VHHLive News: – New WordPress Release, Disqus, Lessons Learned in 2010!

1. WordPress New Release! 3.0.4

   A new version of WordPress has been released and is considered a critical security update by WordPress.org. This release fixes a core security issue within the HTML sanitation library of WordPress.
   For more details click here »

   Before updating the current version be sure and backkup your WordPress site. If you're not using a regular backup plug-in, I recommend Online Backup for WordPress. You can read more about it on a previous post Are You Treating Your Web Safety Like Airline Safety Instructions?.

2. What is Disqus and Why use it?

   Disqus is a system that allows you to manage your comments outside of your WordPress site. This week the issue of Disqus came up with a client. There were some issues with it loading on the website. The immediate fix of course was to deactivate the plug-in and use the default for posting comments. It got me wondering why use Disqus. I did some digging online to find out more about this tool.

   Reasons to use Disqus

   • It allows you to nest your blog posts, hence making conversations flow a lot smoother.

   • It also gives you the ability to sort comments from newest to oldest or vice versa.

   • You can control the location of your comments placing them at the top or bottom of your page or post.

   Reasons not to use Disqus

   • It's outside of your WordPress site. If there's an issue with Disqus, your site is affected and visitors may not be able to add comments.

   • With comments controlled outside of WordPress this means all management takes place within Disqus and not your WordPress dashboard.

   • Also, when you backup your website the comments are not included. In essence, Disqus owns your comments.

3. Lessons Learned in 2010!

   At the beginning of 2010 I started tracking lessons that I was learning each week. I made it all the way to week 24 and then stopped. It's funny reading some of them because while they were new in January, they've since become second nature. Here are a few of those lessons from 2010 just as they were written.

   1. Back it up! – files, emails, blackberry, Oh My!

   2. Everyone does not have the Internet and computer. Some people are using their cellphones as their Internet.

   3. Backup your whole computer system regularly.

   4. Your mindset has everything to do with your income.

   5. Beware of ANY email you receive from someone you don't know even if it says UPS.

   6. Do not include direct links to MP3s as some people may have Quicktime which automatically loads the file when using the free version and does not give them opportunity to download.

   7. You must show people how to treat you otherwise they will run all over you.

It has been an eventful 2010. I started blogging this year and sending emails regularly to my email list which was also started this year. I'm looking forward to what 2011 will bring!

I'd love to hear what you learned this year. Please tell me in the comments below.

Make it a FABULOUS one until next year!