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Hi - I have a blog set up at WordPress.com using a domain I purchased via WordPress.com. How can I add a "forums" capability and page to my site? I don't see that capability in any of the menus listed on my dashboard?
Is it possible that I'd have to go to WordPress.org to get that capability? And if so, can I transfer my owned domain to WordPress.org?
The blog I need help with is righteconomics.org.
You can link to an outside Forum - I have not tried these but have seen them mentioned from time to time.
Forums
http://www.proboards.com/
WordPress.ORG are the keepers of the software and not a host -
For more on the difference: http://support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/
Thank you! I have read the comparison of .com vs .org, but wasn't sure of all the implications - and how hard it would be to transfer my paid domain from wordpress.com to a third party hosting site (or to myself, or...), so I can use wordpress.org to continue my site building. FYI, I have just asked support about this, also.
I appreciate your help here, auxclass.
If you have had your domain registered for over 60 days you can transfer it - but no need to do that - just change where the name-servers point to - to your new host if you ever want to move - quick and easy
WordPress.COM is one of the cheapest registrar's around.
Hi Auxclass. I have had my domain registered for over 60 days with WordPress.com - but you said, "no need to do that [transfer it from WordPress.com, I assume]. Just change where the name-servers point to - to your new host if you ever want to move."
I am revealing my lack of tech knowledge here to really comprehend what you're saying.
If I combine what you have said in two postings above, I could retain my blog/website building with WordPress.com and put a forum link on my existing site to one of the above Forum sites (where I could have set up either a free (with ads) forum or one of the paid forums). Then I wouldn't have to switch to wordpress.org and a third party web hosting site. Is that correct?
Going further with what you said - do you also mean that IF I chose to build forums using the combination of WordPress.org (instead of WordPress.com), a forum plug-in AND a third party webhosting site, I could "just change where the name-servers point to - to my new host" ?
Bob
To have a forum integrated with your blog, and to have ads, plugins, etc., you will have to self-host a blog. The domain name you have here can be pointed at your new web host by changing the DNS records under domain management here so that they point at your new web host.
http://en.support.wordpress.com/domain-mapping/domain-management/#update-nameservers
A nameserver record change will take 24-72 hours to propagate through the nameserver system although it will typically happen in 24 hours or less. There is nothing that can be done to speed that up. That means that for a period of time what shows up on your domain name might sometimes be your old blog here, and sometimes it might be the new site. You just have to be patient with things for a little while.
@bbriley42 - both your 3rd and 4th paragraphs are correct -
Thank you both, Sacred Path and Auxclass! Please correct me if I am mistaken, but since I anticipate another of our group members helping me by being given an "editor" role, it might be most feasible to take the option of remaining with WordPress.com (instead of going to WordPress.org), since neither my editor nor I, as administrator, would have to install software on our own pc's. Then I could get the forum capability by linking to a forum from one of the forum providers listed above, in Auxclass's posting near the top of this page.
I also assume that if I used WordPress.org, I'd have to ftp whatever I build to the hosting site - since in essence, the site is being built on my own pc using wordpress software from wordpress.org. I don't see how I could have another person editing from his own pc, in that case.
Am I correct here? I am not trying to drive you insane, just retain my own sanity as I consider the alternatives.
In all cases, thank you for your informed responses!
Friede sei mit dir und durch dich! - courtesy of Google Translations...
Bob R
You do not have to install wordpress on your computer. That will actually do you not good, unless you plan on using it for developmental purposes (writing your own plugins, creating your own theme, etc.).
If you self-host a blog, that means the wordpress software would be on the servers at a web hosting company such as godaddy or dreamhost. You would log into that site, and the dashboard would looks substantially similar to the one here at wordpress.COM. You would write posts and pages in the editor just as you do here and then publish them.
Hi Sacred Path, thank you for that information - about not having to install WordPress on my own pc if I used a 3rd party hosting site.
I did know that webhosting sites like godaddy.com do install wordpress on one's site upon request. In fact, I built an early version of a website at godaddy using WordPress - but I got frustrated because I kept getting notices from the WordPress interface to update, and yet I couldn't update it - the link that appeared when I tried to update it from within WordPress gave me windows saying the site wouldn't allow it. So in that particular case (different than the site I am speaking of elsewhere in this thread), I am just going to rebuild that site from scratch using Serif's WebPlus X4 and ftp'ing it to the server, from which I will have removed WordPress and the other files in the meanwhile. FYI, the plugins I could install "from afar" for WordPress at godaddy were very limited indeed. Some webhosting sights might do a better job, I suppose.
