If you’ve already installed WordPress 2.5 — but only if you’ve already installed it — you may want to install 2.5.1 due to the security issue. That’s what I’m doing.

WordPress has a good, expanded list of instructions for an upgrade, but here’s my “cheat sheet” version. (I’m assuming that you backup your files — using Manage > Export — and your database, regularly.)

1. Deactivate all plugins.
2. Use FTP to delete the wp-admin and wp-includes folders.
3. Upload (with FTP) the new version’s wp-admin and wp-includes folders.
4. Upload (overwrite) all of the files (not the folders) in the main wordpress folder, except wp-config.php, of course.
5. Reactivate your plugins.

That’s it, though the WordPress site will talk you through some wp-content changes that may be necessary.

Also, I tried the new “secret key.” Be sure to add it to the correct location in your wp-config.php file, or you may have problems. In my wp-config.php file (generated by my hosting service during the installation), I added the secret key code as a new line immediately after where it says this:

define(‘DB_COLLATE’, ”);

If you add your own secret key code, use FTP to save the updated wp-config.php file (overwrite the old one) in your WordPress folder, and you should be all set. You will have to log in again, even if you were already logged in. But, in theory anyway, that’s all you’ll need to do.

On a more positive note, the “Add media” function seems to work better now. When I say that I want the graphic to go on the left, it really shows up there, aligned with the text. Life is good!

That said… I’m leaving most of my websites in WordPress 2.3.3 (the one illustrated in my book) until this new upgrade stabilizes. That’s when I’ll expand the Sites that Soar! book — or create a new, separate edition — with WP 2.5 illustrations and tips.

I doubt that I’ll change the book until June 2008 at the very soonest. A new version of 2.5 with this many changes… well, that suggests that there will be more changes in the immediate future.

Sure, I’d tried WordPress in the past. It was okay for blogging, but I generally wasn’t impressed until I saw the Mimbo and Branford Magazine themes. They look so great, I spent over a week figuring out how to install and customize them… and then wrote my book, Sites that Soar!

But… the only reason I looked into those WordPress themes was because James B. Allen mentioned them in his Seven Secrets Seminar.

In that seven-part series, he presents one amazing idea after another. It’s one of the most useful seminars I’ve heard this year. His talks are all resources… no fluff.

If you’re interested in selling products or services online, but haven’t heard the Seven Secrets Seminar series, do. (Many of his suggestions are for people with some experience in online marketing. If you’re not ready for his more advanced tips yet, you will be, soon.  Also, his seminars include plenty of info for beginners.)

Here’s one link: http://www.simplewebbusiness.com/seminar/

That’s not an affiliate link. I don’t earn money from it. That set sells for $17 and includes some nifty-looking bonuses.

Or, you can buy just the seminar series (no bonuses) for $7 through my link, Seven Secrets Seminar. (I do earn a commission if you use that link.)

I’m sharing this information because it’s made a huge difference in how successful I am, online, and Mr. Allen’s advice will probably help you, too.

You don’t have to use my link. I want you to hear the series, no matter what.

It’s an amazingly important series of short talks; it’ll take you about an hour to listen to them all.

I’d be understating it if I said that my online income tripled within three weeks of applying just a couple of Mr. Allen’s tips, and his recommended resources cost me nothing to use.

This seminar is invaluable.

On some (but not all) servers, the Extended WP Contact Form plugin doesn’t work. For me, that’s an important issue.

Are WordPress 2.5′s improvements worthwhile? Not yet.

The new WordPress (2.5) is cleaner to look at and it seems to run a little faster. But–with 20/20 hindsight after a day of testing it–my advice is to install WordPress 2.3.3, and wait at least a couple of weeks.

My sites that haven’t been upgraded to 2.5 are going to stay as they are until late May 2008, at the soonest. By then, the bugs should be worked out of 2.5, as well as the plugins.

If you install WordPress 2.5 anyway…

Nothing terrible will happen if you install WordPress 2.5. Oh, I can’t promise that all of my recommended plugins will work, but that’s the only problem.

The WordPress 2.5 control panels do look a little different than the screenshots in my Sites that Soar! book.

However, the design concepts are the same in both WordPress 2.3.3 and WordPress 2.5. I don’t think that the screenshot differences will cause problems.

When I write a WordPress 2.5 version with new screenshots (probably in June, when the dust has settled with 2.5), my book customers will be able to download a free copy.

Meanwhile, I’m regretting upgrading my larger sites to WordPress 2.5. There are too many headaches with it, especially with important plugins.