A WP 2.7 version of the book?
Jan 4th, 2009 | By Ais | Category: Products
WordPress 2.7 was released in December 2008 as a recommended update.
It was quickly followed by WordPress 2.7.1, which makes only minor changes in the software.
From what I’ve seen so far, WP 2.7+ is a sleek, highly intuitive redesign. It’ll take a little while to get used to the changes, but — to me — they look like huge improvements.
In my opinion, it’s one of the best WordPress updates so far.
The next Sites that Soar!
Many people asked if I’d be updating my ebook, Sites that Soar!
Early in January 2009, I wasn’t so sure.
Michael Oeser, who released Branford Magazine, radically changed key parts of the theme. His new version of Branford Magazine is very different from the old one, and — frankly — I’m not happy with how it was released.
(See my article, The 2.6 Branford Magazine theme for more info.)
However, fans of Sites that Soar have not only asked me to continue publishing updates, several have pleaded with me to create a better version of Branford Magazine. One email was particularly persuasive on both points, so…
So, I wrote an updated edition of Sites that Soar, and I’m working on a more user-friendly version of Branford Magazine.
Discounts and updates
New editions of my book are not free. (There have been no free updates after the second edition was given, free of charge, to first edition customers.)
However, customers who’ve subscribed to my newsletter (in the right column) received a limited-time offer for a 50% discount on the new edition. (That discount has expired now.)
The older version… still useful?
The older version of Sites that Soar! isn’t entirely obsolete. For example, the general uploading and customizing ideas are still the same.
However, most of the WordPress dashboard screenshots are now outdated.
If you follow the concepts and not the screenshots, you can probably figure out the dashboard and control panel changes.
If you don’t buy the new edition of my book but you need help, check the WordPress.org website. They publish tutorials with each new version of WordPress.
However, the changes in Branford Magazine are significant. If you “upgrade” to the newer Branford Magazine, you may have problems with the changes in the image display codes.
On some servers, those changes will require a database change as well. (If you aren’t confident about working with MySQL and your database, you may need to ask your hosting service to help you.)
Remember, Michael Oeser has his own (free) forum where I’m sure he’ll answer all of your questions. In addition, Mr. Oeser published his own (free) tutorials, with screenshots, at his Der-Prinz.com website.
If you’re not happy with the new version of Branford Magazine, you can download the previous version at my website: http://sitesthatsoar.com/PRiNZ_BranfordMagazine_2point51.zip
The WP 2.7 edition (February 2009) of Sites that Soar may be my final update of this book.
Umm, I just purchased this ebook today (10/12/08), and then found out you will be updating it soon for Wordpress 2.7. Will I be able to download that edition for free?
Well, “soon” probably means December… two months from now.
After the very first edition of Sites the Soar!, there have been no free upgrades. Instead, though the cover price is currently $17 — which is very low, for the hours the book will save you in installation and customizing headaches — I’ve added over $55 in immediate, free bonuses.
The WP 2.7 changes will be covered in detail at the official WordPress site… free. You should be able to figure out the new dashboard elements from that.
In addition, Michael Oeser, the creator of Branford Magazine, features tutorials at his own website. I’m not sure if he’s planning to update them for WP 2.7. While he doesn’t go into the detail that I do, if you’re already using Branford Magazine, you’ll probably glean enough from his tutorials to figure out the changes.
The code portion of the book won’t change much (if at all), just the dashboard screenshots and related instructions.
And, when WordPress changes their dashboard, they usually explain it in their own tutorials that are free at the WordPress.org website.
Rewrites of this book take me about three weeks, after the release of the final, stable version of a new WordPress. So, if the WP 2.7 comes out in November, I expect the new book to be available in December.
The WP 2.7 update may be my last update to Sites that Soar. It’s been fun to be able to help others set up this great theme, but the work involved in the regular WP updates is significant.
But, if you’d like your current copy of the book to be free, refer two customers to this website. At 50% commission, you’ll have earned back the price of your book.
Affiliate info link: http://www.sitesthatsoar.com/affiliates/affiliates.htm
dude how the hell did u manage to put custom fields image in a post … i`ve mage to display the images on the home page http://bestfrequency.com … but in a post … i can`t do it … what is the right “key” … do i need some more line of code in the single.php ?? pls help
They’re on the homepage because that’s where those particular Custom Fields show up.
To add an image to any post or page (other than the homepage), use the Add Media link at the upper right side of your Write > Post screen… immediately above where you type in the text.
I often use the same image in my Custom Fields and in my post. That’s why they look like I’ve added a Custom Field in a post… Within the post, it’s an “Add Image”, not actually a Custom Field.
damn … for me is not workin`
( http://curtici.net/?p=464 i`m missing somthing
If there’s no “Add Media” button, reinstall WordPress. It should be there.
If you’re having trouble in the Add Media screen, try the browser version. That’s what I use. It’s among your options when the Add Media screen is open.
You’re describing a WordPress problem that can probably be answered at the WordPress forum, WordPress.org.
It’s not a Branford Magazine issue. The theme won’t affect the ability to add images to your posts.
no no … not adding media problem … i can add image and i can display it … that`s not the problem, the problem is that the image come first and … under it the text … it`s not like in your post … image in the text, lt me add another image and u eneter the link an see what`s my problem http://curtici.net/?p=473
That issue is addressed in the “Image Placement” part of this post:
http://sitesthatsoar.com/wordpress/no-images-weird-placement/
Generally, I’m unable to visit individual websites to correct code issues. Everything that I can tell you is either in the book or at this website.
