2/19/2010
WordPress Plugin Loopholes and the Power of Social Networks
Two Heads Are Better than One, and I Can Prove It
Yes, two heads are better than one, and it’s one thing you have to love about social media.
Case Study – How Blogging Expands Knowledge and Solves Business Problems
Not long ago I wrote a post called How to Customize Title Tags in WordPress. It included this bit of information -
In the post you’re reading now, the headline is How to Customize Title Tags in WordPress. The title tag – look at your browser tab or the top of your browser – is Custom Title Tags in WordPress | Word Sell Inc .
So imagine my surprise when I got this comment from my new best friend, Amber …
Great info. But the title in my web browser is the same title of your posting, How to customize title tags in WordPress. Not your title tag: Custom Title Tags in WordPress | Word Sell Inc. I’m having the same problem. My wordpress SEO isn’t over-riding the title that comes up by default. I have the All in one SEO pack installed as well but have been using the SEO interface that come with wordpress. I wonder if this is causing the problem. Thanks for any comments – Ill let you know if I come across anything
And then she comes back a few minutes later with this -
Me again! After some testing I think I found the problem. Basically, if you have installed the All In One SEO pack on your WordPress blog, you HAVE to use it. If you have this plugin and you use the SEO interface that comes with WordPress it won’t be recognized. I changed the Title Tag in the wordpress SEO – nothing. I entered it on the All in one SEO pack – BAM it changed. SEO is too important take chances on – Ill be using the plug-in from now on.
Don't Go It Alone
How nice is that? Here’s Amber, a perfect stranger, maybe a new visitor, taking the time to read my post that carefully and then taking the time to tell me about a problem. Thanks to Amber, I figured out that I had 62 blog posts – the one in question being the most recent – whose title tags were messed up during my conversion from Thesis to a different WordPress theme that used the All in One SEO Pack plugin. Maybe more important, this kernel of knowledge will help me do a better job with clients if this situation ever comes up.
It’s an example of how blog conversations have genuine business value. This give and take of information, this willingness to share and help out, makes us better at whatever we do. I can’t put an ROI to what happened here, but as far as I’m concerned, the value is obvious and indisputable. Thanks, Amber.
WordPress Side Note. Piling on plugins can have unintended consequences, especially if the time comes for deactivating them. Another example: Apture. I recently deactived it, and all those image embeds and links look like hell. I knew this would happen, but in other cases, like the Amber loophole, I was caught by surprise. Watch out for loopholes.
8 Responses to WordPress Plugin Loopholes and the Power of Social Networks
What a gift having a reader like Amber. She pointed out a glitch and came back to offer a solution.
I’m fascinated though what made you ditch Thesis for another theme. Very intriguing.
Hi Jan, Long story … no particular problems with Thesis, but I am finding that the All in One has some great new features since I used it last, about two years ago.
I see… Hey, have you added your blog to your Buzz feed? I still haven’t looked at Buzz today. This post is the first time I’ve used a Google Buzz sharing button. How’s that for useless trivia? LOL
A lot of my best business relationships started with giving a hand rather then selling my service.
A different question – is there a reason you deactivated Apture?
Hi Joanna, The Apture plugin seemed to be interfering with the operation of my site – a plugin incompatibility issue perhaps. I also have this lingering fear that if for any reason Apture goes down or isn’t around, I’ll have a site full of broken or poorly displaying links. Also, I can better optimize images using my own. Perhaps not compelling reasons, but that’s what I was thinking.
Brad,
To read a discussion thoroughly and properly and come up with a sensible and thoughtful contribution is one thing. But to actually identify a problem, go away and come back with a solution goes beyond the norm, especially when there is no prior established relationship with the blogger in question.
Amber is obviously extremely thoughtful. Contributors like this are a real gift as Jan says.
True, Andrew. But I’m sure you’ve noticed – people in your blogging community are willing to go the extra mile a lot more often than you’d ever expect.