TimThumb SECURITY VULNERABILITY Hits WordPress Sites
Tonight I learned about a recent security breach involving WordPress sites that use the super-popular TimThumb script which resizes images on they fly — such as automatically creating your thumbnails for example. You need to know and understand that this is not something your hosting company or your designer is responsible for. TimThumb is in use by probably hundreds of thousands of WordPress sites and is automatically included in many WordPress themes but most commonly in the premium...
Read MoreDeb’s WordPress Tutorials
The past couple of months has been more than unusually web-work-busy for me. I launched several new sites and still have a number of projects in my “to be completed” pile. I’ve had so much work on my desk — about the time I think I see some light at the other end — three or four more projects march through the door, so many people pulling me in different directions, had to get my taxes ready for my accountant (when you don’t keep up with the paperwork all...
Read MoreMy MUST HAVE WordPress Plugins
When you install WordPress, you’re installing what I call an enhanced version of a bare-bones blog and a Content Management System. This is one reason that WordPress is so popular. The default install gives you the basic system and some additional goodies. From this point on the sky’s the limit! You can customize to your heart’s content with add-ons called plugins. If you’re PHP savvy you can even modify existing plugins or create your own! If you’re not into PHP,...
Read MoreDo You Really NEED a Content Management System?
There are web designers who believe in no uncertain terms that every web site developed should use a Content Management System. Some don’t even ask the client if they need or want it, they just do it as one of their own standard operating procedures. I’m not among those designers. I look at things differently and believe the use of a CMS should be based on the needs of a web site, that use of a CMS is as individual as a web site itself and that there are pros and cons to using a...
Read MoreWebsite Maintenance & Security Updates
Absolutely every web site is subject to hacking. Whether your site is a static (non-database) site or one that is built on a database of any kind including a Content Management System (CMS) or blogging platform, it’s out there for the hackers to mess with. There is no way around this, period. Hackers enjoy disfiguring and destroying web sites, it’s what they do and they can simply make a mess of your web site by disfiguring it all the way on up to total destruction. I think it takes...
Read MoreDevelopers! We Need Valid Code! Pretty Please?
If there’s one thing that’s in my Top 10 Pet Peeves (more like in the Top 3) it’s invalid code in themes, templates and plug-ins for CMS’s and blogging scripts. This issue is not solely related to WordPress, I’ve had the same thing happen in every single CMS I’ve ever used. A good majority of the designers (me included) who use these pre-made products not only try very hard to have all their pages validate, but in cases like designing for the visually...
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