Comments on: What Do New Users Need?

By: graduatejobs

graduatejobs — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:05:48 +0000

Have you tried w3 schools they provide a useful self teaching section.

By: jobs online

jobs online — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:57:59 +0000

I am fairly new at this too, a broad overview would really be helpfull.

By: Dave Walker

Dave Walker — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:11:35 +0000

It would be great if there was a standard set for learning PHP. This is a great forum I cant believe no one thought of it sooner.

By: Carthik

Carthik — Sat, 18 Sep 2004 16:03:27 +0000

Paul,
For those that don’t have a clue, wordpress, with it’s forum, and extensively spread out help can actually help accelerate the learning.
There is no one simple way to make some web application, like WordPress completely customizable, using only buttons and options.
The more you want to customize something, the more the effort you have to put into learning the tools that let you do that. No one needs to learn PHP to use or to personalize wordpress in a limited fashion, but yes, if you want it tweaked to high degree of individuality, then you need to read up and learn about PHP, CSS and how things work in general.

The reason I have not started a tutorial on how PHP works, is because there are already so many good tutorials out there.

I would really love to write something about how WP works, ie, how it puts together pages and about what the files in wordpress do and so on. Maybe in the process I will introduce a little bit of PHP - just enough to break the ice, and make it look less formiddable.

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 18 Sep 2004 14:27:42 +0000

I am a brand newbie. I have been trying to teach myself PHP/MySQL but it’s really a little over my head and I know next to nothing about CSS and absolutely nothing about XHTML.

Fortunately Word Press has been installed for me, so it is working perfectly, but beyond using it as is, I really have no understanding of how it works and how to create templates etc. This is unfortunate as aside from the ability to include photos/other media (which I beleive is coming in a future version), it does almost everything I want.

I would really appreciate a really simplistic, ‘for dummies’ style guide that 1) gives an overview of how WP works, how and where on the server it stores information, what the different pages/files/folders in the isntallation do, etc. 2)how to create/customise templates 3) how to add/remove page elements (like the calender for example) or change where on the page they appear 4) how to create static pages. 5) How to set up WP so that instead of running from the site index it runs from a sub index page, so that I can have a flash/static index page (if this is possible?) 6)I’d also like to know how I can use Dreamweaver (which I use in conjunction with fireworks/photoshop/flash)to make changes to templates as I am not a hand coder.

From the comments above, it seems that users fall into 2 categories. Those who actually undersatnd exactly what they are doing…and those who really don’t have a clue. I suspect there are lots of the latter category, who would do far more with WP if given the ability to do so (without having to learn half a dozen languages first). This can only happen if the front end is simplified for people like me (how about built in templates that one can switch between or change visually as with dreamweaver) and/or someone writes a step by step guide.

By: Pete

Pete — Wed, 15 Sep 2004 00:14:41 +0000

I too am a newbie. What I would like to see is more ‘front end’ controls in the admin. eg: I have been trying to find the way to remove the numbers after the catagories. Should I have to delve into php files (after hours on discussion boards and wikis) just to make a simple change?
If Wordpress is going to move beyond it’s current geekiness IMO it really needs an easy to use user interface for the admin side.

By: Dominick

Dominick — Tue, 14 Sep 2004 19:06:44 +0000

I also agree that a good overview of PHP would be useful to newbies. For example, I am trying to figure out how to run a horizontal menu, faking a WPCMS. Yea, there are tutorials, but all given from the standpoint of someone who is already familiar with PHP.

And yea plugins are great, but if you are trying to install them in multiple templates versus (like Kubrick)the default (which needs a lot of corrections), PHP becomes a must.

By: Carthik

Carthik — Sat, 04 Sep 2004 13:56:03 +0000

Laura,
So a comprehensive overview of what PHP and CSS are, and how it all fits together would be nice, yes?
I will get to it later. I will try to link to as many existing resources as possible, and write my own when I run out of existing resources.
Thank you for the feedback

By: Laura

Laura — Sat, 04 Sep 2004 03:41:41 +0000

Speaking as a newbie (using WP for 1 month), I would like something that helps me figure out how to make changes to my template, theme, whatever. Right now I spend time trying to find advice on how to change something (like making my blog 3 col) and then hours trying to get it to work for my blog. Usually I end up frustrated and revert back to the only change I’ve managed to make that works every time.

The support forums are okay but they aren’t always helpful if you have no background in php, css, etc.

By: Carthik

Carthik — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 12:31:36 +0000

Simon,
I was, indeed, talking about how to make the defaults friendlier for newbies who are editing them to make it work the way they want. I was looking forward to creating a set of customization resources for 1.3 as soon as it comes out.

Zarniwoop,
A good set of defaults is essential, and is probably going to make it’s way into 1.3 . The question I ask here is — What bunch of documentation do you think is essential for a beginner, in general?

Podz,
Yes, editors are a good place to start from.
Fully commented index.php and css file — I think that is really important, Maybe one in the wiki, well linked-to can replace so many more bytes in downloads
Trying to dispel the WP=PHP geek myth is simple enough — ask the person to start using WP

By: Podz

Podz — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 10:00:28 +0000

A list of recommended freeware editors for a start, a couple for each system.

Same for freeware graphics editors maybe ?

And in the download, have a fully commented index.php and css file. Help people make the link between the 2 - and try and dispel this WP=PHP geek myth

By: Zarniwoop

Zarniwoop — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 08:13:18 +0000

I don’t think we should stay with CSS style coming with WP 1.2 because it has some major flaws like the letter-spacing in the body text which makes some site almost unreadably. I would prefer a really simple and very usable style (this includes changing the index and comments) as starting point for changes and some good styles usable out of the box for the ‘I just want to write’-people.

By: Simon

Simon — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 07:49:24 +0000

I think this question is dependant on where the WordPress dev community feel WP is aimed at. If it’s aimed at newbie site admins/owners, then it needs simpler mechanisms than the CSS/XHTML and a Wiki based explanation, otherwise that seems fine.

(Some kind of plugin system for templates & styles might be nice though.)

By: Carthik

Carthik — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 03:46:14 +0000

That’s an interesting take
Thanks Jesus, I just wanted to check with everyone to see if they really think something is missing.

By: Jesus Vargas

Jesus Vargas — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 02:21:41 +0000

Heya Carthik. I think that the customizations of templates is very straightforward. A good doc in the wiki (already available) is the thing needed. I am of the idea that new users must be given the tools, but not the results. Sites as this one and WTCollection are the ones that help us most.
I also think that the css file given in previous versions must continue. Why? Because it is so ugly that users *have* to change it, and in that way, every blog has its own identity and personality, contrary to other blog systems (CMS BLog, for example.) Keep up the good work.