Features of Thesis 1.8

When an email from Do-It-Yourself Themes arrived in my inbox, I opened it up and saw how they defined this new version of thesis. As they said, Thesis has: rock-solid SEO, outstanding typography, point and click design controls that give you a full range of customization opportunities, free support forums with more than 30,000 members, and a detailed user-guide.

Here’s a quick look at what’s new with Thesis version 1.8:

Header Image Uploader

I disliked thesis because it missed a very common option of uploading a custom header image. I had to get my hands dirty (I don’t have any problem with that though, ’cause I like coding) with codes to do so. But why would I do coding when it said thesis would let me ‘do more and code less’? I disliked thesis.

However, 1.8 comes with built-in header image uploader. You definitely don’t have to mess with a lot of extra codes to have your company or blog logo at the header area of your blog. In my opinion, this is a true step forward for Thesis.

Character Counter

This is no major thing, but is worth telling. As a blogger, you may have already come to know that Search Engines don’t digest the total text of your blog. Be it the homepage or a single post, search spiders come to your blog, look for meta description and take a ‘limited number’ of characters from those inputs. If you’re using All in one SEO Pack plugin, then you already know what it is.

The good news is, Thesis 1.8 introduces this handy thing that is really a necessity that Chris Pearson did not thought of earlier.

Google Fonts

Well, this does excite me pretty much. I’m always a fond of web typography. I love cool fonts because they change the entire look and feel of your blog, website, letter or whatever.  I’m a Google fan, but that’s not what letting me praise Google one more time. It’s because Google has built something called Google Font directory from where you can embed fonts to your blog or website.

And guess what, although this might look a little technically messy, Thesis 1.8 comes with a default option to choose a font for your site from the directory of Google Fonts, which has 28 cool fonts to choose from. Since the service is built-in, giving your blog an outstanding feel with custom web fonts is now easier than ever before with Thesis.

WordPress Nav Menu

I remember I contacted Kristi Hines for the codes of navigation menu on my Thesis-powered WordPress blog (when it existed). Though Kristi made it a lot easier for me to set up that navigation bar right below the website title, I didn’t feel comfortable because then I was not familiar with CSS. I wished if there was a built-in support for that.

If you are a WordPress geek, you should have already known about WordPress custom menu. It’s a navigation bar that you can create, arrange and place without getting your hands dirty with codes. And luckily, Thesis 1.8 supports it. Heads up yo!

That’s not all, obviously. There are other things that are new with Thesis version 1.8. When you upgrade, or buy Thesis 1.8, you won’t need to search around for common help with your framework. Just go to the Thesis Theme User’s Guide and you are most likely to have your problem solved.

My take on Thesis

Of course, a part of the web jumped off Thesis because of a controversial and unpleasant argument between the creator of Thesis and the creator and founder of Automattic, the company behind WordPress. This sparked many questions and anger. As a result, CopyBlogger founder moved off thesis and entered Genesis. So did Chris Brogan.

But they all had professional issues. If you are familiar with Thesis, and if you are interested in playing game with your blog and give it a unique look from your very own imagination, Thesis should fit you. I’m not using Thesis on this blog because I really don’t have that much time to put for development efforts at this moment. When I’m free from study (for a while, at least), I will definitely try out Thesis.

And you, if are serious and determined with blogging or creating some sort of websites that you want to catch readers’ and visitors’ attention, go ahead with Thesis.

One thing to note, Thesis for personal use still costs $87 while the developer’s version costs $164. There is a strong rumor that the price will go up exceeding $200, so don’t be late to buy your copy of Thesis right now.

Click here to see purchase Thesis. It comes with an affordable price suited with your needs.

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Ever felt tired of filling up forms at different sites again and again? Have you ever fantasied if you had a personal assistant for managing all your passwords and other log in credentials? Well, you actually can appoint a digital personal assistance for your log in credentials handling.