Betzy, commenting above, shared a useful code addition to your stylesheet. It resolves most placement issues with Branford Magazine.
In WordPress 2.7, look at the left column. Beneath “Appearances”, look for the word “Editor” and click on it.
The default page is usually Stylesheet (style.css).
In the general area of the other img-related code, add this:
Save the stylesheet. That’s all!
(If your stylesheet isn’t editable within WordPress, you’ll either need to change the permissions for your stylesheet, or manually edit the style.css and upload it via FTP. These topics are covered in my book, Sites that Soar! http://www.SitesThatSoar.com/ )
…And, for the record, I’m not a “dude”. I’m a woman, and the mother of three wonderful children.
My name, Aisling, is pronounced the Irish way, ASH-ling. It can be a man’s name in the UK, but among my County Cork (Ireland) cousins, it’s always a woman’s name.
Well, my New Year’s holiday is blown. Not only is there WordPress 2.7 to install, but there is a new version of the Branford Magazine Theme. On December 14, Michael Oeser (Der-Prinz) released Version 2.6 (Michael@OeserWeb.com) New jQuery library. Makes use of absolute image URLs for the custom fields now. Complete rework of hyperlink behaviors. WP-image-classes integrated into CSS file.
This should help with the funky image positioning. I always change the image class to img class=”left” when I write an article. Check out http://www.aNetGain.com to see examples. I could not have done this without Aisling’s excellent book.
Michael Oeser has re-opened his support forums, and posted a tutorial on homepage image positioning
http://www.der-prinz.com/en/2008/07/20/step-by-step-write-posts-and-use-images-on-the-homepage-of-branfordmagazine/
It was a challenge to donate to Der-Prinz using PayPal. The page I got was in German and I had to use Yahoo Babelfish to translate the directions. I knew how many dollars, but I had to convert it to Euros and use a comma instead of a decimal point. His design is so excellent, I wish he had three Paypal buttons: USDollars, PoundsSterling and Euros. I really appreciate that he keeps working on the design. What wonderful artists, Aisling and Michael!
Anet, thanks for the info. Until your comment, I had no idea that Mr. Oeser had “upgraded” the Branford Magazine theme.
I’m glad that you’re happy with the new design. I’m not.
In the strongest possible terms, I advise NOT installing the new Branford Magazine IF you’re using any previous version.
I tried the new Branford Magazine theme on one of my lesser-used websites, and the results were awful. If your site is like mine, here’s what can happen:
All of your homepage images will vanish. You’ll have to re-do all of your Custom Fields image URLs. Your Lead Article blurb will have the same text, but in a strangely larger area on your homepage. If you didn’t have an ad block in your sidebar, you’ll suddenly have one. The “About this theme” will be back, along with an “Important” tab that makes no sense to me.
I have no idea what Mr. Oeser was thinking, but this “upgrade” should not have been released without warnings for existing Branford Magazine users.
In addition, many of the instructions in my current (WP 2.5 & 2.6) tutorial ebook… well, they won’t work now. So, I’m not happy that Mr. Oeser didn’t tell me about the changes.
If you’re determined to use the new version of Branford Magazine, download it from the der-prinz.com site. Then, after unzipping it, rename it to anything that doesn’t end in “_latest”. (That way, it won’t overwrite your existing version of Branford Magazine, when you upload it to your wp_contents > themes folder.)
Install it as if it’s a brand new theme. In your Appearance (or Design) tab in WordPress, select Themes and then select the new Branford Magazine theme.
See what happens. If, like me, you don’t like it, you can just click to resume using your previous version of Branford Magazine.
If you already overwrote the previous Branford Magazine theme, here’s a zipped version of the previous (2.5.1) Branford Magazine: http://branfordmagazine.com/PRiNZ_BranfordMagazine_2point51.zip
I’m wanting to buy the Sites That Soar ebook but I can’t see how. Any ideas?
Colin
Colin, you’ll probably want to read my article, Yes, a new Sites that Soar! in which I say, “My own, free version of Branford Magazine, as well as my new Sites that Soar ebook — with videos — should be ready around the end of January.”
Is it the end of January yet?
Or … can you think of a magazine theme alternative that is worth considering?
I haven’t updated the theme, as I am loathe to do so with anything on the internet once I have it working.
But, I don’t like the unprofessional sound of the update, even though it was good looking and was free, if I can’t update, I get scared.
Cheers,
Kirk Ward
Today is 30th January 2009, hopefully I’ll get a good news tomorrow about your new book and your friendly user branford magazine. What a wonderful day…………..good luck.
I’m working on it!
Hi Ais,
I know you are busy and thanks for the first edition of STS, it was super-ly helpful. Some goofy things happened when I updated to 2.7.1 and was wondering if your re-working of the Brandford theme is ready for prime time. I haven’t messed with it since I bought the book and I am waiting for guidance in your easy-to-read-not-talking-down-to new edition…damn now I forget what I was going to ask you. Age is really catching up to me…time for my meds…
all the best,
a fan
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your comments! I’m still working on the Branford theme modifications, to be sure that they’re reasonably glitch-free.
Meanwhile, upgrading to WP 2.7.1 shouldn’t have affected the appearance of your website. What can make a huge difference is if you were using a pre-December 2008 version of Branford, and updated to the 2.6 version. For starters, your homepage images may vanish and your lead article may double in space on your homepage.
I’ll post at this website as soon as I conclude my experiments with modified Branford themes.
Thanks for asking!