Category Archives: Free Press

Facebook Announced Improvements In Photos Section

Today Facebook has announced few improvements in the photos section.

Now You Can See Bigger Photos On Facebook

By clicking photos at the top of your timeline you can see larger pictures filling up all over your page. You can use menu for finding shots you are tagged in, images you have shared and albums you have created.

Now You Can Showcase The Photos You Like

You can easily show your favorite photos to your friends from Facebook’s new photos all in one section. Click star button to make important photos stand out as shown in the following image:

Protecting Your WordPress Admin From Hacks

You may use this trick for adding an additional layer of security on your WordPress site so that your site don’t get compromised and hacked:

  1. Open your cPanel.
  2. From Security section click Password Protect Directories.
  3. Now on the Pop Up. Select root then from your WordPress installation select wp-admin.
  4. Check Password protect this directory.
  5. Create a user for that directory; there is an option below the check box. That’s it..

Now anytime you visit wp-admin directory you should notice an authentication box asking you for the username and password for authentication.

Sometimes it may show some errors depending on how your server is configured. Don’t worry, just ask me here about the problem(if you face one).

Monitor, Manage And Backup All Of Your WordPress Sites At Once From A Single Place

Using WP Remote you easily monitor, update and backup all of your WordPress sites at the same time from a single place. It communicates with your WordPress site using API like Akismet so there is no need of providing username and password and it is completely free to use.

Features:

Know WP Remote Latest Enhancements

  1. It can track all of your sites.
  2. No limitation to number of sites you add.
  3. It can update WP-Core, all plugins and themes.
  4. Check WP Remote Security policy here.

WP-Hack For Adding Google+ Page Badge ‘Add to Circles’ In Your WordPress Blog

Add this code in your theme’s header.php file’s head section:

<link href=”https://plus.google.com/PageID” rel=”publisher” /><script type=”text/javascript”>
(function()
{var po = document.createElement(“script”);
po.type = “text/javascript”; po.async = true;po.src = “https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js”;
var s = document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();</script>

Replace PageID (in bold text of above code block) with your Google+ Page ID.

Now visit your blog’s wp-admin (Dashboard) >> Appearance >>Widgets and drag text widget to your sidebar.

Paste following code inside your text widget (replacing PageID) :

<g:plus href=”https://plus.google.com/PageID” size=”badge”></g:plus>

For smaller badge use:

<g:plus href=”https://plus.google.com/PageID” size=”smallbadge”></g:plus>

Note: You can get your Google Plus Page ID by visiting your page’s profile and copying the number before /posts or /about in URL.

Function For Defining Default Post Thumbnail In WordPress

Open your theme’s function.php file and add the given function editing the thumbnail image URL (given in bold text) with your own image URL.

add_action( ‘save_post’, ‘wptuts_save_thumbnail’ );
function wptuts_save_thumbnail( $post_id ) {
$post_thumbnail = get_post_meta( $post_id, $key = ‘_thumbnail_id’, $single = true );
if ( !wp_is_post_revision( $post_id ) ) {
if ( empty( $post_thumbnail ) ) {
update_post_meta( $post_id, $meta_key = ‘_thumbnail_id’, $meta_value = ‘https://sangkrit.net/thumbnail.jpg’ );
}
}
}

How To Edit WordPress ‘Posts’ Label ?

You can edit WordPress post label to something Else. For example if you want to edit Posts (label) to Article so that anytime you or any other member visit you wp-admin (dashboard) he can see Article as a label on sidebar menu not posts (which is by default).

For doing this, open your theme’s function.php file and add the following code:

add_filter(‘gettext’, ‘change_post_to_article’);
add_filter(‘ngettext’, ‘change_post_to_article’);
function change_post_to_article($translated) {
$translated = str_ireplace(‘Post’, ‘Article’, $translated);
return $translated;
}

How To Add Custom User Roles In WordPress ?

Suppose you need to create a new custom post type, may be NEWS. So that you can allow you subscribers to post NEWS on your website. In the given example we will be creating a custom user role for NEWS and the users allotted this role would only be managing only NEWS section from WP-Admin (Dashboard).

Open your theme’s function.php file: site root >> wp-content >>themes >> function.php and add the given code block:

add_role( ‘news_user’, ‘News User’, array( ‘news’ ) );

This function generates new custom user role which can only manage
news section from Dashboard.

Although you may add some more function for new custom user role.

New custom user role can also be removed from WordPress by using the following function in your theme’s function.php file:

remove_role( ‘news_user’ );

From WordPress Function $wp_roles also you can add and remove custom user roles as show below:

global $wp_roles;
$wp_roles-&gt;add_cap( ‘news_user’, ‘manage_category’ );
$wp_roles-&gt;remove_cap( ‘news_user’, ‘view_post’ );

WordPress Hack To Set A Custom Default Avatar

  • Create a new custom Avatar. It should be 60px*60px PNG format.
  • Name it custom-avatar.png.
  • Upload this avatar image in your /wp-content/themes/yourtheme/images directory
  • Open you theme’s functions.php file
  • Copy the following given code and paste it in your functions.php file:

if ( !function_exists(‘custom_gravatars’) ) {
function custom_gravatars( $avatar_defaults ) {
$myavatar = get_template_directory_uri() . ‘/images/custom-avatar.png’;
$avatar_defaults[$myavatar] = ‘people’;
return $avatar_defaults;
}
add_filter( ‘avatar_defaults’, ‘custom_gravatars’ );
}

  • Open your Admin Section (Dashboard)
  • Visit Settings >> Reading section and select your newly uploaded avatar as default.

