Whether you’re entirely new to WordPress.org or you’ve been using the platform for a while now, there’s always more to learn. We’ll be running a new series on Frequently Asked Questions, from the most basic to the more advanced. Be sure to comment at the bottom of this post with your own questions, queries and brain-teasers.
What’s the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
Essentially, the difference between WordPress .com and.org is that one platform is hosted for you, and the other requires you set up your own WordPress hosting. WordPress.com is a free service (though premium upgrades are available) blog network using WordPress software. WordPress.org offers users the option to download the WordPress software, and upload it to a web server to run their own WordPress website.
Hosting your own WordPress website with WordPress.org requires a degree of technical knowledge, and the cost of web hosting – however it also allows for greater control over the look and feel of your site. Hosting your site or blog on WordPress.com requires very little technical know-how, and means you don’t have to download software, pay for hosting, or manage a web server.
Can I customise my website’s 404 page?
The 404 or Not Found error message is the standard response indicating the requested page of a website was for some reason not able to be found, or no longer exists. Though obviously, the goal is to ensure no broken or dead links are present on your website to negate the need for 404 pages to appear altogether, it’s almost inevitable that during some part of their browsing experience, your users will stumble across one.
Many website owners choose to customise their 404 page to include a friendlier and less jarring description, branding, a search form, a feedback form, or an invitation to return to the homepage. A good custom 404 page will help your readers or customers find the information they were looking for – and might even make them laugh, like some of these great 404 Not Found examples – rather than completely disrupting their web experience.
You can read step by step instructions on creating an Error 404 page via Codex.
Widget versus Plugin?
There is often some confusion as to the difference between widgets and plugins – particularly for users new to WordPress. Basically, a plugin adds greater functionality to a website or blog (SEO, spam blocking, advertisement placing etc) via a software script, while a widget (often derived from a plugin) is an object which can be added via drag and drop to a website or blog’s sidebar.
We want your FAQs
What burning questions do you have about WordPress? About the platform in general, or usability, or plugins, or themes, or customisation, or anything at all when it comes to building and managing your WordPress website or blog. What question has been plaguing you for weeks, maybe months, that you haven’t yet found the answer to, or you keep forgetting to put to a WP expert?
The old cliché, the only silly question is the question not asked, certainly applies here – so step up one and all and post your questions here in the comments section below, and we’ll endeavour to answer each and every one in due course.
We’ll be running regular Q&As addressing issues from both novice users and fully-fledged WP whiz kids, so be sure to stay tuned, and follow WP Themes on Twitter and Facebook for regular updates.
2 thoughts on “WordPress FAQs”
With the recent attacks/hacks to WP blogs, what is the recommended course of action to secure a blog?
Hi Jane, good question. I’m sure we’ll get more people with security related questions. A good place to start is our WordPress security category. We’ve written a few posts covering basic WordPress security setup.