You might have a different password for each of your applications. You might have gotten tired of repeatedly filling out forms. You need an auto form filler or a password keeper. Here are ten of the best. Some of them might require a few bucks, but it’s worth it.

1. Form Auto Filler [$29.95; Windows]

FormAutoFiller automatically fills in the details for your forms. It will generate passwords, assist you with logons, import CSV files and more. Regardless of the complexity, Auto Form filler will save those forms and manage your passwords.

2. Autofill Forms FireFox Add On [Free; Windows]

The Autofill Forms FireFox Add on is easy to use. You can configure the plugin to fill out your forms with a single click. You can change between users, placing different forms of security on your information. This plugin works with all form fields, including check boxes and radio buttons.

3. Fill Perfect [Free 15 Day Trial, $24.99; Windows]

This application called Fill Perfect is geared toward job hunters. It is an extension to Internet Explorer which will look at the application and immediately fill out any pertinent information. Fill Perfect protects your sensitive information such as your social security number and passwords. The program allows you access to your favorite job search engines.

4. Robo Form [Free up to 10 Passkeys, $29.95 for Unlimited; Windows, Mobile]

While using Robo Form, your passwords are stored in a single location. You have immediate access to your favorite web pages and bank accounts. You have one-click autofilling. This application is secure. Robo Form is used by the US Government.

5. LastPass [Free with ads, Premium $1 monthly; Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Mobile]

You can generate secure passwords, access your data from anywhere, backup and restore your passwords using LastPass. You can transfer your data to a USB drive with LastPass. Protect yourself from key loggers by creating separate profiles.

6. 1 Password [Free 30 Day Trial, $34.95 Single License, $59.95 Up to 5 Users. Mac OS X, iPad, PC]

1 Password will remember your passwords. Through this utility, you can create strong passwords and auto fill applications. Your personal details are kept safe from the criminals through the use of 1 Password. This program safely and securely stores passwords, credit card numbers and other personal information.

7. KeyChain [Mac OS X]

Mac users have a built in password protector at their fingertips. With Keychain, there is a single login to access all of your passwords. You can use Keychain on websites, applications and servers.

8. KeePass [Free; Windows]

Keepass is the open source solution to password management. It does not create registry keys in your system. Your password list can be exported to TXT, CSV and HTML files. Your passwords are safe and secure with KeePass Password Safe.

9. Handy Password [Free 30 Day Trial, $29.92; Linux]

Handy Password has numerous features available, including password security, online password storage, a portable password manager, the ability to auto fill forms and much more. It will generate passwords which are nearly unbreakable. It will also keep all of your information securely and safely stored.

10. Sticky Password [Free 30 Day Trial, $29.99 Single License, $49.99 3 Licenses; Windows]

You only need one password with Sticky Password. The program will automatically fill in forms and passwords. Your passwords can be managed directly from the Caption button.

There are some great tools to expedite filling in your forms. They will remember all of your passwords and keep all of your data safe from criminals. Fill your applications out with ease using an auto form filler.

About the writer: James is an in-house writer who works for an online ink cartridge specialist based in the UK. Most of his time is spent writing reviews of new hardware releases like the HP 901XL, but he also writes posts on art, design and media for their blog.

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As of today, there are over 250,000 bloggers using a little tool called WordPress to power their online presence. These numbers come from the folks at WordPress (http://wordpress.org) themselves. So with that many bloggers using the same software, how do you make your blog really stand out? Of course, you could rely on themes and widgets to make your blog unique. But think about it, there has to be a few in the crowd of a quarter million that think, “that is perfect!” when their eyes land on the same theme you are drooling over.

To really make your WordPress blog truly your own, we are going to cover some hacks that you can employ. While this may be a bit intimidating to novice blog administrators, those who step up to the challenge will find that hacking WordPress becomes easier each time you do it.

