Writing Posts...Caution

[IMStrong]

If you take too long writing a post, the system times out and you could lose your work.
It would be best to write in Notepad or Text Editor and then paste your work in.

[Themelis]

Hi,

Agree...! first write it into your desktop computer saved editorfile.
Ever seen a grown man cry ?
That's just what happened to me too.
A great introduction gone floating into limbo.

This brings me to the next question:
"What If This happens to my entire WordPress, huh ?"

Or let me rephrase that question:
How can i backup my entire WP blog (with all settings, widgets and posts) to
get it back up in 5 minutes in case i
majingalinged my widgets and midgets too much.


Thank You
Themelis Cuiper.

[ishabluebell]

How can i backup my entire WP blog (with all settings, widgets and posts) to
get it back up in 5 minutes in case i
majingalinged my widgets and midgets too much.


Themelis, that is a great point to bring up.

There are at least 2 things we can all do to protect our precious babies, and I'd recommend that you do both:

1. Export your blog as an xml file. This just saves off your posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, and tags. You do it from
[your url]/wp-admin/export.php
or you can log into your wordpress admin (this is [your url]/wp-admin ) and click on Manage, then click on Export (it's 2nd item from the right). In there it tells you about it. You want to rename the xml file as soon as it's on your computer, because the default name is wordpress.[date].xml which isn't very informative if you've got more than one blog.

2. You can copy your whole public_html directory (or any part of it) into a suitable place on your computer. This is the ideal, but it might not be something you want to do every day, which is why the above xml method is useful, for when you just want to quickly export the important bits of your blog. To copy the public_html directory over onto your computer, you need to use an Ftp client.

For those peeps who are new to this stuff, an Ftp client is a sort of file manager, similar to Windows Explorer, but it has the facility to see your websites' files as well as your computer's files. You also need to use one whenever you want to add a plugin to your blog, because you need to download plugins to your computer first, and then you need a way to copy them from your computer to your
/public_html/[your domain]/wp-content/plugins
folder.

An easy one to use and get is FireFtp for Firefox, which is a Firefox plugin which can be used with Flock, and you can get it here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/684

There is a useful webpage about managing wordpress plugins here:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Managing_Plugins

I hope this helps.

:)

Isha

PS I like the word "majingalinged". I shall seek opportunities to use it forthwith.

[ebenezer]

This is a pretty complicated process:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Backing_Up_Your_Database

It's kind of ironic that backing up your database is such an intensive and advanced thign to do.

There's a pretty good chance of messing something up while you try to backup. :confused::confused:
it's like running in circles

[ishabluebell]

Yes, that looks pretty gruesome.

But thankfully it's been superceded by easier methods. I've had a look around, and it certainly seems that my method of backing up the public_html directory doesn't do the whole job, but I found these:

1. If you're hosted by Hostgator there's a Backup Wizard in your cPanel, under "Files". It backs up your databases and all of your files. The how-to video for it is the 8th video in the list of video tutorials.

2. There are now WP plugins to do the job. One of them is:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-db-backup/installation/
The plugin can be set to automatically email you the backup.

3. And other methods which look like they probably do a more complete job than the above plugin:
http://www.dailyblogtips.com/backup-your-blog-regularly/
which refers to this plugin:
http://www.ilfilosofo.com/blog/wp-db-backup/
There are some interesting comments under the above backup-your-blog-regularly post. With ilfiloso apparently you can choose any of: save to server, download to your computer, or have the backup emailed to you. You can also scheduled the backup: never, once hourly, once a day, once a week. I got the info in the previous 2 sentences from Dee-Dee MacLeod-Wilson's post on this thread:
http://www.thirtydaychallenge.com/forums/general-internet-marketing-chat/9696-plugin-do-you-prefer-wordpress-backup.html

4. 3 WP plugins that are designed to do the job are discussed here:
http://www.catchtheposts.com/avoid-a-disaster-backup-your-blog/
(2 of them are the 2 afore-mentioned plugins)

5. A script that will do the job if you've got a gmail account - it looks like it sends you a backup in an email with your stuff in it:
http://www.maratz.com/blog/archives/2005/06/07/backup2mail-update/
I read about it here:
http://www.blogstorm.co.uk/backup-your-website/68/

6. And a free backup facility that looks like a really easy way to go:
https://blogbackupr.com/

Thanks for bringing up this issue Ebenezer. I'd have gone on happily thinkin I was doin the right thing if you hadn't.

:p

Isha

[Themelis]

ishabluebell ebenezer IMStrong

What a GREAT informative post,
You probably saved my business by forehand.

I love you guys!
Thank You

Themelis Cuiper

[Vilas]

If you take too long writing a post, the system times out and you could lose your work.
It would be best to write in Notepad or Text Editor and then paste your work in.

Another viable option is to write your posts in Google Documents (http://docs.google.com/).

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/1591/googledocs1cm9.png

Google Documents will automatically save your changes every 30 seconds or so, as long as you have autosave enabled. You can then simply copy and paste your posting into WordPress Direct.

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/4489/googledocs2mj7.png

All formatting, links, and word structures will be completely preserved.

[IMStrong]

Vilas! Excellent idea!

[ishabluebell]

My issue has never been the writing of the post (that's easily done offline) but the formatting that goes into the posts. That takes a hell of a long time with this particular blog I have, so I'm now sticking to creating the posts in the wp-admin interface, which auto saves.

