By now, everyone who uses WordPress is aware that there is a new version available, that being WordPress 1.5 Strayhorn. I have been using it for a month or two and have been very happy with it, but it is not without its woes. These woes are really just a learning curve that has been added to the system, and the main difficulty people are having is in the template system. I, myself, have had my issues with it, failing at my first attempt to make a template look that could also be functional. I haven’t yet decided on the theme for my site. I may stick with this one, as the tracks compliment my theme, or I may personalize it a bit more. For a work in progress that incorporates things from several styles, see WhollyHis.net. The sky’s the limit, and it’s a fresh release. Trust me, it will be great once everything settles down. There’s too much to say about how great 1.5 is. I’ll address that presently.

I am currently using the GreenTrack theme from WPThemes.info. You may have noticed an error message that I had for a bit. That was due to a line in the code on the index.php: . My host wanted something a bit more exact, so this was replaced with . Just so you know, I had nothing to do with the fix. Shane offered to help me with this issue without my asking and I am extremely grateful for this. Now that I am up to speed, I can enjoy the experience all the more as I learn the functionality of this system.

Part of this functionality includes the CMS that is offered. You can see the page where I have my copyright notice to use the ESV translation of the Bible on my site. If you look at the URL, you will notice that this is not a blog entry. It is its own page, and will update the look as I change themes. (ooh, aah!) I have approached my pastor about updating our church Web site before HYCW notices it. With WordPress, I have something to show off, rather than explain away. The implementation of the themes can be a challenge, but once that is done, the rest is so simple that we will look at this growing pain and know it is worth it.

Regarding themes, I mentioned where I got the one I am currently using, and will continue to use for the time being. If you want one that is more personalized, check out this page of references that should help you in your design. If you want to cheat a bit, check out the Red Alt WordPress Index Builder. You choose layouts, colors and so much more and it will design the files according to your wishes. It makes the header, footer, and the other files for you, which is very useful in keeping the theme current while making different parts of the site unique. I haven’t yet incorporated one of these themes, so your mileage may vary. Once you have your template, you can customize it further with some general CSS/HTML knowledge. And if you don’t like the theme you made, another theme is just a click away! If you just want to download someone else’s theme and don’t think there are enough out there, relax. They will come. The WordPress community has not failed me yet, and I don’t expect it to flop anytime soon.

The comment moderation is also excellent! See the initial link on this post to read more about whitelisting, and don’t forget the mass moderation. I will get 100 or so unruly comments a day, but they are gone in the blink of the eye. No plugins required, Mr. W! [Doug McHone]