Blogging Gets Easier with New WordPress 3.0
The popular blogging platform WordPress received an update today to include new features that make it even easier to use.
WordPress 3.0 is the 13th version of the online blogging service. WordPress continues to lower the bar for anyone with a message, systematically reducing the need for computer skills. From start to finish, the average Joe can have his site up and running in under 30 minutes, free of charge and without any programming skills.
As part of the update, the default WordPress template, called "Hello World" has been replaced by "Twenty Ten," aka "Thelonius," named after jazz great Thelonious Monk. The new default theme is full of areas to drop in the users' own photos and comes with a library of stock images. It also has a choice of background colors with the option of dropping in an image in lieu of a solid color. Header photos can be customized for each page, or the user can choose a single master image.
But the new "Twenty Ten" theme is more than a collection of visual upgrades. Behind the scenes, the new theme allows users to create custom navigation paths, add new post types like products and real estate listings, and features a built-in url shortener―a single click feature that automatically turns a long Web address into a short one for use in a post.
WordPress 3.0 also made improvements outside its new theme, so all users across thousands of themes will experience these changes in the WordPress interface. The new grand unified updater lets users update their plugins and themes in bulk to save time and reduce the risk of overlooking a key element of a blog. This new version also automatically puts the user's site in "Maintenance mode" so changes do not go live before a thorough check.
New and veteran users will appreciate on-page help with pertinent information for each screen. Replacing the master help section with this targeted version, offers users faster access to the help they need.
Today 25.2 million blogs are powered by WordPress., and are read by more than 260 million people every month according to Internet stat publisher Quantcast. WordPress users include individuals and companies, both large and small. Martha Stewart, Kim Kardashian, the British Prime Minister, and even Ford Motor Company are blogging with WordPress.
