One woman’s roadmap to WordPress

Karen B. — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:24:43 +0000

I may as well tell you up front that this is not knitting related. If you want to stop reading I’ll understand and catch you on the next go-round. My aim is to document what I did to move from Blogger to WordPress as my publishing solution. Whatever you do, remember to always back up your files before making functional changes.

I could say it’s as easy as 1-2-3 because at a high level it does break down that way. You can apply this to any migration, substituting the “to and from”:

Install the latest version of WordPress on your domain host server.
Export your content from Blogger to your desktop.
Import your posts and comments and you’re open for business. From this point you can change your theme, add sidebar widgets or text, search for and install new plug-ins.

Want specifics? It would be helpful if you had some basic technical knowledge. If you’re still reading I assume that you’re not afraid to get your hands (metaphorically) dirty. Now, down to cases.

Install WordPress (this example is from GoDaddy)

Log in to your account and bring up the Host and Domain control panel.
Click the Your Applications button, list the available apps and select WordPress.
Install WordPress and Askimet, making sure these are available for your hosting plan.
Go to Your Email and create an administrative catchall address for WordPress administration if one does not already exist.
Set up your WordPress administrative account as the last installation step.

Export from Blogger

Export Blogger content to an XML file on your desktop. All you have to do is go to Settings and click on “Export blog.” You’ll get your posts and comments. Don’t panic if your left or right column stuff doesn’t move. You can set that stuff up later.
Convert your content. If you’re on New Blogger do this. Old Blogger? Use this wonderful online tool. If you need import info on converting any other publishing tool content remember this link. Do not fear the export. You will not lose your content on Blogger unless you delete it.

Import Content in WordPress

Log in to your WordPress account created earlier. The login screen is at http://your-domain/wordpress/wp-login.php
Click on Tools on the left side of your Dashboard. Pick “Import” from the drop-down.
Next, click on General to set up key information about your blog (title, tag line, date and time format, etc.) This is where you’ll use the administrative email created earlier.
Set up your profile, along with authors from the Users menu. You can either use the administrative email or use your own.
Set up how you wish comments to be handled from the Settings menu. Click “Discussion.”
You can add functionality from the Plugins menu. Just click “Add New” and search for interesting plugins to download.

Want your mail and comments to work smoothly? Download and install ConfigureSMTP. Chris recommended this app that saved my sanity after 3 days of comment hell. Supply the settings that work for your installation. I used the defaults for mine.
I also recommend SI-Captcha to round out your comment control.
When you’re feeling a bit more confident, try a new theme for your site. There are dozens of them and they’re keyword searchable. Read the reviews and make sure it’s compatible with the latest version of WordPress.

Other stuff to consider

If you’re tempted to contact me for further assistance, I know you’ll understand when I tell you that I cannot supply it. On the other hand, if I have made a factual error, don’t hesitate to let me know.

I believe you will quickly discover that the WordPress.org Codex ( an extensive document and “how to” library) is your boon companion. If you remember nothing else from this roadmap, bookmark this link. It’s an invaluable resource.

Change can be good. No, really.

Karen B. — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:09:10 +0000

Knitters as the superior species

Glad to see you found your way here!

I’ve been meaning to do this for quite some time and now, circumstances have conspired to push me out of the increasingly uncomfortable Blogger nest. No more publishing via FTP unless I host with you? No easy template control unless I change my blog to your approved format? Since I’ve become too expensive for Blogger, I’m building a new spot on WordPress.

Before any misunderstanding lands me in hot water, let me explain “too expensive.” In the email sent out to those of us publishing via FTP, Blogger said the cost of supporting what they say is a tiny minority of users is a drain on their resources. Or something like that:

“FTP remains a significant drain on our ability to improve Blogger: only .5% of active blogs are published via FTP — yet the percentage of our engineering resources devoted to supporting FTP vastly exceeds that.”

I’ve been working out the kinks for the past few days, spending way too much time on the how-to bits and bobs. I think I’ve finally fine-tuned my layout (but not the comment functionality), which is why I figure it’s almost time for the big reveal. You’ll find a similar layout to the old site, with Search, Archives and Patterns on the right sidebar. I’m pretty sure all previous posts and comments made it over the wall too.

Although I’ve spent a lot of time on this revamp, I haven’t stopped with knitterly activities. I spent last Friday night knitting with my friend Lisa at her studio. This was after I walked around documenting the “Now You See It, Now You Don’t” exhibit at the Flatiron building in Chicago’s Wicker Park. Each artist did a temporary piece that reflected his or her permanent work. Lisa’s a textile and fiber artist (and knitter), hence her painting of “Knitters as the superior species.”

Enough said.

Yarn Is My Métier » Feb 2010

One woman’s roadmap to WordPress

Change can be good. No, really.