# WordPress-Anyone?



## maddog1 (Aug 21, 2012)

I have a Domain name & a hosting service & WordPress which is offered by the hosting Company. In this case it's HostGator. So when it comes to computer stuff I'm the dullest knife in the draw. I thought with all this talk about how easy WordPress is that anyone can build a website in just minutes, this would work for me---Not. I can't get past the Dashboard. So I looked at Youtube videos, spent hours reading books from my library on the subject, talked to people who build sites, and I'm still dead in the water.


Does anyone know where a dummy like me can go to get started. I also have to ad that the problem I'm having is that all these help sources go into the History of WordPress & how it began-Blah-Blah-Blah. This is where I get turned off. I don't want lessons on the How's & Why's. I just want to use the thing to build a website. Frankly, I find computer stuff to be one of the most boring things I can waste my time on. Like if I need to use a framing hammer or a ball pean hammer, I don't want to be compelled to first read the history of these hammers. I just want to pick it up & go with it. So what I'm asking is "Where or how do I get the direct info to just go & build the site without all the mumbo jumbo computer stuff. Thanks for the advise.


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## HandyAndyInNC (Jun 4, 2018)

There are so many ways to accomplish this task. I have never used WordPress, or any of the drag and drop programs. They always create so much garbage, that the page does not perform well. Since this is on a computer, you are going to interact with a computer, and you will see computer stuff.


I am not sure what you need help with? What can go on a website? How to use WordPress? Sounds like you are searching for the wrong things. Personally, I think trying to create a webpage, or even more, a complete website using a drag and drop page on another site, is a huge waste of time. You do not need to use anything other than a text editor and the web browser on your own computer to create a static page/website. Remember, static html is a simple formatting language. It is not a programming language.



I started out writing html in 1991. I used notepad, and just wrote all the tags by hand. There are only a handful of tags if you want a static page.


First step is to plan what you want your website to have on it. You never want to have too much, or too little information on a single page. Plan out a site like you would plan out a house with a single door. The single door is your main/default page. Depending on the OS of the Web server, determines what the first page name will be named. Most windows OS IIS computers will be named Default.htm, or Default.html, or even Default.aspx Your ISP that is hosting your domain name will tell you that. But for writing and testing on your own computer, you want to name it the same as the ISP requires. Because when it comes to multiple pages, you link each page via the name of the text file. 



What is the name of the ISP hosting your domain name? You need to ask them, or read their website for the name(s) that they allow file names to be named and the type of file allowed. The type of file is the file extension.


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

MD,

I've used WordPress for 8 years or so, and other web platforms for 15 years before that.

WordPress can indeed be intimating to the uninitiated.

Honestly, you (anyone) really needs to understand the fundamentals before diving in head-first. 

First thing to do is to figure out what you want your website to do. Best advise is the surf the net and find a few web sites that you like and that do what you want your site to do. That would be a starting point to figure out how to go about setting up your site.

It sounds like you need a personal tutor to get you up and running. If you don't know anybody, your hosting company usually can tutor you, for a large fee of course.

Another idea is to check out your local community college (if you have on) and take a course or two.

You can always hire a professional web designer to get things going and ask that he or she explain things as they go along. Of course that would slow down the project and cost more.

There's no free lunch. And if you are going for a commercial (moneymaking) website, a crappy site will reflect poorly on your business and cost you a lot in the long run.

Hope this helps.
.
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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

maddog1 said:


> . So what I'm asking is "Where or how do I get the direct info to just go & build the site without all the mumbo jumbo computer stuff. Thanks for the advise.





I will ask 2 serious question before my comments. They are 1000s of scripts and various site builders out there so one size does fit all and WP, IMO, is one of the more bloated ones to use.



Exactly what type of site do you want? What do you want it to do?




Now for the comments.  

Could you learn to build a house without first learning how to use a tape measure, hammer and saw?


Could you learn how to drive a car without learning a bunch of stuff?


I won't belabor the point.


Yes you can get a free or paid script that mostly does anything you want, a cookie cutter script. Some great sites use them. Learning is minimal but some learning must take place.


Answer those 2 questions and see what replies you get.


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## supers05 (May 23, 2015)

I don't normally mention brand names, as I prefer not to advertise, but in this case, I don't see any way around it. There are a few sites out there designed for the layman to create basic websites without knowing any scripting or coding. Some actually work quite well. One of them is Wix.com. here's some alternatives. https://hosting.review/website-builders/best-wix-alternatives/

Look around and see which suites you and your budget the best. Generally the more you pay, the more they will help you when you get lost. 

Cheers!


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## HandyAndyInNC (Jun 4, 2018)

I'm betting my last dollar that if you had the host company register your domain name, it belongs to them, not you. Meaning that if you want to move it, you can't. It does not belong to you. Only way to ensure that you own your own domain name is to go to the one and only registrar for domain names. Network Solutions. They started it and are the only true company that manages the registration of domain extensions and names.