None of these hacks will simply tell you to install a plugin. Instead, we are going to keep the reliance on plugins to a minimum, reducing the need to consistently update them. Also, plugins require quite a bit more code than these hacks. While it may seem insignificant, reducing code bloat helps your blog’s performance. So instead of clicking the install button, you will need to get your hands dirty with the code.

Display recent comments first

One thing that I don’t like about WordPress is that it lists the first comment to a posting at the top. To read what the latest reader has to say, you have to scroll down to the bottom of the comments. Well, not anymore. This little trick requires you to make a few changes to the comment-template.php in the wp-includes folder. Once you are done, the most recent comment will now be the first one that appears after the posting.

You can show recent comments first.

1. Using an FTP program, or the file management tool available from your web hosting provider, navigate to the /wp-includes folder.
2. Once there, open the comment-template.php file for editing.
3. Around line 846, you will see the following lines of code:

/** @todo Use API instead of SELECTs. */
	if ( $user_ID) {
		$comments = $wpdb->get_results($wpdb->prepare("SELECT * FROM $wpdb->comments WHERE comment_post_ID = %d AND (comment_approved = '1' OR ( user_id = %d AND comment_approved = '0' ) )  ORDER BY comment_date_gmt", $post->ID, $user_ID));
	} else if ( empty($comment_author) ) {
		$comments = get_comments( array('post_id' => $post->ID, 'status' => 'approve', 'order' => 'ASC') );
	} else {
		$comments = $wpdb->get_results($wpdb->prepare("SELECT * FROM $wpdb->comments WHERE comment_post_ID = %d AND ( comment_approved = '1' OR ( comment_author = %s AND comment_author_email = %s AND comment_approved = '0' ) ) ORDER BY comment_date_gmt", $post->ID, wp_specialchars_decode($comment_author,ENT_QUOTES), $comment_author_email));
	}

4. Where the two lines read, ORDER BY comment_date_gmt (this may change as per your time zone), you will need to add the word DESC. Then, change the ASC in the line that reads $comments = get_comments( array(‘post_id’ => $post->ID, ‘status’ => ‘approve’, ‘order’ => ‘ASC’) ); to DESC. When you are finished, the block of code should look like this:

/** @todo Use API instead of SELECTs. */
	if ( $user_ID) {
		$comments = $wpdb->get_results($wpdb->prepare("SELECT * FROM $wpdb->comments WHERE comment_post_ID = %d AND (comment_approved = '1' OR ( user_id = %d AND comment_approved = '0' ) )  ORDER BY comment_date_gmt DESC", $post->ID, $user_ID));
	} else if ( empty($comment_author) ) {
		$comments = get_comments( array('post_id' => $post->ID, 'status' => 'approve', 'order' => 'DESC') );
	} else {
		$comments = $wpdb->get_results($wpdb->prepare("SELECT * FROM $wpdb->comments WHERE comment_post_ID = %d AND ( comment_approved = '1' OR ( comment_author = %s AND comment_author_email = %s AND comment_approved = '0' ) ) ORDER BY comment_date_gmt DESC", $post->ID, wp_specialchars_decode($comment_author,ENT_QUOTES), $comment_author_email));
	}

5. Save your changes.

Once you have made your changes, you should start seeing the most recent comments appear directly under the original post.

Give your post an extra 1000 words

Everyone has heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, so why not give each of your posts an extra grand by adding a thumbnail right next to your carefully crafted words. This nifty little hack will let you do just that without having to create a custom field.

