Wordpress anyone?

[brewerpaul]

My current website was written in Front Page which is no longer supported, so my web host suggested Wordpress to create a new site. I've installed Wordpress, but it seems mostly blog oriented and fairly complicated to someone who'd rather be working in the wood shop . Any suggestions on how to get started creating a fairly simple site like mine?

[emmline]

I use Wordpress for my writing site: (the green link, below.)

First, it helped me to use an existing template, even though I did have to tweak it. You're right that it is blog-tool heavy. I used that "blog-post" feature to put up chapters of books, although I had to tweak some code in order to get them in reverse chronological order from how blogs usually work.

But, you can still make the individual pages, so it might work for you. My main learning curve was investigating how to change things like font size, location of various things. I learned what I had to, but couldn't repeat it now. Mainly, if I have to add something now, I look for a way to cut and paste from the existing code. I don't like code much, really.

[Dale]

I use Google Sites. It's very well-suited for simple websites. I don't particularly like the idea that the websites I have on there (righthandpointing.com, for example) are sort of at the mercy of Google, but it's just too convenient to pass up. It's entirely web-based, so you can work on it from any location at which you can get Internet. I used Wordpress a long time ago for a couple of projects, but it's been updated so many times since that I don't really know what it's like to work with it now.

[Tunborough]

For business reasons, I've had to do Google Sites, Google Docs, ... the whole bit, and I'm not at all happy about it. It doesn't have the functionality I'd expect, and what it does have, I don't find easy to use.

I haven't seen much of Wordpress, but what I have seen, I like. My wife recommends, "Teach Yourself Visually Wordpress" (2nd edition), by Janet Majure. Take your time selecting a theme--there's a lot to chose from.

[kkrell]

My current website was written in Front Page which is no longer supported, so my web host suggested Wordpress to create a new site. I've installed Wordpress, but it seems mostly blog oriented and fairly complicated to someone who'd rather be working in the wood shop . Any suggestions on how to get started creating a fairly simple site like mine?

I'm still using Front Page to edit my sites - works fine (well, as good as it ever did - FP is not a great program). There are only a very few special features that are not supported on hosting sites that removed the Front Page Extensions, as mine did. Don't use those few features and the .HTML you created is still good to go. If I ever have a capable machine where I can update from Adobe CS2 (now at 6, isn't it?), I'll try to take advantage of the newer internet features.

ps. Just looked at your site - shouldn't be a problem. I am using FP 2003 (which shows as Front Page 6.0, as in your code).

[Peter Duggan]

Don't use those few features and the .HTML you created is still good to go.

Don't think FrontPage's HTML has ever been 'good to go' (in terms of web standards/validation etc.)?

FWIW, I use WordPress for my blog, SMF or Vanilla for forums (not on my personal site) and code everything else by hand (always have done).

[LynnB]

WordPress is really a great platform with a lot of functionality, and you aren't just limited to blog-type sites anymore. Once you have a template up and running, the maintenance is pretty straight forward and easy. It's a great solution for simple & not so simple websites.

I have sent you a PM.

[highwood]

Wordpress is good (very good) for blogs and can be coaxed into doing lots of other things but there are much better and easier to set up solutions for non blog sites than wordpress. Wordpress is great and easy to use until you try to do something a little outside the box and then you need to be good at 'web stuff' - that is: html, css, php, javascript - and figure out the Wordpress way of doing it, and quite probably figure a way to work around the WP way. So I avoid Wordpress for general sites

If I was going to set up a site similar to yours for myself I would probably just hand code it or use a something like Code Ignitor or Flask, if I was doing it for someone else I would probably use a CMS, MODX would be a good choice - there are other choices as well. A CMS would make content updates easier for a less techie person (updates & additions could be done without needed to be fluent in html).

I will pm you.

[German Whistler]

Any suggestions on how to get started creating a fairly simple site like mine?

YES!
wordpress was made for blogs but became a real good CMS (content management system)

I think wordpress is good for you
because:
you can find help easily
you can find many tutorials if you want to make things yourself
you can find many nice and usefull templates and plugins (whats that? ill tell you in a minute)

so where to start?
start by thinking about if you want your website look like now or different
if like now, you cant do that alone, you need to know html, css and php, you need someone, choose a pro
if it can look different, more modern (;-)) start by having a look at templates or just other wordpress sites

templates are "designs" you can just install
the standard templates which come with the first install, are not bad and have many features whre you can easily change backgroundcolours, fonts, backgroundimages, etc just online in the backend of wordpress ... you can learn to do that easily
... i recomend using the standardtemplates and adjust it, with a little help

plug ins can give you additional features you may want to have on your wedbsite, there are "millions"

a good website with a little shop you can install and "adjust" in some few days with help of someone telling you where what to do, or by learning with online tutorials

the other possibility is find someone who make it for you, he/she can do that job in some hours, the problem is always finding out how you want it to be ... and how you should want it to be (more modern design, usable, stable, found in searchengines)

so, again, where to start?
find out how you want it to look like and how to be
what features do u want?
what look do you want?
chek other sites, find a look and features you like

i recomend check the standardlook, change just colours and fonts if needed, adjust the background and than fill it with your content

thats another story but thats realy easy in wordpress

you need help? i am not a pro but did create several websites with pure html written by hand and later on with wordpress

do you have skype? i am going to install a complete new site in the next days, you could "join and watch" and you could simultaniously install your site

but first find out how it should look like
if you want your old design, you need someone writing a template for you but i recomend to choose a new design and a free template

on the other site, you can find someone making the job for you and then get a instruction in "how to use it" thats maybe the easiest way for you

but you still have to start by finding out exactly how it should look like and what features you want
then wordpress will be great for you