Good stuff, as usual!

from Matt Mullenweg <m@wordpress.org> date Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 13:01 subject WordPress 3.1, lots of fun mailed-by wordpress.org

hide details 13:01 (1 hour ago)

Missed you on Valentine’s day. We were busy, busy, busy coding away on this WordPress thing. It’s blogging software but people have started using it for pretty much everything, powering their entire website.

The new 3.1 release is pretty cool, it has a new admin bar so you’re never more than one-click from your admin and adding links in the WYSIWYG is now like 42x faster and includes a lookup to make it easy to link to your own posts and pages.

There’s a ton more, actually, check it out: http://wordpress.org/news/2011/02/django/

This is definitely the best WordPress since the last time we released WordPress, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it and share it with your friends.

XOXO,
Matt

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Now playing: The Jam – Start!
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From: WordPress.com News <no-reply@wordpress.com>
Date: Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 16:36
Subject: [Blog post] WordPress Personas for Firefox

WordPress Personas for Firefox Paul Kim | January 25, 2010 at 10:35 pm | Tags: firefox, persona, WordPress | Categories: Community, Design, WordPress | URL: http://wp.me/pf2B5-V1

Last week Mozilla released Firefox 3.6, the latest and greatest version of their open source Web browser. To mark the occasion, we worked with designer Chad Pugh to create a couple of brand new WordPress Personas for Firefox. Personas are like skins for your browser, and these designs are a great way to show off your WordPress colors.

The “Vintage Press” Persona is inspired by the style of the great old-time printing presses. Get it here.

And the “Inkwell” Persona uses splashes of color to decorate a well-used piece of paper. Add it to your Firefox here.

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Quick help for those in need of more built-in emoticons in WordPress :

    ‘:arrow:’      ‘icon_arrow.gif’
    ‘:grin:’      ‘icon_biggrin.gif’
    ‘:-D’      ‘icon_biggrin.gif’
    ‘:D’      ‘icon_biggrin.gif’
    ‘:???:’      ‘icon_confused.gif’
    ‘:-?’      ‘icon_confused.gif’
    ‘:?’      ‘icon_confused.gif’
    ‘:cool:’      ‘icon_cool.gif’
    ‘8-)’      ‘icon_cool.gif’
    ‘8)’      ‘icon_cool.gif’
    ‘:cry:’      ‘icon_cry.gif’
    ‘:shock:’      ‘icon_eek.gif’
    ‘8-O’      ‘icon_eek.gif’
    ‘8O’      ‘icon_eek.gif’
    ‘:evil:’      ‘icon_evil.gif’
    ‘:!:’      ‘icon_exclaim.gif’
    ‘:idea:’      ‘icon_idea.gif’
    ‘:lol:’      ‘icon_lol.gif’
    ‘:mad:’      ‘icon_mad.gif’
    ‘:-x’      ‘icon_mad.gif’
    ‘:x’      ‘icon_mad.gif’
    ‘:mrgreen:’      ‘icon_mrgreen.gif’
    ‘:neutral:’      ‘icon_neutral.gif’
    ‘:-|’      ‘icon_neutral.gif’
    ‘:|’      ‘icon_neutral.gif’
    ‘:?:’      ‘icon_question.gif’
    ‘:razz:’      ‘icon_razz.gif’
    ‘:-P’      ‘icon_razz.gif’
    ‘:P’      ‘icon_razz.gif’
    ‘:oops:’      ‘icon_redface.gif’
    ‘:roll:’      ‘icon_rolleyes.gif’
    ‘:sad:’      ‘icon_sad.gif’
    ‘:-(’      ‘icon_sad.gif’
    ‘:(’      ‘icon_sad.gif’
    ‘:smile:’      ‘icon_smile.gif’
    ‘:-)’      ‘icon_smile.gif’
    ‘:)’      ‘icon_smile.gif’
    ‘:eek:’      ‘icon_surprised.gif’
    ‘:-o’      ‘icon_surprised.gif’
    ‘:o’      ‘icon_surprised.gif’
    ‘:twisted:’      ‘icon_twisted.gif’
    ‘:wink:’      ‘icon_wink.gif’
    ‘;-)’      ‘icon_wink.gif’
    ‘;)’      ‘icon_wink.gif’

The first column shows the emoticon image, the second column is what you should type in a post (minus the single quote marks, ‘ and ’ ), and the third column is the file name (just for your reference).

