the matter and let you read it and decide for yourself.

Online chat now available on my website

I have added an extra way for you to get help from me now.
If you are on my website, and I am online you can chat directly to me via a chat box on the website. General questions, help requests even ask me about the post you're reading are all options now available to you.
Look for the Blue chat box on the top right of the screen

WordPress 3.2 upgrade is happening very soon, are you ready?

If you weren't aware there is a relatively major WordPress coming on June 30, 2011 give or take a few days.
WordPress will be moving the vers 3.2 and I wanted to give you a few tips ahead of time so you are better prepared when you see the 'upgrade to version 3.2' message.

What's new?
- Distraction free writing: an option to have nothing but the text on screen will be available
- Twentyl Eleven Theme: a new default theme packed with new features
- Upgrade improvements: from now on, only the new files will be changed during an upgrade. This will really help if upgrades are normally slow for you.
-Speed improvements: some old code has been removed to speed up the back and front end.

What major changes are there?
- Your webhosting needs to be running a minimum of PHP 5.2.4 or above and MySQP 5
- Internet Explorer 6 no longer supported for the admin area. Meaning if you still are using Internet Explorer 6 you will need to upgrade it to be able to edit your website once you upgrade WordPress to 3.2

Should I upgrade and when?
It's worth upgrading as there are a number of improvements, including speed of the website. 
Hold off for 1 week before upgrading to give the plugin and theme developers time to sort out any issues that come up. 
Some people would even wait until 3.2.1 is out but I won't be waiting for it. I will actually upgrade ASAP so I can find any issues and pass them on to you before you upgrade.

What do I need to do before upgrading?
Test your hosting is compatible by installing and activating this plugin: WordPress Requirements Check

Backup your website:
Option 1. vaultrpress.com subscription costs $15/month for Basic plan which does continous automated backup of your website, and they will help you restore after an issue. I use their Premium service for $40/month as it does security scans constantly too.
Option 2. backupbuddy which is a premium plugin which costs $75 per year for 2 sites. I have a developer's licence so can install it on client sites if requested and my time is paid for accordingly to do so. 

Update all plugins and themes:
This is essential as plugin developers will have updated their plugins (in most cases)  to work with the new version.
Update plugins frist then themes.

Extra step for mission critical sites:
Install another WordPress installation on a test site or sub directory and install the same theme, same plugins and import posts and pages to the test site and upgrade it to WordPress 3.2 and see if anything breaks. 
Note: make sure they privacy setting is set to 'block search engines' as you don't want google to index the test site.

Resources
Links to other posts on the subject
Seven Things You Should Know About WordPress 3.2 - sitepoint.com
10 Things You Need To Know About WordPress 3.2 - technosailor.com
What's Coming in WordPress 3.2 - wpbeginner.com
WordPress 3.2 Demo - wpbeginner.com

Enjoy and I am always here if you need me.

thewpguy.com.au