The latest version of WordPress, version 3.3.1, was released today. Even though version 3.3 was released rather recently, 3.3.1 features over a dozen security updates and bug fixes, so you’ll definitely want to download it ASAP. You can also read more about the release of WordPress 3.3.1.

Last week, a few days after my friend Danielle mentioned it on Twitter, I finally got off my lazy butt and updated all of my WordPress installation to the newest version, which is 3.3. And it’s quite snazzy. I like how the WordPress developers implemented the collapsed-by-default menus in the sidebar which are darker and thus stand out more from the rest of the dashboard. Some of the other updates to features and usage are quite nice; and of course the security updates that were implemented are very much appreciated.

If you haven’t already updated to the latest version of WordPress, I highly recommend you do so!

If you want to use the Tweetmeme plugin for WordPress but can’t get it to display regardless of whether you’re using the auto-positioning option or manual inclusion, try adding <?php wp_footer(); ?> to your blog – insert it just before the </body> tag. This fix worked for me! (Many thanks to the WordPress support forum!)

Spam and blogs seem to go hand in hand, unfortunately. I don’t know of one blog, my own included, that hasn’t been hit by spam at least once per day. The good news is that there are many steps you can take to prevent a significant amount of spam, and several things you can do to easily clean up if you’ve been hit by a large amount of spam.

Preventing Spam on Your WordPress Blog

• Keep your WordPress installation up to date. This sounds like a no-brainer, but you would not believe how many people out there just don’t bother to keep their software updated. WordPress routinely tweaks their code to improve security and prevent hacking and spamming, so it’s always a good idea to use the latest version.
• Avoid excessive keyword usage if you can help it. In many cases spammers are attracted to your blog not only because of its ranking (Google PageRank, Alexa, etc.), but because of the type of content you post. Unless you absolutely have to, don’t keyword-drop left and right.
• Use spam preventative tools on your comments pages. CAPTCHAS and math problem anti-spam plugins are numerous, and most are easy to install and setup, and blend seamlessly with whatever theme you happen to be using.
• Close comments after a certain period of time, say, one week, or within a month of posting.

Removing Spam from Your WordPress Blog

• Go through your list of pending comments and delete spammy ones. Double check your list of approved comments, too, as sometimes illegitimate ones can slip through the cracks (on the flip side, always double check comments listed as spam, as WordPress can occasionally make a false-positive identification on a legitimate comment!).
• Use a plugin like Delete Pending Comments to help you clean up hundreds or thousands of pending comments that are spammy.
• As a final measure, update any out-of-date installations and plugins!

WordPress themes make it easy for you to set up your blog and go, but there are definitely some disadvantages to go along with those advantages. While pre-made WordPress themes are great if you don’t have the time, resources or knowledge required to code your own theme from scratch, there are a few downsides:

• Inability to easily customize colors, images
• Some themes aren’t widget-enabled
• In contrast, other themes may be widget-only, so you won’t be able to thoroughly customize your sidebars
• Lack of choices in colors, layout style
• Obtrusive credit text/links
• Outdated code, obselete plugins, etc.

Personally, I’m a fan of creating my own WordPress themes. My theme “base” is from one of the original premade themes that came bundled with the WordPress installation I uploaded to my server way back in 2005. Here are a few sources worth checking out if you’re interested in making your own theme:

Eruanna.net: How to Write Your Own WordPress Theme
ThemeShaper: How to Create a WordPress Theme
Spoon Graphics: How to Build a Custom WordPress Theme
WP Designer: So you want to create WordPress themes huh?

WordPress 3.2 was recently released, and with it came a new look for the dashboard. The blues seem to have been changed up slightly, but more importantly there’s a much lovelier vertical navigation bar. Now if only the WP developers would enable collapsing navigation that would pop outwards when hovered upon, similar to what the Fluency Admin plugin does!

Heads up – WordPress 3.1.3 is available for download. I realized this today, when I was checking some blogs for the best deals on orange county jewelry, and saw several posts by bloggers noting that they had made updates. It’s always a good idea to update your blogs right away. Just as the professionals in lab coats are quick to notify patients of TB or spread of another dangerous, infectious disease, us bloggers should take the necessary steps to protect our blogs against security vulnerabilities and outdated software.

What are you waiting for? Go download!

The latest version of WordPress, WordPress 3.1.1, was released on Tuesday. Updates in this version include security fixes, and performance improvements, including updates to how media is handled.

Read more about the release of 3.1.1, or go download.

I am currently dealing with a very frustrating issue with In My Bag, the issue being that all of the posts I painstakingly wrote and scheduled out late last month aren’t posting as they should. I just realized now that a rather long article I wrote about mesothelioma symptoms for a client didn’t post as it should. Fortunately it’s the weekend, so the client didn’t notice.

What makes this issue especially frustrating is that In My Bag is one of seven WordPress-powered blogs that I manage. All seven blogs are on the same server, have the exact same installation version, and even the exact same plugins. So why would the other six blogs work just fine with scheduling out posts, but In My Bag won’t? I’ve tried the various troubleshooting methods recommended via Google searches, but so far nothing is working. Does anyone have any advice?

If you install and manage blogs for others, or simply want your own blogs to reflect your own site’s branding, check out White Label CMS. White Label CMS is a WordPress plugin that allows you to add your own branding to your WordPress administration area. Add custom logos to the login and logout screen, add custom icons within the dashboard’s header and footer section, change colors, choose which menus should be displayed, and even add your own custom welcome title and message. The plugin is very easy to install and configure, and offers you a lot of great options for branding your WordPress installation!