Download - Word camp raleigh presentation 11 23-13
WordCamp Raleigh, November 23, 2013
Branching Out with WordPress Multisite and BuddyPress
by Melodie Laylor
Saturday, November 23, 13
A Little About Melodie
✤ From Hampton, VA
✤ Worked with WordPress for 6-1/2 yrs
✤ Organizer of WordPress Hampton Roads Meetup
✤ Freelance web designer
✤ Myself and husband are rebranding as PajamaWeb
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Connect with Melodie
✤ e-mail: [email protected]
✤ Websites: http://www.melodielaylor.comhttp://www.pajamaweb.com
✤ Twitter:@melodielaylor
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Why I Chose This Topic
✤ I’m migrating a blog and social network to WordPress/BuddyPress for a large non-profit organization
✤ Original site is a custom-coded CMS
✤ Original developer moved on, was only programmer involved
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Why I Chose This Topic
✤ I’m creating a new multisite for a business networking organization with BuddyPress
✤ Different chapters in different cities need their own sites
✤ Want to build an online community of businesspersons
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Why I Chose This Topic
✤ BuddyPress - Not very much documentation in Codex
✤ BuddyPress - Many if not most articles online are old (circa 2009-2010)
✤ BuddyPress and Multisite often used together
✤ Wish to add to the discourse
✤ Share insights gathered, lessons learned on this head-first journey
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WordPress Multisite
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What is WordPress Multisite?
✤ A network of sites
✤ These sites all stem from a single WordPress install
✤ It’s a mode in WordPress enabled via a code snippet
✤ Real-life example: WordPress.com is a GINORMOUS multisite
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What’s Multisite Good For?
✤ A blog network
✤ Multiple sites by a single owner - to consolidate maintenance
✤ Businesses or organizations with multiple locations or chapters that need their own sites under a parent umbrella
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What WordPress Multisite is NOT:
✤ Web hosting(because it’s not)
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Multisite Considerations
✤ Single database for network
✤ Shared user base (all users in all subsites are listed in primary site)
✤ Shared themes - all installed and can only be modified at primary site
✤ Shared plugins - all installed at primary site
✤ Network activate - plugin is activated in all sites
✤ Or not - listed in subsite dashboards and can be activate on a site-by-site basis
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Multisite Considerations
✤ The owner of the network is a Super Admin - “god” of all sites on the network
✤ Subsite owners are admins of their respective sites
✤ Allow users to register and create their own sites, or manually assign users and create additional sites
✤ Create multiple networks stemming from the primary one (via a plugin: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-multi-network/
✤ Subsites can have their own unique domains via the Domain Mapping Plugin: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-mu-domain-mapping/
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Multisite Caveats
✤ Users on subsites cannot install plugins or themes
✤ Users on subsites cannot edit the themes available
✤ BUT, there are plugins to allow adding custom CSS
✤ Edit theme at network level, it changes across the network in all sites using it
✤ Installed themes are available to all sites
✤ Plugins not network activated will be visible and selectable to all sites
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Multisite Caveats
✤ Content is NOT shared; what’s published on one site is unique to that site
✤ If you have more than a handful of subsites or lots of traffic on the network, shared hosting will not be adequate
✤ Managed hosting
✤ VPS
✤ Dedicated - $$$$
✤ Cloud (AWS) - advanced option
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Multisite Caveats
✤ Exporting from multisite to standalone WP site - less straightforward
✤ Remember themes and plugins are installed at the top of the network, so if a single user if migrating, they don’t have access to their theme and plugins unless the super admin provides copies
✤ Posts, pages and corresponding media can be exported from the dashboard and imported into the new WP install
✤ Backup Buddy (premium plugin) is supposed to export from multisite/import to standalone WP, iThemes still declares this an experimental function
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Multisite Caveats
✤ Last but not least, these considerations and caveats create greater responsibility as an admin
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Enough already, let’s enable multisite!
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✤ If you’re not starting from a clean WP install, BACKUP your DB and files!