Before you begin, you need to have an image to insert into your post. Since this is a thumbnail, you want to work with something relatively small. The example used here is 250px by 188px. Try to keep your image around the same size. Also, make sure that you change these dimensions in the code if your graphic has a different size. Once you have your image ready to go upload it to the images folder for your current theme and the, follow along:

1. Using an FTP program, or the file management tool available from your web hosting provider, navigate to the folder where your theme is located. This will be in the /wp-content/themes/ folder.
2. Once there, open the index.php file for editing.
3. Edit the following code changing the height and width of the picture to match yours, and changing the name of the image file:

ID, 'post-img', true);
if ($postimageurl) {
?>
<a rel="bookmark" href="&lt;?php the_permalink(); ?&gt;"><img src="&lt;?php echo $postimageurl; ?&gt;" alt="&lt;?php the_title(); ?&gt;" width="250" height="188" /></a>
 
<a rel="bookmark" href="&lt;?php the_permalink(); ?&gt;"><img src="&lt;?php bloginfo('template_url'); ?&gt;/images/sample.png" alt="&lt;?php the_title(); ?&gt;" width="250" height="188" /></a>

4. Now, insert the edited code where you want the thumbnail to appear in your posting.
5. Save the changes to the index.php file.

The image also serves as a url to the complete post along with all of the comments.

Highlight authors comments

When I am reading a post, I like to see how the author responds to some of the comments other readers have submitted, especially if it is a question on how to do something. This hack allows you to identify author’s comments by styling them differently than the others.

Highlighting author comment is important.

In this hack, we only need to add a couple of lines to our style.css file. That’s all, and once we are done, we will have made all of the author’s comments a nice shade of green with italicized text.

1. Using an FTP program, or the file management tool available from your web hosting provider, navigate to the folder where your theme is located. This will be in the /wp-content/themes/ folder.
2. Once there, open the style.css file for editing.
3. At the bottom of the css file, add the following lines:

li.bypostauthor {
	background-color: #66FF66;
        font-style: italic;
 
}

4. Save your file.

This hack used to require a bit more code to make it work, however since the addition of thefunction in 2.8, whenever a comment is posted by the author WordPress adds the bypostauthor class to the tag.

These modifications should help keep the need for plugins to a minimum. Check back later for more ways you can make your blog more unique, and functional, with easy to apply hacks.

About the writer Jeff Orloff is a content writer for Online Schools and Online MBA who gives advice on the pursuit of education and living a healthy life. In his free time he enjoys reading, coaching his son’s sports teams, and web security research.

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• 2 Updates: Why I stopped Disqus and Added CommentLuv

Why I stopped Disqus

Now, this is kind of weird because (i) WordPress doesn’t send notification for spam comments and (ii)I have Akismet plugin active so it’s not possible for every other spam to be approved.

When this thing turned into being a serious headache, I figured out that it was caused by ‘modern comment system’, Disqus. Disqus’ spam prevention system was never this weak before. These days I have noticed that almost all kind of spam comments were getting approved. Even if I mark them as spam, those spam comments, I can’t stop receiving notification for spam comments. If I wanted to stop notification, I had to stop all kind of notification which I didn’t want.

Here’s how my inbox was flooded like:

When my sufferings with my inbox and these bloody notifications began to know no bound, I contacted Disqus support and here’s their response:

After this, I waited for pretty long time but there was no improvement. Spam comments kept getting approved and even if they were caught, I would still suffer with their notification sent by Disqus. At the end of my patience, now I have decided to deactivate Disqus and end up my relationship with this modernized comment system.

As you can see below, Disqus is no more on my blog. And I’m pretty happy with it.

I’ve gone CommentLuv!

Because I believe I should care my readers and commentators a little bit more and open a door to their blogs each time they leave a comment. As you can see below in the comment section, my blog is now CommentLuv enabled!

So, don’t hesitate to post your thoughts each time you read a post. This has two benefits. 1. You are joining the discussion and showing others that you ARE there and you have a blog and an active voice to talk. 2. Each time you post a comment, you’re automatically opening a door to the last-published post of your blog at the time of commenting. Just make sure the CommentLuv button is checked (which is set by default) and don’t forget to type http:// before your blog URL so that CommentLuv system fetches your last post.

Subscribe now!

I believe my blog has always been a blog worth subscribing to. But with these 2 updates, I believe it’s become a must for you all to subscribe and stay updated with all posts and guest posts on my blog. You can subscribe via RSS reader (preferably Google Reader) to my blog’s Feed, http://feeds.feedburner.com/aisajib. You can also subscribe via Email to receive full posts in your inbox.