How To Display WordPress Featured Posts And Pages ?

Featured Page Widget

From this widget you can feature pages on your sidebar using an excerpt of the page and a text or image link to the page. Click here to know more features.


Download WordPress Featured Page Widget

Installation:

  1. Install and Activate the plugin
  2. Configure options from Dashboard >> Settings panel.
  3. Add widgets to your sidebar.
Featured Post Widget

It is a customizable multiwidget, that displays a single post in the widget area. You can decide, whether or not the post thumbnail is displayed, whether the post title is above or beneath the thumbnail and a couple of more things. You can style the widget individually.

Download WordPress Featured Post Widget

Installation:

  1. Install and Activate the plugin.
  2. Add and customize the widget.

Embeding SWF In WordPress Posts

You can easily embed SWF file inside your WordPress post either by using a plugin or by using WP hack.

Using WordPress Plugin:

  1. Open your Dasboard
  2. Visit Plugins >> Add New and Search for Easy Flash Embed plugin.
  3. Install and Activate it.

Use the following shortcode for embedding your SWF file in your posts:

[swf src=”http://www.example.com/file.swf” width=200 height=50]

Note: In the given shortcode replace the link address to your own SWF file address and adjust the height and width as per your needs.

Using WordPress Hack:

Here is your WP Hack. Use following code for embedding Flash directly into WordPress pages and posts etc:

<object id=”flashcontent”
classid=”clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000″
width=”550px”
height=”400px”>
<param name=”movie” value=”movie.swf” />
<!–[if !IE]>–>
<object type=”application/x-shockwave-flash”
data=”movie.swf”
width=”550px”
height=”400px”>
<!–<![endif]–>
<p>
Text written here will only be visible if the SWF fails to load.
</p>
<!–[if !IE]>–>
</object>
<!–<![endif]–>
</object>

Embedding SoundCloud In Your WordPress Posts

You can embed SoundCloud in your WordPress posts using WordPress feature oEmbed. It supports auto embedding until your URL breaks the line. WP oEmbed library supports Twitter, YouTube and many other popular services. SoundCloud is not yet supported by WordPress but still you have it by using oEmbed with the help of this function: wp_oembed_add_provider() 

Adding oEmbed for SoundCloud in WordPress:

Open your theme’s function.php file and add the following code:

function add_oembed_soundcloud(){
wp_oembed_add_provider( ‘http://soundcloud.com/*’, ‘http://soundcloud.com/oembed’ );
}
add_action(‘init’,’add_oembed_soundcloud’);

All done. Now you can simply paste SoundCloud URL on separate line and let oEmbed do auto-embedding.

Using WordPress Plugin:

You may also use this WordPress Plugin SoundCloud is Gold.

If you are running your blog on WordPress.Com then you may use the shortcode available for all WordPress.Com users because Sound Cloud is officially supported by WordPress.Com.

If you have a self hosted blog then you may use JetPack plugin and enable option for shortcode embeds. After doing this you can easily use the shortcode as shown here:

WordPress Hack To Remove Certain Categories From Being Displayed

This hack is useful for those who like to display certain category to chosen or registered users only. Add the following given code inside The Loop and choose the category (number) which you wish to remove from the display.

<?php
if ( have_posts() ) : query_posts($query_string .’&cat=-1,-2′); while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();
?>

Creating And Managing Tables Inside WordPress Posts

WordPress Visual Editor don’t provides you the option to create table inside your post content. Hence to create a table in WordPress you need to know HTML. Reading this tutorial you can create tables in your WordPress posts even if your are not good in HTML.

  1. Go to plugins menu.
  2. Install Easy Table Plugin and Actvate it.
  3. Move to Dashboard >> Settings >> Easy Table.

Here you will get various table options and previews. Now to start up with your first table use the following given format in your WP post:

[table] Domain,Company,Rank
Google.com,Google,1,
Facebook.com,Facebook Inc,2
[/table]

This is an example. You can create as many formats you want and each format should be enclosed in [table] and [/table] shortcode. Given format creates three columns: Domain, Company and Rank with three rows:

Domain

Company

Rank

Google.com

Google

1

Facebook.com

Facebook Inc.

1

 

 

How To Add Automatically Resized Images In Your Blog Posts

If you post large number of images in your blog and resize each image  to similar frame after you upload it. Then you may add an automatic task that will resize you images automatically:

  1. Copy the script from here.
  2. Create a new folder ‘script’ in your site root from cPanel.
  3. Upload this script in script folder and name it timthumb.php
  4. Use the following syntax for adding automatically resized image in your blog post:

<img src=”/scripts/timthumb.php?src=/images/whatever.jpg&amp;h=150&amp;w=150&amp;zc=1″ alt=”” />

Don’t Rename Your Pinterest Boards

Renaming Pinterest board is not a good idea. As soon as you rename any Pinterest board the associated web address (permalink) also get changed and all those shared links on different social networks like Facebook, Twitter etc and also Google archives redirects the user to Error 404 page. Not only this much but all those Facebook likes again start from zero.