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

HandyAndyInNC said:


> I'm betting my last dollar that if you had the host company register your domain name, it belongs to them, not you. Meaning that if you want to move it, you can't. It does not belong to you. Only way to ensure that you own your own domain name is to go to the one and only registrar for domain names. Network Solutions. They started it and are the only true company that manages the registration of domain extensions and names.


He knows who his registrar is every time he renews his domain. Actually Network Solutions is now just another registrar, ICANN would be the "governing body" for all registrars, domains and extensions. If you want to look up your domain info easily, use Whois:
https://www.whois.com/whois/


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

I've owned lots of domains registered with various registrars and hosted with those, and with third-party, companies.

Anyway, the question was about WP. I've used it, just to see how it works. Frankly I think it's pretty simplistic. It's more like a blog platform than a web site, more like keeping a running commentary than a traditional web site. But you really can shoehorn almost anything into it.

Start with a template. Your hosting provider will probably offer a bunch of them. Probably some free ones, and some you have to pay for. Pick one you like, install it, and just click around adding and changing things until you get the hang of it.

Personally, I agree that understanding how something works is far better than blindly clicking and dragging. I guess that's why I'm in a "DIY" forum and not a "do it for me" forum.


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## supers05 (May 23, 2015)

CaptTom said:


> Personally, I agree that understanding how something works is far better than blindly clicking and dragging. I guess that's why I'm in a "DIY" forum and not a "do it for me" forum.


There is a difference between content creation and website creation. The 2 skill sets aren't mutually inclusive. Clearly the OP is having trouble just getting started with a basic WP template and host. Things only get more challenging the more you want from the site. That's why I recommended a drag and drop type service. Those sites actually come out quite nice, far better then many generic WP based sites, as the author can spend time on the content rather then bashing their head against a framework they don't understand. 

I do advocate furthering everyone's knowledge, but sometimes you just have to accept solutions that will allow a better return on investment on your time. 

You don't need to now how an internal combustion engine works, or it's history for someone to be a great driver. It's beneficial, but not necessary. 

Cheers!


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

supers05 said:


> There is a difference between content creation and website creation. The 2 skill sets aren't mutually inclusive. Clearly the OP is having trouble just getting started with a basic WP template and host. Things only get more challenging the more you want from the site. That's why I recommended a drag and drop type service. Those sites actually come out quite nice, far better then many generic WP based sites, as the author can spend time on the content rather then bashing their head against a framework they don't understand.
> 
> I do advocate furthering everyone's knowledge, but sometimes you just have to accept solutions that will allow a better return on investment on your time.
> 
> ...


Right, but you need to know how to turn the key to start the engine, how to shift from Park to Drive, how to turn the steering wheel, how to add fuel, on and on.

All of these things and more have parallels in web site design and development.

Drag and drop is light-years better than hand coding with Notepad as we did in the bad old days, but a good web site still needs to follow basic principles for organization, flow of content, usability, how to write for the web vs. hard copy, basic graphic design, on and on.

There are so many bad web sites out there, a friend of mine used to make a good living just surfing the web, finding horrible web sites, and cold-call emailing the site owner and saying (diplomatically) "Your web site sucks, Allow me to work with you to fix it."
.
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## supers05 (May 23, 2015)

ZZZZZ said:


> a good web site still needs to follow basic principles for organization, flow of content, usability, how to write for the web vs. hard copy, basic graphic design, on and on.
> 
> .


I agree. None of that requires knowledge of how the framework works. The good drag on and drop sites use really nice templates that guide novice users to good design choices. It takes time to learn those things, if the OP chooses to do so. (or gets cold called with a "your site sucks message.") Either way, I think the OP will be much further ahead then learning how to use a generic framework. (drag and drop sites are very top level frameworks. They are just very restrictive, compared to the generic frameworks.) 

I personally use drupal mostly these days, and have some older experience with WP. It all comes down to the flexibility and functionality required, time/monetary budget, verses the learning curve. 


Cheers!


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## Bret86844 (Mar 16, 2016)

I learned Wordpress from scratch, it's what I use for my blog. Never built a webpage before or anything like that. If you are trying to do something fancy and specific, forget about it. If you are willing to work with what's there, it's a good platform. My advice is just click around, break things a few times, and spend some time seeing how it works.


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## adamz (May 13, 2018)

https://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp


https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming/html-css/intro-to-html/pt/html-basics


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## adamz (May 13, 2018)

maddog,


I feel your pain. A step-by-step guide is sometimes hard to locate.

One question: Are you stuck on HostGator's Dashboard or Wordpress's Dashboard?


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## supers05 (May 23, 2015)

Aurneriel said:


> It's enough to understand the basics and then move on. It's one of the easiest platforms where you can create news sites. It is easier to find icon designers for hire who will do the final layout of the entire site.


Please look at the dates before posting. This is a 3 year old thread. It's long dead.


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