Share your story

Do you still have Disqus enabled on your blog? Do you have any bad experience with this? Do you believe activating CommentLuv on my blog encourages you to leave a comment each time you read a post? Just shoot your thoughts using my blog’s very own comment form, which you have never seen before!

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Being a blogger always had appeal to me, but it sure did take a long time for me to actually become one.
It was five years ago when I graduated from college and got my first IT job that I really started thinking about starting my own blog. The problem? I didn’t know what I would write about except for random observations that I had. Unfortunately, I didn’t think that there would be readership for something like that – and I was probably right.

Sure, some bloggers get away with posting about random stuff. But I think those are the types who just wanted to do their own thing. I was convinced at some point I would be able to make some sort of living from it. I just didn’t know how.

Fast forward a few years, and I started working for people who needed search engine optimized (SEO) writing. I wrote several hundred articles, mostly about technology and health topics. It was during this period of time that I realized that if I wrote unique content in my own voice I would be able to be successful using the knowledge I already had in my head.

So, after several years of writing for others off and on, I decided to start thechromesource, which is a site that is slowly gaining traffic as Google’s Chrome browser and Chrome OS are in the midst of rising popularity.

While I do advertise on thechromesource, it is mainly a labor of love and not necessarily a money maker. The way I can support myself is by working with smart people on the web doing interesting unique content.

The Secret Key

So what’s the secret to blogging? Well, I would suggest first and foremost that you read a lot. And I don’t just mean websites but books and magazines as well. Being a writer not only means you like to write, but also read. Do you think that successful Hollywood directors don’t like watching movies?

Secondly, take whatever work you can as a freelance writer. You need to be able to learn how to write on all sorts of different topics with varying degrees of perspective in order to be successful. Be persistent and you’ll find people who will give you recurring work.

Third, find a topic that captivates you. For thechromesource, I chose Google Chrome because as someone with experience working in IT the new and potentially disruptive nature of this technology excites me. Because of that, I have no qualms about posting news every day on the site.

Good luck getting started, and if you have already just keep working at it. The more you write, the better you become which in turn makes your work more enjoyable for readers. Being a good creative writer is really the secret to success.

About the writer: Daniel Cawrey is a freelance writer and blogger who writes on IT topics such as Google and network performance management.

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What are the characteristics of a compelling blog post? There are so many blog posts on the internet, it is difficult to capture people’s attention and keep it because there is always something else to look at. Here are ten ways to create blog posts that people will read and share.

1. Create a headline

You picked something interesting to blog about. Grab your readers from the outset by choosing a headline that is interesting and unusual. You have just a few seconds to capture their attention. Use subheadlines that further their interest.

2. Start with a question

Prime the pump for your audience. Start with a question about the subject that you’re going to handle. If possible, use a statistic in the question. Your readers should anxiously go from point to point to point, right to the resource box.

3. Bold

Bold text draws attention to your points. it is one way that you can keep your readers moving from point to point. You can use the bold statements as subheadings or you can use them within the body of the text. One technique is to make your highlighted text a point size bigger as you are writing it. That technique can be very subtle if you adjust your kerning (space between the lines) correctly within the post.

4. Write with only one idea

A post should tackle only one subject. Skim off the other ideas that you come up with and laser focus your attention on the one thing at hand. If you set out to create a blog post about cheese, do not end up chatting about the one time that you were in France. Think of the blog posts as snapshots with only one point of focus.

5. Write for purpose

Keep the purpose of your blog post in mind at all times. Are you writing to inform? Are you writing to entertain? Just as you need to keep only one idea within your post, keep the same purpose in mind throughout the post. Be it an object lesson or a funny story about cheese, your blog post should stay on task.