For now on the WordPress.com site which is the basis for my questions, I will stick with WordPress.com, where WordPress is updated automatically, and I will learn how to use links on my site to connect people to forums via one of the four sites listed by auxclass.
Thanks again for your helpful suggestions! They have been informative and more.
With the trouble you are having, I would say wordpress is not for you. What you need to do is to head over to http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page and read through the preliminary stuff - getting started and such if you want to do wordpress. You really need to get an understanding of it before you go any further. I've been doing it for quite a while, but I can have a wordpress site live (no content but up and visible) in ten minutes and sometimes less. Adding/importing content, installing themes and plugins of course takes longer.
As far as plugins, there are literally tens of thousands of them out there for wordpress and there are a variety of ways of installing them. There are nearly 14,000 plugins listed at wordpress.ORG/extend/plugins alone. There are more plugins and themes for wordpress than any other blogging/CMS platform around.
Self-hosted blogs though are not supported here. You need to go to http://wordpress.ORG/ for support and documentation. This would be a good place to start: http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page especially the getting started section.
Hi SacredPath, you understandably wrote: "With the trouble you are having, I would say wordpress is not for you."
From looking at the links in your message, I'd agree that WordPress.org is not the route I would take, although the person who's agreed to be an editor probably has the tech skills to go that way. It sounds (from what I read in the links you sent above) that it would be better - if I used the wordpress.org route - for me to install WordPress on a godaddy server myself than ask godaddy to install it, because then I could add plug-ins myself rather than rely upon them for any of that.
I could be mistaken, but it seems to me that continuing my present site (http://righteconomics.org), built up in WordPress.com's interface, is indeed doable for me. I believe that I can add the links to forums features on one of my (to be added) pages from one of these sites listed below (taken from auxclass's message near the beginning of this thread). Have you done that yourself?
Again, thank you for your continuing assistance.
@bbriley42
You can link to any forum you set up on the internet from your blog. All Volunteers know this. It's not a matter of debate.
The point is that in our experience those who sound as you do end up getting a wordpress.ORG install because what they really want is to embed a forum into their software and that cannot be doen at wordpress.COM.
Consequently TSP has shared his opinion with you. FWIW I happen to hold the same opinion.
But I also agree with tsp that it doesn't sound like the .org version is within your comfort/skill zone, so stay here, add a forum that you link to (if you use Custom Menus you can link to it in the header) and learn the ins and outs of WordPress.org over a year or so.
Timethief and Raincoaster, you were both spot on in your postings. I'd like to do it the "right" way (wordpress.org) but IMHO I'm not technologically ready to do it that way at this point. Nor do I feel I have the time right now - my time is primarily (not exclusively) devoted to working with our economic system reform study/advocacy group (about 15 people in Albuquerque), not to further building the subject website (following a lot of learning) for said group, http://righteconomics.org, using wordpress.org. So I'll make the best of the wordpress.com approach at this point for our group's website, and then, time permitting, work with the tech person who's going to be an editor to study what's involved with the wordpress.org approach.
Another long term alternative to the WordPress.org route could be for me to eventually build the complete website using Serif's WebPlus X4 software package (which allows forums) and then ftp it to my godaddy site's server (which allows several sites - the other, now in limbo, is the godaddy-installed wordpress site which I built two years ago, http://nomorefiredeaths.org - the one which looks terrible - my failing).
Have a great week, both of you. Your comments are deeply appreciated and will be shared with said tech person who is going to be an editor, to complement my editing.
Ich wünsche den Frieden zu euch beiden kommen - und durch euch beide!
(courtesy of Google translations)
Bob R
Another long term alternative to the WordPress.org route could be for me to eventually build the complete website using Serif's WebPlus X4 software package
In my opinion, this option will never have the SEO of a straight WOrdpress.org version. You can export your whole blog here to there in two clicks. Do it that way.
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bbriley42
auxclass
raincoaster