For example,    ‘;-)’ won’t give me my image, but if I omit those little single quote marks, WordPress will translate that to (assuming the WP blog you are using has smilies enabled).

I know some folks hate smileys, but I think a smiley or two can be fun, when not overused in a post – few of us want our posts to look like an image gallery of the little buggers.

More reference : http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Smilies

(inspired by the post at http://www.eruanna.net/tutorials/wordpress/changing-the-default-wordpress-smilies/)

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Now playing: V For Vendetta Soundtrack – Dario Marianelli – Remember Remember
via FoxyTunes

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From: WordPress.com News <no-reply@wordpress.com>
Date: Tue, Jan 12, 2010 at 19:32
Subject: [Blog post] My Tips on WordPress.com

My Tips on WordPress.com Matt | January 13, 2010 at 1:32 am | Categories: Features | URL: http://wp.me/pf2B5-TI

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, that’s creativity.
– Charles Mingus

From the time we started WordPress.com in 2005, we’ve focused on making it easy and rewarding to use so that anyone could get started with blogging. Along the way all of you who’ve been using WordPress.com and giving us your feedback have helped us figure out which features to roll out next. Thanks!

I took a look back at all the feature announcements we’ve made here, and it came to 370 posts, 82 in 2009 alone. That’s a lot of features. So in case you missed anything along the way here are some of my picks for cool things you can do with WordPress.com.

Create
We’ve set up lots of ways for you to write, post photos and videos, and generally add stuff to your blog, including mobile apps.

• Add quotes, images, and videos to your blog while browsing other web sites with the Press This bookmarklet.
• Post by email makes it easy to publish blog posts from any email client. (It’s what I use to post to my photoblog.)
• Post additional media to your blog, like video, with the VideoPress Upgrade and music, with the Space Upgrade
• Use shortcodes to display videos, slideshows, polls, maps, and more.
• Write posts, upload photos, edit pages, and manage comments on your blog using WordPress for iPhone, WordPress for Blackberry, and m.wordpress.com.
• Import your blog to WordPress.com from other platforms, like Blogger and Typepad.
• Schedule posts and pages so your blog can update itself, change your post and page timestamps, and display a page as your front page.

Personalize
You can also tweak how your blog looks, set the domain to be your own and pick your language.

• Customize the appearance of your blog with the Custom CSS Upgrade.
• Map your domain to remove “.wordpress.com” from your blog’s URL.
• Change the language of your dashboard and blogs, contribute translations to WordPress.com using GlotPress. We have support forums in Dutch, Farsi, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

Share and Read
We’ve built in some cool sharing and reading features so you can easily let people know about your new posts and also see what other people are blogging.

• Publicize your blog using:
  Email subscriptions for posts and comments
  Twitter
  Yahoo! Updates
  RSS

• Subscribe to other blogs using:
  Email subscriptions for posts and comments
  The Tag Surfer
  Readomattic
  Jabber
  Twitter

We’re working on much more for you in 2010. In the meantime check out Support for an updated list of features, and tips on making the most of your blog. Thanks for making WordPress.com amazing.

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Now playing: Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends
via FoxyTunes

I’m hoping they’ll update this and change the usb2 over to the USB3 “Superspeed” . . .

