Here we are in 2012 and we are back in black. Today you may run into sites that are completely blacked out in protest of the SOPA (Stop Internet Piracy Act) that our government is toying with. Stop Internet Piracy Act — sounds good doesn’t it? But common, haven’t we learned that when the government creates something with a feel-good name that rarely turns out to be the case?

WordPress.org is black today:

Many websites are blacked out today to protest proposed U.S. legislation that threatens internet freedom: the Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). From personal blogs to Wikipedia, sites all over the web — including this one — are asking you to help stop this dangerous legislation from being passed. Please watch the video below to learn how this legislation will affect internet freedom, then scroll down to take action.

Have you checked out Google today?

SOPA will basically give the U.S. government the ability to control, censor and block content based on it’s discretion — this could include your site or Blog! Click on the info graphic to the right to get a visual of this craziness.

Are we really going to allow some of the most techno-challenged under-performing government personnel with the lowest job performance ratings in our history censor us? I don’t think so! Haven’t we had enough of government telling us what is good for us and playing big-brother as if, as if, they know better? I know I have!

In my case rather than going black, I thought I would help educate. On all my sites I now have that black STOP SOPA banner in the top right hand corner that when clicked on takes you the site where you can get informed and involved.

• You can have your own ribbon by installing the Stop SOPA Ribbon WordPress plugin — easy!
• You can black out your site by following the instructions here.

Get informed; become involved — this is that important!

At your service,

Your WordPress Consultant

“Yes, I’m Back in Black” is a post from: WordPress Consultant: Judith Kallos, At Your Service...

But for those who do reap online rewards there are certain characteristics they all have in common when it comes to having a successful WordPress Web site.

1. Prioritization of Certain Tasks: Understanding what is at the core of your program and what you must do on a regular basis is critical. For example, having a backup system in place and keeping your theme and plugins updated is at the top of that list. (I work on sites every day that do not have a backup process in place!) Excuses of it being too difficult is not something that comes to mind. You realize the importance of protecting your hard work and your online presence.
2. Professional Communication Skills: You respond to comments (and site inquiries) promptly (if not sooner) in a courteous, professional and educated manner. This goes for your social media interaction too.
3. Scheduling and Follow Through: You post regularly with content your site visitors will value in a tone that talks to them — not at them. You leave out all the narcissistic hyperbole you see on so many other sites that is of no value to site visitors. You freely and willingly share your knowledge and expertise knowing doing so lends to your credibility and authority without you having to be braggadocios.
4. Expert Listeners: You learned a long time ago that everything you ever need to know to be successful can be found if you take the wax out of your ears. You relish the tremendous insights into what direction you should go, what content you should add and what you need to plan for by being keenly aware of what your market is discussing. If customers or site visitors ask you the same questions more than once you take note and add the topic to your FAQ and/or posting schedule.
5. Embracing Knowledge Acquisition: That’s fancy-schmancy for being open to learning and the frustration that goes with that. You understand that technology isn’t going to wait or slow just for you so you hop on the train and hang on for the ride. You read, review, test, tune and try new concepts, programs, software, plugins, themes — whatever it takes — so that you remain on the edge. Yeah, that can be as frustrating as hell, but you know this is how you can keep ahead of your perceived competitors while contributing to your inevitable success.

If you cannot minimally acquire the above characteristics, you really should not expect any realistic level of success. Online is not a forgiving environment — as a matter of fact it is now one of the most brutally competitive business arenas that exists.

If you approach your program by keeping these five characteristics front and center and do your very best to do your best — you will enjoy results. Don’t claim you are “trying” — become a doer and do! That is the ultimate characteristic of a successful WordPress site owner!

At your service,

Your WordPress Consultant

5 Characteristics of Successful WordPress Site Owners is a post from: WordPress Consultant: Judith Kallos, At Your Service...

As always, when updating WordPress, themes or plugins, it doesn’t hurt to get in the habit of following the simple steps below…

Step-by-step instructions to help you safely and easily update to the most recent version of WordPress.

[ It is a good idea to Review my article: WordPress How To: Do the Mother of All Backups ]

Once you get the above tasks accomplished, follow the links in the nag bar (it’s called a nag because that yellow bar will be up there nagging you until you take care of the important issue noted) and update your site to the latest version of WordPress.

Then, don’t forget to reactivate and update your plugins. You’ll see with each WordPress update that plugin developers also update their plugins which you can also do with one click. You’ll see the now familiar yellow nag bar under the plugin name in the plugins area with a link to “upgrade automatically.”

If you find after an update that something is not working as it was, go through the systematic process of deactivating your plugins one at a time until you find the culprit. If the developer has not updated his/her plugin to work with the lasted update, find another plugin whose developer is on top of these things.

Updating should not be ignored or put off. When you keep up with WordPress, have a Premium Theme and Plugin updates, you are not only keeping up with technology, but you ensure your site is secure and functioning error free.

At your service,

Your WordPress Consultant

How to Update to WordPress 3.3.1 is a post from: WordPress Consultant: Judith Kallos, At Your Service...