✤ Enable pretty or canonical permalinks
✤ Add this line to wp-config.php:define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );above the line /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */
✤ Refresh dashboard, go to Tools --> Network Setupand choose subdomains or subdirectoriesNOTE: CHOOSE WISELY, YOU CANNOT CHANGE THIS LATER
✤ Fill in your Network Details and click Install
✤ Add lines to wp-config.php and .htaccess as provided
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For More Information on Multisite:
✤ Codex article: http://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network
✤ Codex article: http://codex.wordpress.org/Before_You_Create_A_Network
✤ Mika Epstein’s WCSF 2013 presentation: http://wordpress.tv/2013/08/01/mika-epstein-dont-use-wordpress-multisite/
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What is BuddyPress?
✤ A Plugin: http://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/
✤ Turns a WordPress site into a social network; “social networking in a box”
✤ Use it to build an online community
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What’s BuddyPress Good For?
✤ Building a niche community online; i.e. a social network built around a special interest
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What BuddyPress is NOT:
✤ The next Facebook (because it’s not)
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BuddyPress Features/Functions
✤ Member profiles
✤ Activity streams
✤ Extended Profiles
✤ Friend connections
✤ Private messaging
✤ Notifications
✤ Groups
✤ Forums (add plugin bbPress)
✤ Global content tracking (multisite)
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BuddyPress Features/Functions
✤ Does NOT require Multisite, though they are often used together
✤ Now compatible with nearly all WordPress themes (as of version 1.7)
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BuddyPressConsiderations
✤ Requires pretty or canonical permalinks
✤ BP does not work when WP is installed in its own directory (run from www root directory but files located in another)
✤ Use with multisite so users can create their own sites/blogs
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Buddypress Caveats
✤ BuddyPress extended profiles (Xprofiles) and user profiles metadata are not linked
✤ User documentation (the Codex) is rather scanty
✤ small team working on BuddyPress core dedicated to improving BP itself
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For More Information on BuddyPress:
✤ Download BuddyPress: http://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/
✤ Official BP website: http://www.buddypress.org
✤ BP Codex: http://codex.buddypress.org
✤ WPMUdev BP manual: http://premium.wpmudev.org/manuals/the-buddypress-manual-2/
✤ bbPress: http://www.bbpress.org
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Site Examples
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Multisite Live Examples
✤ http://www.wordpress.com
✤ Georgia State University - http://www.gsu.edu
✤ BBC America - http://www.bbcamerica.com
✤ Spotted By Locals - http://www.spottedbylocals.com
✤ University of Mary Washington - http://www.umw.edu
✤ Edublogs - http://www.edublogs.com
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BuddyPress Live Examples
✤ Tasty Kitchen - http://www.tastykitchen.com
✤ Bitsy - http://www.bitsythis.com
✤ Enterprise Nation - https://www.enterprisenation.com/
✤ CUNY Academic Commons - http://commons.gc.cuny.edu/
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My Projects (Under Construction #1)
✤ A standalone WP site w/BuddyPress:
✤ Social network/user community
✤ Guest bloggers
✤ Video section (using CPTs/taxonomies)
✤ Important plugins:
✤ Buddypress Xprofile Custom Fields Type - http://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress-xprofile-custom-fields-type/
✤ Commons In A Box - http://commonsinabox.orgSaturday, November 23, 13
My Projects (Under Construction #2)
✤ WP multisite w/BuddyPress
✤ Organization with chapters opening in different cities
✤ Each city has it’s own site, site owner/admin
✤ Site owners can blog their own events, get their own members to sign up
✤ Paid memberships
✤ members directory - of businesses local to chapters
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My Projects (Under Construction #2)
✤ BuddyPress - goal is to build free community of users - maybe
✤ Important Plugins:
✤ Paid Memberships Pro - http://www.paidmembershipspro.com
✤ Business Directory Plugin - http://businessdirectoryplugin.com
✤ bbPress - maybe (http://bbpress.org)
✤ Included in Commons in a Box
✤ BuddyPress Toolbar - http://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress-toolbar
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I hope you enjoyed this presentation.Thank You!
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Questions anyone?
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