WordPress 3.0 Essential Training [repost]

In WordPress 3.0 Essential Training, author Morten Rand-Hendriksen shows how to use WordPress 3.0 to create feature-rich blogs and web sites. The course includes a walkthrough of common tasks in WordPress, from setting up an account to launching self-hosted sites. Also included are tutorials on inserting media, installing plugins, creating custom themes, and incorporating search engine optimization. Exercise files accompany the course.

Topics include:
Building and modifying a profile
Publishing posts and pages
Utilizing page templates
Inserting images, video, and other media
Working with themes
Understanding widgets
Creating child themes
Working with the Twenty Ten theme
Launching a self-hosted site using BitNami
Setting up a site for search engine optimization (SEO)
Ensuring site security

0. Introduction
Welcome 01:25
Using the exercise files 00:50
1. Getting to Know WordPress
What is WordPress? 03:15
Course progression: Cloud hosting, then self-hosting 01:40
2. Getting Started with WordPress.com
Setting up an account 04:45
Setting up a new blog or web site 05:32
Navigating the WordPress.com back end 07:02
3. Building a Profile
Editing your profile 05:49
Creating profile images with Gravatar.com 04:53
Modifying personal settings 08:04
Adjusting site settings to improve privacy and findability 07:25
Advanced sharing options 04:34
4. Posts
Understanding the difference between posts and pages 03:11
Creating a new post 05:58
Advanced text formatting in a new post 08:58
Creating text links 05:11
Adding images 07:37
Adding images from URLs and external sources 05:46
Adding categories, tags, excerpts, and other elements 07:47
Publishing a post 04:58
5. Pages
Writing a basic page 03:36
Organizing page hierarchy 03:06
Using page templates 02:20
6. Managing Images, Video, and Other Media
Managing media from the Admin panel 04:47
Managing Media Library assets from within posts and pages 03:29
Inserting external media from YouTube and other services 03:28
7. WordPress Settings
Customizing the front page of a site 03:19
Managing users 03:18
Managing comments 04:29
Creating ratings options 02:17
Creating polls 05:47
8. The Appearance Tab
Selecting a theme 03:50
Understanding page widgets 04:29
Creating custom sidebar widgets using text widgets 05:10
Creating custom menus 09:14
Using Typekit to integrate specialized fonts 07:16
9. The Twenty Ten Theme
Changing the background 05:31
Changing the header image 03:28
Creating featured header images in posts and pages 04:44
Using asides to create short posts 02:03
10. Moving to Self-Hosting
Transitioning from WordPress.com to a self-hosted site 03:52
Option 1: Setting up a production environment using BitNami 04:50
Option 1: Logging in to and navigating a local WordPress installation with BitNami 03:33
Option 2: Setting up a production environment using WAMP on Windows 04:02
Option 2: Installing WordPress into a WAMP installation on Windows 03:42
Option 3: Setting up a production environment using MAMP on a Mac 05:32
Option 3: Installing WordPress into a MAMP installation on a Mac 03:51
11. Using Plug-Ins
Installing plug-ins from Admin 05:56
Troubleshooting when a plug-in crashes the site 03:49
Ten must-have plug-ins for all WordPress sites 07:13
12. New Custom Themes
Installing new themes from inside WordPress 04:43
Troubleshooting when a custom theme crashes the site 04:18
13. Understanding the WordPress File Structure
Working in the wp-content folder 06:01
Manually installing themes and plug-ins 04:39
14. Basic Theme Hacks
Introducing child themes 07:17
Modifying a child theme 08:34
Creating custom page templates 03:31
15. Launching Your Self-Hosted WordPress Site
Setting up the hosting service 06:21
Configuring WordPress before upload 04:22
Uploading WordPress to an external web host 03:27
Running WordPress on your server for the first time 03:25
Importing and exporting existing content from different sources 06:43
16. WordPress Site Maintenance and Security
Backing up a WordPress site 06:22
Troubleshooting when something goes wrong 05:42
Keeping a WordPress installation current 05:03
17. Getting Readers
Creating user-friendly permalinks 03:31
Setting up a WordPress site for search engine optimization 05:54
Setting up and writing good content to get more readers 06:14
18. Conclusion
Where to go from here 01:16