All Google Docs provides is a place to write and save something, and that can be done in a lot of places.

Isha

[Vilas]

All Google Docs provides is a place to write and save something, and that can be done in a lot of places.

There are many ways around the time-out issue: notepad, wordpress, wp-admin, and Google Documents.

Take a closer look: Google Docs provides a place to write and save, and solves your issue, as copy and pasting anything from Google Docs is perfectly replicated within WordPressDirect. Images, special formatting, links, everything works seamlessly. Furthermore, Google Docs automatically saves your posting in your Google account, effectively creating an entire backup of your blog which can be accessed from anywhere in the world. All in all, it's up to you what you prefer to use, Google Docs is just one option. :)

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/2034/googledocs3dx2.png

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6179/googledocs4vo8.png

[ishabluebell]

and the affiliate links???

[IMStrong]

Yes Miss
Campana Azulhttp://www.catfancygifts.com/productthumbs/Zarah/24-05-02_BluebellPin.jpg

[ishabluebell]

Lol IM.

That's a very nice picture.

Merry Christmas.

:D

[ishabluebell]

Google Docs provides a place to write and save, and solves your issue, as copy and pasting anything from Google Docs is perfectly replicated within WordPressDirect. Images, special formatting, links, everything works seamlessly. Furthermore, Google Docs automatically saves your posting in your Google account, effectively creating an entire backup of your blog which can be accessed from anywhere in the world.

I like the idea that the backup posts of one's blog can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Nice one.

Vilas (or anybody), any idea why, when I pasted an article from Google Docs into my blog, all the line spaces disappeared? I had to go into html and paste in a load of </p><p> and <p>&nbsp;</p> in by hand.

I haven't tried designing a post with affiliate links in Google Docs yet. Would rather be sure that I can keep my line spaces before I try it again.

I hope you've had a very pleasant Christmas Vilas.

:D

[Vilas]

I like the idea that the backup posts of one's blog can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Nice one.

Vilas (or anybody), any idea why, when I pasted an article from Google Docs into my blog, all the line spaces disappeared? I had to go into html and paste in a load of </p><p> and <p>&nbsp;</p> in by hand.

I haven't tried designing a post with affiliate links in Google Docs yet. Would rather be sure that I can keep my line spaces before I try it again.

I hope you've had a very pleasant Christmas Vilas.

:D

Which browser and what version are you running?

[ishabluebell]

Flock 2.0.

I hadn't thought that it might be connected with my browser - do you think it is? I must admit I've had other problems since I updated to version 2.0.

For my next post I'll see if it works better in my Firefox 3.0.5.

Isha

[Vilas]

Sure! Let me know what happens Isha. :)

[ishabluebell]

Sure! Let me know what happens Isha. :)

It was the same in Firefox Vilas - all the line spaces disappeared.

Isha

PS But it seems to be ok if I make double spaces in between paras in Google Docs, and one space between single lines. I haven't tried creating affiliate links in there yet - that excitement is to come...

[ishabluebell]

Vilas, you said:

"Google Documents will automatically save your changes every 30 seconds or so, as long as you have autosave enabled"

Can you please tell us where to go in Google Docs to see the autosave setting, and to enable autosave? I tried the "Settings" link in the top right corner, but it wasn't in there.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/3160851093_de664b1985_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/3160803939_6abf84606a_o.jpg

?

Thanks in advance.

Isha

[Vilas]

Vilas, you said:

"Google Documents will automatically save your changes every 30 seconds or so, as long as you have autosave enabled"

Can you please tell us where to go in Google Docs to see the autosave setting, and to enable autosave? I tried the "Settings" link in the top right corner, but it wasn't in there.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/3160851093_de664b1985_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/3160803939_6abf84606a_o.jpg

?

Thanks in advance.

Isha

It's now enabled by default. Try typing into a new unsaved
document for a bit. It should either tell it has been autosaved and appear in the main google docs window. Otherwise, it will prompt you to enable autosave at the top of the document.

[ishabluebell]

Thanks Vilas.

;)

Isha

[ishabluebell]

Google Docs provides a place to write and save, and solves your issue, as copy and pasting anything from Google Docs is perfectly replicated within WordPressDirect. Images, special formatting, links, everything works seamlessly. [...]

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/2034/googledocs3dx2.png


How did you get that image into Google Docs Vilas? I've tried copying them from the clipboard and it didn't work, and there's no images icon or menu in GD. I also tried pasting in the link, and I tried pasting in the html for the link, and neither of those worked either.

:confused:

Isha

[IMStrong]

How did you get that image into Google Docs Vilas? I've tried copying them from the clipboard and it didn't work, and there's no images icon or menu in GD. I also tried pasting in the link, and I tried pasting in the html for the link, and neither of those worked either.

:confused:

Isha

Insert Tab

[ishabluebell]

Duh!!!!

...................

[IMStrong]

There is also a feature in Wordpress that allows you to paste from MS Word to your post.
Click the last icon on the right of this:

http://content.screencast.com/users/IMStrong/folders/Jing/media/5fe0784c-2a38-4bbb-9409-1ab1bf0a0f81/2009-03-26_0447.png

And you get this:

http://content.screencast.com/users/IMStrong/folders/Jing/media/26c21597-2e5b-4e83-850c-06da277fe2e5/2009-03-26_0450.png

There is an icon on the lower toolbar to paste from Word.