Free For Your Site

Unless you’re completely new to blogs, you probably know that WordPress is one of the most popular and customizable blogging platforms out there. Most bloggers use WordPress because of the available templates, useful plug-ins, and constant bug and security fixes. The latest major WordPress release is version 2.2 Getz, named after tenor saxophonist Stan Getz.

Included in this WordPress update are several new features for the average user and the developers who like to tinker with the program’s code. The former WordPress Widgets plug-in is now improved and included in the actual core code of the program. This feature lets users drag-and-drop elements of their blog without having to change a single line of code.

The Getz update also includes full support of Atom feeds, infinite comment stream, and several security and user interface improvements. You can now preview posts and pages before publishing them, which is a handy feature if you directly work on WordPress rather than typing up your content on a separate word processor. There’s also good news for Blogger users - you can now import your posts and comments via WordPress without fuss. All these features will prove to be useful and accessible for both novice and experienced bloggers.

Experienced web programmers will appreciate the backend improvements of WordPress, including inline documentation that makes code navigation easier. The config file can also be used to collate the database and character sets, as well as code the site and WordPress URL. A set of new XML-RPC APIs make it much easier for programmers to edit pages, set categories, and perform other functions.

Overall, the WordPress 2.2 Getz release is a must-have for current WordPress users and those who are looking for a blogging application. Using WordPress requires a web server with PHP 4.2 and MySQL 4.0 support. If you don’t have your own hosting plan, you can host your blog free at WordPress.com.

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