The Best Sources of Content for WordPress Users

WordPress is the most popular blogging platform, and I know many Daily Blog Tips readers use WordPress to power their own blogs. As a WordPress user, I enjoy reading about the platform and staying up-to-date with news from the WordPress community. The great thing about WordPress is the endless possibilities that it allows, and by reading from other users and designers there is plenty of information available on just about any topic you can think of.

If you’re looking for technical documentation or support, the codex and forums are usually the first place to look. However, I would like to share some blogs and websites that provide a good amount of WP-related content that I think you will appreciate. Whether you are a theme designer/developer or a blogger who is looking to get more out of WordPress, visit some of these sites and see for yourself.

Weblog Tools Collection (added by Daniel)

Published by Mark Ghosh, Weblog Tools Collection is constantly featuring news about WordPress and its development. They also have regular columns highlighting the recent releases of WordPress plugins and themes. Finally, they just released a video section of the site, featuring all sorts of videos related to WordPress.

WP Candy

WP Candy does a nice job of keeping readers up-to-date with WordPress and what’s going on in the WP community. I’ve been subscribed for a little while and I recommend it as a source of information for any WordPress bloggers, not just theme designers. Probably the best thing available at WP Candy is the WordPress Help Sheet (also see the advanced help sheet). Four Simple Ways to Speed Up WordPress is also contains useful information.

Specky Boy

Specky Boy publishes articles on WordPress and design in general. I’m a fan of the super-clean design and layout used at Specky Boy. Just last month there was a great collection of links to 63 Essential WordPress Hacks, Tutorials, Help Files, and Cheats. Photobloggers may also want to see 30 Free Resources for Photoblogging and Image Galleries.

Pro Blog Design

Michael Martin is a blog designer and his own blog is one of the best resources for WordPress theme designers (and bloggers that want to make some customizations to there theme). Michael doesn’t post quite as often as he used too, but I recommend it to any blog designers out there. The archives are full of tutorials that are to the point, practical and easy to follow. Some must-read posts include Separating Trackbacks from Comments, 13 Tags to Delete from Your Theme, and Get RSS Subscriber Count in Plain Text.

WPDesigner

WPDesigner was the home to Small Potato, a popular theme designer, but was recently sold. I’ll be interested to see how the new owner Pawel Ciszewski maintains the site. Small Potato sold premium themes through WPDesigner and he started The $5 Themes Club, a paid membership that provided at least 12 premium themes per year for just $5. The blog at WPDesigner also has some helpful content, especially So You Want to Create WordPress Themes Huh?, which is a nice introductory article for anyone looking to learn more about WordPress themes.

Lorelle

As probably the most well-known blogger on WordPress.com, Lorelle gives plenty of helpful and practical advice for other WordPress bloggers. She provides consistent content on WordPress news, themes, and plugins.

Noupe

Noupe is another blog that has been in my feed reader for a while. Noura covers web design in general, but focuses a lot of posts on WordPress, including a four-post series Powerful Guide to Master Your WordPress. The four posts in that series are Mastering Your WordPress Theme Hacks and Techniques, 45 Must See WordPress Themes, Powerful List of WordPress Lifesavers Plugins, and 60+ Unusual WordPress Blog Designs.

Galleries

If you’ve been around the web design community for any length of time, you’re very familiar with CSS galleries, which are showcases of high-quality websites. There are a few specialty galleries that include only WordPress-based sites and blogs. These are an excellent resource for design inspiration, and to see what is possible with WordPress. The three WordPress galleries that I know of are WP Cube and We Love WP and WordPress Garden.

What Are Your Favorites?

I know this list of blogs really only scratches the surface of WordPress content. What blogs do you rely on for WordPress news or tips? Is anyone aware of any other WP design galleries aside from the 3 already mentioned?

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Steven Snell on April 9, 2008 | Filed Under WordPress

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26 Responses to “The Best Sources of Content for WordPress Users”

Brian on April 9th, 2008 8:28 pm

Great list - I’ve been following Mike@ WPCandy for a while now and started following Noupe when they featured me on 45 Must See WordPress Themes. WPDesigner has always been a classic - but you’re right, you barely scratched the surface with this list. It would be impossible to feature all the great WP blogs out there - but you’ve made a great start with this post!

You might also check out hackwordpress.com among a few others.
Michelle on April 9th, 2008 9:25 pm

I love, love, love Smashing Magazine. While they’re not all about wp, they definitely give a lot of love to wp users.
SE7EN on April 9th, 2008 9:42 pm

I’m the subscriber of all of them, except Lorelle and WordPress galleries
Ronald @ RA Project on April 9th, 2008 9:42 pm

Although an alternative to WLTC (a site I write for), I’d also recommend Hack WordPress - http://hackwordpress.com/
Trisha on April 10th, 2008 3:12 am

There’s also the Wordpress Weekly Podcast, with WP Candy and Jeff of Weblog Tools Collection (+ a few other mentionables) on TalkShoe - http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/34224

We shoot for every Friday, but it often ends up being Saturday’s at 9pm EST.

Great list - just couldn’t let WTC and WP Candy get mentioned without plugging their podcast =)
PremiumWP on April 10th, 2008 4:34 am

If your interested in premium themes, Premium WordPress is a pretty comprehensive showcase of premium WordPress themes - http://www.premiumwp.com/
Amit Agarwal on April 10th, 2008 7:05 am

This is a good list. Can I ask for a single OPML please.
Daniel Scocco on April 10th, 2008 7:20 am

Amit, I will work on that.
Wayne Liew on April 10th, 2008 9:26 am

I always like Lorelle’s posts on Wordpress and in fact, I think that she covers all those events, tutorials and guidelines with ample knowledge and what I really like is her opinions.

Apart from Wordpress developments, the blogging tips published on her blog are also valuable reads.
Brian Auer on April 10th, 2008 1:39 pm

I’ve found the site “Hack WordPress” to be a pretty good resource full of little tweaks, news, design bits, etc… plus some actual hacks (and useful ones at that).
Pavel Ciorici on April 10th, 2008 2:10 pm

I`ve opened recently a similar poject.. but with more features like Wp Themes, Blogs Showcase and much other…

Check it http://www.wpzoom.com
Rahi on April 10th, 2008 2:43 pm

I track the wordpress category on QOT
http://www.quickonlinetips.com.....wordpress/
Ryan Nanca on April 10th, 2008 4:10 pm

I just started a new Wordpress resource called “WP Collective.” It only has a couple articles at the moment, but plenty of ideas are in the works. Check it out =)
Aaron at FullTiltBlogging.com on April 10th, 2008 6:18 pm

This post was featured in today in FullTiltBlogging.com’s Daily Blog Summary - A summary of the top 50 Make Money Blogging Sites. Good job.
Steven Snell on April 10th, 2008 8:10 pm

Daniel,
Thanks for the addition. Not sure how I missed the biggest one.

Hack WordPress looks good. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
Boris H on April 12th, 2008 2:54 pm

Very useful. Lorelle is the best one for me.
Michael Martin on April 13th, 2008 10:59 pm

Thanks for putting Pro Blog Design in there, and for the kind words! I think you’ve gotten all of my favorite WP resources up there. I don’t have any more to add.
Andrea_R on April 16th, 2008 5:48 pm

I think I’m the only blog out there focused just on WordpressMU.
David on April 18th, 2008 4:06 am

I post a fair bit of stuff on BloggingPro.com.