BuddyPress 1.2 installs on WordPress
The biggest roadblocks to adopting social network software BuddyPress have finally been eliminated. With the latest version 1.2 coming out, you can now install BuddyPress on WordPress and not just WordPress MU. That goes for any WP version. Consider this the official way to run BP following this one.
Another highlight of this release is a quicker, simpler installation process: just 3 steps detailed in the download page. Simply add BuddyPress from your plugins page and activate a theme for it.
Probably the most exciting part of this release is a new default theme, which you can see running on the official site and the BuddyPress Test Drive site. BP is looking cleaner and more flexible than ever—you can create child themes with BP too.
Add Google Buzz to WordPress & BuddyPress
WPMU.org lists 5 different ways you can integrate Google Buzz into your WordPress and BuddyPress site. Aside from a the Buzz This WP plugin and the Digg-like button, you can also display your Buzz stream and share BP profiles to Buzz.
- “Buzz This” Plugin for WordPress
- Make Your Own Button to Add Anywhere in Your Template
- Share Your Google Buzz Posts on Your Site with Google Buzz ER Plugin
- Add the Ability to Share BuddyPress Profile Links With a “Buzz This” Button
- Add “Buzz This” to Individual BuddyPress Activity Stream Posts
Although Google Buzz is facing controversy right now for privacy issues, it could become a huge social network overnight since it’s built right inside Gmail, and bloggers will definitely want to take advantage of that audience.
Update: see also this post by Mashable.
Put yourself on the WordPress World Map
The WordPress World Map lets WP people unite get themselves on a custom Google Maps interface. You can sign in with your Twitter account (there should be support for WordPress.com, and WordPress.org as sign-on identities, but you can add your respective usernames on those sites to the profile) and add yourself as a user/blogger, developer, core developer, company, or fan. See folks who are in your area and check out which WordCamps are happening near you—probably the nifties feature thus far.
Great way to get a global perspective of the WordPress community. And this project would integrate well with the WordPress.org profiles.
Put the WordPress Philippines community on the map and register now!
BuddyPress to ship with a theme framework; will WordPress be next?
Social networking platform BuddyPress has modified its theme structure to contain by default a theme framework, basically a parent theme which custom themes can override with child themes.
In BuddyPress 1.1 there will be one single theme to handle everything. BuddyPress will ship with a theme framework that acts as a parent theme. The default theme will be a child theme based on this framework and contains only images and css. Building a new BuddyPress theme will be as simple as creating a child theme based on the framework. If you’re not familiar with child themes a quick google search will bring up lots of useful information.
This makes theme development for a relatively more complex CMS much easier. But what’s more interesting about this is there are several WordPress theme frameworks already out there, and it looks like the BuddyPress development team has taken a cue from that. My question is: should future versions of WordPress also ship with a default theme framework just like BuddyPress? For those who aren’t familiar with the benefits:
When building a new theme you don’t need to re-create every template file. You can override specific template files where needed. Most importantly though, your theme will update automatically with the latest functionality when the framework theme is updated.
In the meantime, however, check out these 3rd-party theme frameworks for WP.
ABS-CBN buys 5% of Multiply.com
ABS-CBN purchased 2,524,488 shares of social networking site Multiply. This amounted to to $5,000,000.93 or 5% of the company. You can read the reports from the following sites:
- ABS-CBN acquires minority stake in Multiply (ABS-CBN News)
- ABS-CBN buys 5% stake in Multiply (Inquirer.net)
- Multiply Gets $100M Valuation As Southeast Asian Media Conglomerate Buys 5% Stake (TechCrunch)
Some people may remember a prior partnership between the two companies last year. It looks like the Kapamilya Network is taking things to the next level.
Multiply is a remarkably popular service for Filipinos as it provides an all in one package for blogging and uploading various multimedia. ABS-CBN is notable for having promoted many of its TV shows online through Multiply profiles more so than subsections of its official website.
Clearly, the media company knows where to go where the buzz is, and whether or not this deal’s pros are outweighed by the cons, it’s interesting to see how a company that built its name through traditional forms of media is slowly discovering what we now call social media.
WordPress App for LinkedIn adds your blog to your professional profile
If you’re networking professionally at LinkedIn, you’ll be pleased to know that you can now add your WordPress-powered blog to your profile with the WordPress app. Just look for it in the Application Directory, add your blog URL, and you’re all set. Your recent blog posts will now be displayed on your profile.
Users of both WordPress.com (hosted) and WordPress.org (self-hosted) can use this app, so don’t hesitate! Why use LinkedIn? It’s a great way to build your professional network online.
BuddyPress is a WordPress MU Social Network Platform
If you enjoy all the features of WordPress, particularly its multi-user version WordPress MU, but would like to take it a step further and produce one of the hottest places to be on the web right now, a social network, then BuddyPress might be the solution you’re looking for.
BuddyPress is still essentially blogging software but “removes the main focus of WordPress MU away from blogs, moving it more towards the actual member themselves.” Instead of having blogging as its main feature, it’s now one features in addition to more detailed profile pages, private messaging, friends, groups, status updates, photo albums, and something called The Wire, which is basically where friends can leave messages on one’s profile page ala MySpace comments.
Rolling out a custom social network seems like the next logical step after blogging. In the Philippines, there are a lot of bloggers but there are more of us who more easily understand the likes of Friendster and Multiply. Others believe blogging is the next social network. And that our online social lives can remain scattered across different websites like Twitter and Facebook, too. Will BuddyPress draw in the crowds? Could it equal the likes of KickApps and Ning? We’ll find out soon enough.