New Facebook Page Features You Might Don’t Know

How to Reposition an image preview on your Wall?

  1. Open your Timeline.
  2. Scroll to the image you want to fix.
  3. On the right hand side of the image click small Pencil icon.
  4. Click Reposition and use your mouse to adjust the image.

Note: You can also reposition your Timeline’s Header Image

How to Edit Facebook Comments?

  1. Open the page where you have commented.
  2. Right hand side of your comment; there is a pencil icon.
  3. Click it. It gives you two options Edit and Delete.

How to Schedule Facebook Posts on Pages?

  1. Open your Facebook Page.
  2. In share box where you write your posts, there is a small clock icon on the left.
  3. Click that small clock icon and follow the instructions.

How to export a Facebook Event?

  1. Open your event page.
  2. There is a button Create event and on its right side there is a drop down button, click it.
  3. Now click Export Events.

How to Post on Facebook from Email and Mobile ?

  1. You can even post an update to your Facebook Timeline (wall) using email and SMS.
  2. Move to your Page >> Click Admin Panel >> Click Update Info >> On the Left Sidebar Click Mobile.

Now copy that secret email address and,

  1. To upload a photo, email the photo to this address and include a caption in the email subject line.
  2. To update your status, write in the email subject line and leave the email body blank.

There are more options available check them all. You may signup for SMS etc.

How to edit the name and description of the link you have shared on Facebook?

  1. After you type the link address on Facebook it fetches the link name and description.
  2. If you want to edit link’s name (title) then click it on its name.
  3. If you want to edit description then click on the description and edit it.

How to Allocate Roles to Page Admins ?

Facebook Page provides option for the page administrator to give different roles to other people like you can make someone page manager, moderator, advertise etc.

To allocate roles move to your Page >> Click Admin Panel >> Click Edit Page (dropdown) >> Click Admin Roles.

How to check the number of People viewed your Post Organically vs Virally ?

Yes you can see how many people have viewed your posts on your Facebook page.  You may check it by hovering on “X people saw this post” .

Where Organically means fans and Virally means friends of fans.

How to see pages that liked your page?

Open your Page >> Admin Panel >> New Likes >> Click See All.

If you have any questions ask me here

Russian Blackhole Malware Attack Is Hitting Twitter

Blackhole malware attack is spreading on Twitter. It claims that you are pictured in an online image and give you a link to that image using Twitter’s public messages and when you click that link it redirects you to Russian websites that attempt to infect Windows PCs (better use Linux) using some notorious Blackhole exploit kit. Since late 2010 Blackhole exploit kit  is grown to be one of the most notorious exploit kits. Now it is spreading thousands of malicious links targeting twitter users.

WordPres Spam Words And Moderation

Here are words widely used in spam comments. Adding them to your moderation list protects your site from spam trackback and comments. Just copy-paste this list in your wp-admin/options-discussions.php  (if using WordPress)

What is Moderation ? WordPress Comment moderation allows you to prevent comments to appear on your webiste before your approval. It can be useful for addressing Spam Comment.

How Moderation Works ? A new comment goes through many WordPress tests before appearing below your post. If comment fails one of the test conducted by WordPress then it goes to spam list, where you can approve or trash that particular comment. That’s how comment moderation works.

Akismet is a better option available for WordPress users for blocking Spam Comments.

Following is spam word list (released by WordPress) to add in your WordPress wp-admin/options-discussions.php

-online
4u
adipex
advicer
baccarrat
blackjack
bllogspot
booker
byob
car-rental-e-site
car-rentals-e-site
carisoprodol
casino
casinos
chatroom
cialis
coolcoolhu
coolhu
credit-card-debt
credit-report-4u
cwas
cyclen
cyclobenzaprine
dating-e-site
day-trading
debt-consolidation
debt-consolidation-consultant
discreetordering
duty-free
dutyfree
equityloans
fioricet
flowers-leading-site
freenet-shopping
freenet
gambling-
hair-loss
health-insurancedeals-4u
homeequityloans
homefinance
holdem
holdempoker
holdemsoftware
holdemtexasturbowilson
hotel-dealse-site
hotele-site
hotelse-site
incest
insurance-quotesdeals-4u
insurancedeals-4u
jrcreations
levitra
macinstruct
mortgage-4-u
mortgagequotes
online-gambling
onlinegambling-4u
ottawavalleyag
ownsthis
palm-texas-holdem-game
paxil
penis
pharmacy
phentermine
poker-chip
poze
pussy
rental-car-e-site
ringtones
roulette
shemale
shoes
slot-machine
texas-holdem
thorcarlson
top-site
top-e-site
tramadol
trim-spa
ultram
valeofglamorganconservatives
viagra
vioxx
xanax
zolus