Quad-Interface Blu-Ray Burner at 12x Appears

5:50 PM – November 3, 2009 by Kevin Parrish

Yes, reprinted as if millions hadn’t already heard about this

Good bits from the WP folks !

http://weblogtoolscollection.com/archives/2009/12/18/download-wordpress-2-9-carmen/

http://weblogtoolscollection.com/archives/2009/12/03/wordpress-2-9-packs-in-loads-of-features-hands-on-review/

http://codex.wordpress.org/Version_2.9 official notes . . .

http://oembed.com/ pretty nifty functionality . . .
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Now playing: The Beatles – Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand
via FoxyTunes

WordPress Wins CMS Award

« Core Contributors at WordCamp NYC

Is Automattic Evil?

by Jeff Chandler on November 18th, 2009   

Stick around the WordPress community for a period of time and you’re bound to come across a few folks who say Automattic is an evil company or Matt Mullenweg is evil in the way in which he runs WordPress.org. The more time I spend talking to Matt and with other employees of Automattic, the more I don’t understand where these thoughts and feelings of evilness come from. Sure, there is a decision made from time to time that a vocal group of people disagree with but you can’t make the right decision 100% of the time. Let’s take a closer look at Automattic as it relates to WordPress.

When I interviewed Matt at WordCamp New York, one of the things I asked him to address is the notion that Automattic commercially benefits from those who work for free. This indeed happens but on the flip side, Automattic gives a ton back to the project and to the community. For example, I think there is a lot that can be said for the progression of WordPress thanks to the resources that Automattic has been able to provide due to their funding. It’s also worth mentioning that Automattic pays a couple of folks to work on WordPress the majority of their time such as Ryan Boren who is always slaving away committing code and Jane Wells who works on the usability front.

It’s not like Automattic hoards the contributions to the project and gives nothing back. Matt said something during the interview that really stuck a chord with me and that is “Automattic is just one member of the WordPress community. We are a huge contributor. Myself, Jane everyone involved tries to give as much back to the WordPress community as possible.” So far, I can’t see anything that portrays the individuals or the company as evil. (read “the rest of the story” at http://weblogtoolscollection.com/archives/2009/11/18/is-automattic-evil/ )

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Now playing: Johnny Cash – Rusty Cage
via FoxyTunes

http://wordpress.org/development/2009/11/wordpress-2-8-6-security-release/ Please upgrade to keep our tubes safe

http://weblogtoolscollection.com/archives/2009/11/11/wordcamp-phoenix-live-video-stream/ Live stream; boy, I hope there’s an archive too !  Too much learning to let slip away.

http://weblogtoolscollection.com/archives/2009/11/12/i-wish-i-was-at-wordcamp/ further interaction via Twitter, etc. in case you (like me) can’t make this weekend

Side note : I am really looking forward to USB3 – we’re due for the evolution !

I’m impressed with the amount of traction that WordPress (WP) has within the world these days; the idea of a hosted site at .com and a self-hosted option via .org has always appealed to me, ever since I learned of WP. “Code is Poetry”, indeed.

http://wordpress.org/development/2009/11/upcoming-wordcamps-3/ lists upcoming WordCamps; these conferences have “tracks” like many other get-togethers, and can include topics for end users (bloggers), developers of various pieces, administrators, and many other areas. They’ve seemingly designed these very intelligently, and kept the prices extremely reasonable; no wonder they are still enjoying huge yearly growth.

I’m especially impressed with the live video stream planned for at least one of these events : http://phxwordcamp.com/live-video-stream/ though I may well be able to still make an event live this year.

While I’d really love to hit up the Bangkok version with my buddy Dong Limsawas, I don’t think this is likely to happen due to budgetary constraints

These camps have been and are being held worldwide, here are just a few more listed for the near future. If you are at all interested in blogging, whether for business or pleasure, the learning opportunities seem too good to pass up as they’ve been made very affordable, which speaks well of their intent; it’s also savvy.

WordCamp Phoenix November 13 Phoenix, Arizona

WordCamp Victoria November 14  Victoria, British Columbia

WordCamp New York November 14–15 New York, New York

WordCamp Bangkok November 15  Bangkok, Thailand

WordCamp Peru November 28  Lima, Peru

WordCamp Orlando December 5 Orlando, Florida

WordCamp Boston January 23  Boston, Massachusetts

WordCamp Indonesia January 30  Jakarta, Indonesia

WordCamp Toronto March 27–28 Toronto, Ontario

Good luck in scheduling yourself into something that could enhance your life; I will be a late attendee if able to make one this month, due to recent operations (alas). /Cheers!