6. Write to your audience

Know the audience that you are writing to. It is easier for a college student to sympathize with other students when writing about the hard decisions between ramen noodles and bus fare. Each example in your blog post should be tailored to the audience that you’re writing for. Shy away from popular culture, because you want your posts to keep a ‘timeless’ feel.

7. Break up your text with subheadings

Your readers should have headings, subheadings and the body of the text to read. You can provide all of the highlights of your blog post through the bolded subheadings. Remember that your readers are as busy as you are, and want to be given the choice. Long paragraphs turn them off.

8. Tell stories

Some history teachers taught only facts and figures. Others used stories about the time period to hook you into their subject matter, even though it gave you the same information that the ‘fact and figure’ teachers did. Tell personal stories about your subject, keeping your readers entertained while simultaneously informing them.

9. Focus on the benefits

Keep in mind that your readers want to receive benefits from reading your work. Readers should care about the personal benefits that you are offering them. Use your passion to write about why this subject is important to you, and your readers will follow along.

10. Use lists

Lists are a great way to capture your readers’ attention because you are providing a concise beginning and end to your post. You are announcing to the world what you are doing and exactly how long you expect to be doing it. Your readers make the judgment to read your work based on the headline.

Captivate your readers with a headline and take them through your subpoints to your final sentence. Try to leave your readers with positive thoughts and empower them to make their own judgments. When formatted properly, your blog posts should take your readers to the stars.

About the writer: Throughout his time as a writer and product analyst at a leading specialist in ink cartridges, James has covered developments in hardware releases such as the HP 300XL as well as writing about his love of design and art in the media.

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Mark notes that PHP 5.2 is the configuration that vast majority of WordPress users are using and it offers substantial improvements over earlier PHP 5 releases. He also reveals that PHP 5.2 will also be the minimum server requirement for the next version of Drupal and Joomla, a pair of other popular Content Management Systems. Mark writes that around 11% of current WordPress installations are running less than PHP 5.2 server configuration. To add more features and make WordPress capable of running them, they need to reevaluate it, a Mark says.

About MySQL database, Mark writes:

In less exciting news, we are also going to be dropping support for MySQL 4 after WordPress 3.1. Fewer than 6 percent of WordPress users are running MySQL 4. The new required MySQL version for WordPress 3.2 will be 5.0.15.

Therefore, all current WordPress users/administrators are urged to upgrade their server compatibility to PHP 5.2 and MySQL 5.0.15. If you are not sure which version of PHP and MySQL your server supports, you can install and activate this handy plugin called “Health Check” to determine it and take action if necessary.

What is your health?

Which version of PHP and MySQL is your server running? Are you rushing to upgrade or still waiting until the WordPress 3.2 is released? For your information, you cannot upgrade to WordPress 3.2 (once it is released) unless your server runs PHP 5.2 and MySQL 5.0.15. So, take actions quickly if you run lower server configuration.

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From now on, as you can see in the header of my blog (advertise page is back!), I’m offering everyone a cool and fantastic opportunity to advertise their products or websites on my blog. This opportunity is great for those who want to reach a wide audience at a cheaper rate.

There are four ways to advertise on my blog. The hottest of them is a 125×125 pixels banner on top of my blog which is visible to every post across the blog. A banner of the same size can also be placed at the sidebar for cheaper rate, although that one will be visible on any post across the blog as well.

If you want a detailed way of promote your product or website, you can discuss about having a sponsored post published on my blog which will stay for infinite period on my blog (that means as long as my blog exists). On the other hand, if you want a cheaper and simpler way to advertise your website, you can buy text links, too.

Whatever way it is that you want to use for the promotion of your product or blog, you should check out the Advertise page for details and pricing.

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Finding the best deals online is an art form. With so many options available, there is no need to pay retail for a product. You can find coupon codes, subscribe to newsletters, and even do all of your comparison shopping online. Here are eight ways to get the best discounts on products and services that you need.

