New to Wordpress

[Faith]

For the first time ever, I tried today to set up a Wordpress site. I had already bought a domain name and hosting. Since so many people say Wordpress is easy to set up, I wasn't anticipating too many problems.

Boy, was I wrong.

I got all the settings taken care of, but when I tried configuring my theme and making my first post, nothing seemed to work.

I'm using one of the featured themes in Wordpress, and am wondering now if I had just used the default theme, it that would have been easier.

So, I looked around to see how to uninstall the featured theme that's called Arjuna, but there doesn't seem to be a way to do that.

Any advice from anyone?


Faith

[Engage]

Hi Faith,

Since so many people say Wordpress is easy to set up, I wasn't anticipating too many problems.

Well, as you've seen, so many people are wrong.

If it makes you feel better, I'm a programmer with 15 years working online, and I couldn't get it set up either. It's not you, it's Wordpress.

I PMed you an alternative option.

[LaShae]

Faith,

Congratulations on installing wordpress and moving forward.

When you want to change themes, you won't actually "uninstall" it, you'll activate a new one.

If you're logged into your wordpress installation, go to Appearance - Themes and select a new theme. Select the preview and if you like the way it looks, click Activate. It will immediately change the look of your site. It will only change the way your site looks, it will not change any posts or pages that have already been published.

If there isn't a theme there that you like, click on the Add New Themes and using the search options locate one from the wordpress.org/extend/themes - directly inside your wordpress installation, select the preview button and once you find one you like click the install button.

You'll then be given the option after it's installed successfully to activate your new theme.

As far as posting in wordpress, do you want it to be a blog post or a blog page - posts scroll down the page in reverse chronological order and pages act more like a static web page.

To do either look on the left navigation bar and select either add new "post" or "page".

Themes are going to rarely cause issues with posting to the blog, unless some other issues are happening as well.

If you're still having issues with your posts or pages showing up, why not post a link to the site here and I or someone else will be more than happy to help you figure out the issue.

[angienewton]

Faith,
We'll help you get it all figured out, don't give up on Wordpress and your hosting. Stick with what you have and our members will help you out. Once you have done it, it will become easier over time.

[Faith]

Thanks, Ladies, for the help.

It is so much appreciated.

I will install a different theme tomorrow, and press forward. I'm really determined
to learn this.

If other people can do this, then so can I!


Faith

[russell]

You also might want to try the default theme to make a post in, just to see how it looks. Then you can switch themes, and see if you like how things look with the new theme. If you dont like it, switch back.

It can be very frustrating choosing a theme. There are so many out there, and a lot of them dont work that well, or are coded poorly, and therefore are missing functionality.

You can uninstall a theme, although there isnt much of a need to. To uninstall the theme you will need to ftp to your site, then go into the wp-content/themes directory, and delete the folder of the theme you don't want anymore. This is also where you would install a theme manually. You would just drop your new theme into that directory, and then you should see it in the wordpress dashboard under themes.

You will find some themes and plugins do not show up in the wordpress themes search area, but are availle on the interenet elsewhere. In this case, you would have to do a manual install.

[jkgourmet]

Actually, Russell, doesn't WP do all that for you if you select a theme that you can install directly through the Admin area? I mean, if you deactivate a theme you don't want, then delete it, I think the files get ripped out of your c-panel. (I avoid the FTP stuff whenever possible and try to do everything I can through the Admin area.)

I recognize this would only work if the theme you selected is available in the themes that you can install directly from Wordpress.org - not a premium theme or one you have to download yourself.

[russell]

Actually, Russell, doesn't WP do all that for you if you select a theme that you can install directly through the Admin area? I mean, if you deactivate a theme you don't want, then delete it, I think the files get ripped out of your c-panel. (I avoid the FTP stuff whenever possible and try to do everything I can through the Admin area.)

I recognize this would only work if the theme you selected is available in the themes that you can install directly from Wordpress.org - not a premium theme or one you have to download yourself.

You are right, there is a delete in the dashboard, and it looks like it removes the theme nice and clean....

Learn something everyday.

[AlexNewell]

For the first time ever, I tried today to set up a Wordpress site. I had already bought a domain name and hosting. Since so many people say Wordpress is easy to set up, I wasn't anticipating too many problems.

Boy, was I wrong.

I got all the settings taken care of, but when I tried configuring my theme and making my first post, nothing seemed to work.

I'm using one of the featured themes in Wordpress, and am wondering now if I had just used the default theme, it that would have been easier.

So, I looked around to see how to uninstall the featured theme that's called Arjuna, but there doesn't seem to be a way to do that.

Any advice from anyone?


Faith

As it happens I installed a new blog today and used the default theme - so far. ( bottom link in my signature file)

One thing to check Faith is under the Privacy settings. Some hosts have this set up so that the blog does not allow search engines to find it. Make sure that the setting is set up so that search engines CAN index it!

Pop the link in your post so that we take a look and one of us will help you get sorted!

:-)

This is not just a discussion forum this a an action orientated forum!!

[LaShae]

Russell,

If you're using the newest version of wordpress you can even install themes that aren't in the wordpress.org/extend/themes directly from inside the Admin. You'll just use the upload instead of search feature.

It's one of the reasons Wordpress is so friendly if you don't even know what the heck FTP is, you can still do it like a pro.