WA 5
ECT424/IS 324 Assignment Five: WordPress Site Plugins and Widgets
Assignment: Due class nine, Total Points: 55
1. Configure your site for the following: a. Selected Plugins. Add at least three (but you may do as many as you like) from this optional list of plugin
categories as long as they make sense for your context; You should do any configurations necessary to
ensure your plugins have the intended effect to receive full points. Remember that for everything you
do with the plugins you would contribute to your context.
i. Extension for related posts or random posts. This shows the reader other posts when the
reader looks at one post. Search for candidate extensions that fit one or the other of these
models. There should be data to show it is working (which means you need to have a variety of
categories or tags on your posts).
ii. Add Gallery Content to your site. Use a gallery or slideshow extension to add multiple images
to your site in a column (not as a post) (if this fits your context). It must be dynamic content
(changing)
iii. Set up an event calendar with future dates (date must show the month beyond end of quarter)
and must include Events, not just posts. Must appear on the main page with your posts (no
separate pages only, there can be a separate calendar page, but the events must also show on
the main page).
iv. Support for mobile users. Try out MobilePress, and WordPress Mobile Edition. If you have
access to a smart phone, try one that builds a site for your Smartphone OS and see how your
site looks there. Be sure to comment on this in the post.
v. SEO Optimization extension. Several plugins support search engine optimization. Select one
and deploy it (don’t just install, but do some basic configuration – some SEO plugins don’t have
any configurable elements – you should stay away from those. Be sure to tell me what
configuration you did to this plugin.
vi. Put AdSense (or other) networked advertising on your site. You will need to establish an
AdSense account if you don’t already have one. It is likely Google will not give you an account
until your site is already up – they will want to see that your site has substantial content in it
before giving out an account. Your plugin will not work until your account is in place. So, to do
this, you will have to have your basic site up at least 72 hours early, apply for an AdSense
account, and hope Google responds in time. Then you will have to configure your ads.
Amazon accounts are easier to get, but harder to use. Alternatively, you may set up to do
affiliate sales. Remember that this must fit your context to count.
vii. Got another idea not on this list? Talk to me about it BEFORE implementing….
b. Widgets. Please be sure to remove any default widgets
i. REQUIRED:
1. Build a text widget to provide an introduction to your blog. Say something about it or
about yourself. Provide contact information (phony email).
2. Display RSS feed from another blog using a widget. This is the second direction where
you show someone else’s blog in your margin (or footer) column. Find a blog (or several
blogs) that fit your context to do this with. Note how this has been done on the class
blog page. A Feed from your OWN blog will not count.
ii. Build out Optional widgets in your margin columns:
1. Select two additional widgets to be placed in the margins of your blog (or the footer):
recent posts, recent comments, archived posts, categories, post calendar or tag cloud.
You can do more than two if you want, but at least two of these .There must be data to
show each widget working. So a Tag Cloud has to show tags, Related Posts has to show
related posts on the post page, Recent Comments must show comments.
2. If you find other interesting and useful widgets, you may deploy them to count toward
your two.
3. Remember that whatever you choose has to contribute to your context.
iii. Create a page footer (or modify the existing one) customized with your name, and a copyright
notice. Note that this MUST be more than the default footer (you may need to install a plugin to
configure your footer, or you may need to jump into the php code – do this on your sandbox
FIRST).
2. In addition to the technical items above you will also be graded on how well your design supports your choice of
context.
a. You must ensure that everything that was done in previous assignments continues to work
b. Post the URL document to D2L so I can give you feedback on Assignment 5.