1. Amazon

Amazon provides information on nearly any product under the sun. When searching for the perfect gift, people will often turn to Amazon because of the reviews and recommendations. It offers both new and used products, so you can find deals on nearly anything that you’re looking for. One of the best parts about Amazon is that there is free shipping available for many of the products.

2. Comparison Shopping

Comparison shopping is one of the best ways to get the deals that you’re looking for. At sites like Nextag and Shopzilla, you can look at products side by side. These sites will also tell you of the additional perks (like free shipping) that a company offers.

3. Online Coupons

Sometimes a company offers quick and easy online coupons which cater to the impulse shopper. They will offer browsers limited time discounts, urging them to get products in advance. Go through your favorite manufacturer’s sites to see if there are online coupons available for the things that you want.

4. Subscriber-only offers

Most companies have online newsletters which they send to their subscribers every month. Many of them have discounts which are only available to their subscribers. these discounts include free shipping on the next order, percentage discounts and the occasional buy one get one free offer. With these loyalty discounts, you can save a lot of money.

5. Buy refurbished

There are many products which are just as good used as they were new. Since they are refurbished, they can be sold for much cheaper than the cost of a new item. There are plenty of sites available to purchase used products, including Craig’s List and Atoncer, and eBay

6. Group Coupons

Group coupons or Groupons provides you with bulk purchasing power as an individual. If enough people want a discount, that discount is offered to the entire group. You can get $50 gift certificates to restaurants for $20, receive over 50% in savings on goods and services and even get free things through the use of Groupons.

7. Coupon codes

Coupons are not limited to merely newspapers. Sites like RetailMeNot and Coupon Cabin which list thousands of coupon codes so that you can get buy one get one free offers and deep discounts on your most commonly used items. These sites are aggregators of some of the best deals around, all available with a quick click of your mouse.

8. Auction Sites

Auction sites allow you to vie for substantial discounts. You set the price that you’re willing to pay, and the price of the item will go up depending on the demand that it receives. With auction sites like eBay, getting the best deals comes down to timing and patience.

Some of the most insane discounts are available online if you know where to look. You can find substantial discounts on Ebay, Groupon and Nextag with only a couple of clicks. It is a wonderful feeling to know that you’re getting the best deals, isn’t it?

About the writer: James is a staff writer who works for an online design blog.

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As I told in the first post, you need FTP access to do this. If you have access, then simply follow the steps below (just like the first one).

Step by Step tutorial

Step 1: Log in to your site’s FTP and open up the wp-login.php file from the WordPress root folder. If you don’t have any FTP client installed on your desktop, you may try Net2FTP – the best web based FTP client I’ve come across so far.

Step 2: Look for

<div id="login">

You’ll see this exists twice in the file. One right below another. You need to edit the first one.

Step 3: Under the first login div, you’ll see the link of WordPress (http://wordpress.org/). All you need to do is replace this link with your domain name. On the same line, you’ll see the default title “Powered by WordPress” which you can replace with your site’s title, too.

Step 4: Save the file.

Things to know

As I told earlier (in the previous post), these settings will go away as soon as you upgrade your WordPress version or reinstall the current version. It is recommended that you keep a backup of this file so that you can upload it and restore the settings after your WordPress version is upgraded.

Why not plugin?

It’s true that there are lots of plugins to handle this. But I personally don’t prefer to use too many plugins. You’ll see that I used to place adsense manually and do all other stuffs which are possibly for me to do without any plugins. Too many plugins slow down the post and sometimes heavies your database with too many tables. So, it is recommended that you avoid using plugins for simple stuffs such as changing the login page logo and URL.

Your turn

So, did you mess anything up while doing this easy task? No? That’s wonderful. You may want to show us how you’ve made your WordPress login page’s logo. Share the link in the comment area including your own opinion on how much my posts helped you to get this done.

If you liked this post (including the previous one), don’t forget to share it on Facebook, tweet it on Twitter, and bookmark on other social bookmarking services.

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