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Category as a Front Page Display

  1. edgelinux
    Member

    On my site I would like to be able to categorize my posts and have posts automatically go into the appropriate section for my site via what category I post under. This would be possible with a few small tweaks to the Front Page Display section.

    The current setup of having all your posts shown is not ideal for me because I like to keep my readers up to date on things I am doing with the site, if there are going to be potential interruptions. The Announcements are pushing my content back. I originally wanted to create multiple feeds but I realized this is not required.

    In the Dashboard under Settings > Reading there is a section called Front Page Display.

    Being able to set a category as the front page instead of a post would allow you to have multiple sections that are dynamically modified when you post in a certain category.

    The menu's are set up quite nicely for this type of integration because you can use Categories as links in the menu.

    At the moment the majority of my pages are simply link references to content that I have done. This simple tweak will allow me to use pages properly, As informational sources rather than navigational purposes.

    The blog I need help with is cuttingedgelinux.com.

  2. timethief
    Member

    There are many common errors, misunderstandings and misconceptions when creating custom menus and you can read about them here > http://wpbtips.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/custom-menus/

  3. edgelinux
    Member

    Thank you for your post but that content is not relevant to the post I created. I understand how to use the custom menu system, I just want to use it in a way that it is not currently designed. I do not want a static start page, I also do not want my announcements pushing my content back. Being able to choose a category as my start page would fix this issue.

    There should also be a "none" Option under posts page when using a category as your front page. This allows for more user configuration.

  4. timethief
    Member

    I just want to use it in a way that it is not currently designed

    If you want to be creative you can hire a web host, set up a WordPress.org install and hack it to suit you but you cannot do that here.

  5. timethief
    Member

    P.S. I posted above just in case you think that suggestions made in this Ideas Forum are instantly followed by Staff and implemented. Use the searchbox and you will find that's not the case at all.

  6. edgelinux
    Member

    @timethief how do you get idea's implemented then?

    Most of the functionality is there already. It just needs to be tweaked a little to implement it, This would add great functionality for users to control the flow of their blog with little time spent on Automattic's side.

  7. timethief
    Member

    I understand what you posted. I simply didn't want you to be holding your breath and expecting to be instantly accommodate. I've been here over 6 years answering questions and that's not what I observe.

  8. edgelinux
    Member

    I also never expected an immediate response and/or fix. Its simply an idea that would further set wordpress apart from the rest of the blogging sites out there.

  9. timethief
    Member

    I also never expected an immediate response and/or fix.

    Great! Best wishes to you.

  10. edgelinux
    Member

    Thank you for your observations. I think Automattic does their best to make us all happy and give us the features we want.

    I know this would be a simple feature to add because its already there, It just needs a tiny bit of tweaking to work in a much more powerful way.

    Every feature WordPress adds to make it easier for the user, The better wordpress is as a solution vs other blogging sites.

  11. timethief
    Member

    I think Automattic developers do their very best to listen to the 90% of all WordPress.ORG users who attend WordCamps because those users are using free software to make their living with.

  12. edgelinux
    Member

    @timethief as I am attempting to do with my wordpress.com site. I want to use wordads so I am not switching over to wordpress.org even though it increases a lot of possibilities for me. There are definitely pro's and con's to having a wordpress.org and a wordpress.com but I think I prefer sticking with the .com.

  13. raincoaster
    Member

    You could accomplish the same thing with either a static front page linking to the category page OR opening on the blog posts main page with a Sticky directing people to the category page.

  14. edgelinux
    Member

    @raincoaster.
    Thanks for the suggestions, I could do both of those however the resulting product is vastly different than my desired outcome.

    This is a simple idea that would truely be revolutionary to blogging and give wordpress an extreme edge over the competition. Have a photo blog and take pictures on a wide variety of content but want it split up. When you add a category to your post it automatically goes in with similar content. If you like to keep your blog on topic but ever see good off-topic content you want to share you can have a seperate place for that, instead of having to customize and generate traffic for an entirely new blog for a off-topic section of posts.

    Found here: http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/
    "WordPress.com is a hosting platform that makes it easy for anyone to publish online. The software is hosted and maintained by the team here at Automattic, letting you focus on creating awesome content!"

    Right now things are not easy on wordpress.com, I am straying away from focussing on the content on my site in favor of attempting to increase the navigation capabilities, These are things that require a lot of maintainance on my part if I ever want to make small tweaks to my site (potentially having to edit every single post ever created).

    My information is not displayed in the way I would like it, In essence how wordpress now operates is forcing self generated spam on my site. This will still happen with any solution available to me now and the only way to stop it is to allow proper usage of categories. Their full power and potential is not currently being used.

  15. edgelinux
    Member

    @raincoaster I may just do your suggestion of linking to the category on a static page. I have an image of a painting I have been wanting to put up someplace and I think that may be the perfect place.

  16. raincoaster
    Member

    Things are easy on WordPress.com as long as you don't demand customization. For the level of control you're looking for, you will want WordPress.org.

  17. edgelinux
    Member

    @raincoaster I do not really want the trouble of being on wordpress.org and searching for a reliable host. I just purchased the Custom Designs and I think that gave me enough customization to make having a custom start page with my image link looking really nice eventually.

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