This video tutorial for WordPress is a basic introduction to the new WordPress version 2.7 Dashboard. It’s a beginner-level tutorial that shows you how to use new features of the Dashboard: How to customize the way different parts of the Dashboard are arranged on the page using drag and drop admin modules (boxes of content). How to open and close module windows and menu options – a very cool feature! How to collapse and expand sidebar menus. And how to hide or show individual modules in the Dashboard.
WordPress 2.7 Dashboard – Basic Introduction
Filed under: WordPress Tutorials | Tagged: beginner, blog, dashboard, editor, howto, markmlcaren, mcbuzz, WordPress, WordPress Tutorials |
Free WordPress Tutorials - Business Blogging 101 
Hi Mark,
I have watched most of your 101 videos and have found them very helpful – so thanks for doing them.
In your How To Comment video you mention doing a tutorial on linkbacks and trackbacks. Is there one and maybe I’ve missed it? If not can you suggest where I find out about them?
Thanks again,
Steve
@granthamtech
Thanks for the kind words and your question regarding pingbacks and trackbacks.
I never created a tutorial on the topic. Recently, a friend asked me about it and here is the basic answer I gave him.
I find the topic confusing and probably not worth the time required to investigate further – for now.
Wikipedia has a fairly good entry about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pingback
The WordPress.org website also has a fairly clear explanation of what’s going on:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Introduction_to_Blogging#Managing_Comments
WordPress.org is also forthcoming about the fact that the two concepts (trackback & pingback) are blurry and overlap.
Here’s an excerpt. Note number 2. My hunch is that almost no one uses trackbacks. Too technical. Too confusing. Not worth the effort.
Despite what the WordPress.org codex entry says, pingbacks do send content (in the form of an excerpt from the referring post) and it’s possible to edit that content.
I should add that I rarely publish pingbacks. In my opinion, they are distracting. They don’t look like regular comments because they are not. They are just excerpts from someone else’s blog referring to a post on your blog. I don’t think they are all that valuable to readers. There are plugins for WordPress that separate pingbacks and trackbacks from traditional comments for this reason. One example: http://www.binarymoon.co.uk/projects/bm-track-ping/ (By the creator of your theme on http://granthamtech.wordpress.com/ )
Thanks Mark I found your blog very,very helpful. I have joined several guru membership sites in the past all charging $97.00 per month teaching the same stuff you teach here on your blog free of charge.
@Alexander
Thanks very much. Glad you like the site! I welcome your suggestions for topics & ways to improve the tutorials.