Sarah Gooding is a partner at Untame, a boutique digital marketing firm specializing in open source content management systems and social networking architecture. She enjoys staying on top of the latest WordPress and BuddyPress news. Get in touch with Sarah on Twitter @pollyplummer

Follow
Sarah:
Facebook Twitter Google +

Sarah's website

How to Tackle Spam With The BuddyPress Spam Link Plugin

BuddyPress spam is a perennial problem that can negatively affect your social network. At times it can seem like weeds taking over your beautiful garden. Everyone knows what it’s like to receive spam emails but when your members begin receiving spam messages through your community, they may feel as though their profile, participation and experiences are not secure. That is why, when building a community, it’s important to maintain good spam protection; a spam-free experience produces subtle confidence that will keep your users returning.

spam-feature

Read more »

Breezing Forms: A New Free WordPress Forms Plugin

Breezing Forms is a new plugin for creating custom forms with WordPress. This advanced forms builder joins the ranks of Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms and the like with its ability to create professional forms and form-based applications.

The very unique thing about Breezing Forms is that there is no trial-ware and no light version. Members of Crosstec will receive access to the latest versions and professional support, as well as a few extra bells and whistles, including more themes, true mobile support, and Salesforce/Dropbox integration.

breezing-forms

Read more »

How to Change the Allowed File Upload Types in WordPress Multisite

WordPress multisite has some restrictions for what types of files users can upload on the network. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to make changes to the allowed file types without having to add a plugin or change any code.

This particular network admin setting is a few clicks deep. You can find it under:

Dashboard >> Network Admin >> Settings >> Network Settings

Scroll down to Upload Settings and add or remove file types from the “Upload file types” field.

medium_4294033517

Read more »

Access Your Favorite WordPress.org Plugins From The Dashboard

Are you making use of the ability to favorite plugins with your WordPress.org account? Maybe you haven’t found much use for your list besides having it as a reference or personal library of community plugins.

WordPress developer @Japh has created a plugin called Favorite Plugins that makes favoriting on WordPress.org much more useful. It adds “Favorites” to the plugin installation screen in the WordPress dashboard.

banner-772x250

Read more »

Top 10 Free Responsive WordPress Themes

Need a new responsive theme for your WordPress site? You’re in luck! So far 2012 has been a great year in the world of WordPress themes. Over the past few months several theme makers have released some beautiful, professional-quality themes that we think you might enjoy. We’ve carefully selected the nicest of those that have been released recently. All of the themes listed below are free to use and have been created to be responsive to mobile devices. Make sure to bookmark all of your favorites!

SimpleCorp

Demo | Download

Twenty Twelve

Demo | Download

Murmur

Demo | Download

Luca’s Theme

Demo | Download

Pilot Fish

Demo | Download

Path

free-responsive-wp-themes

Read more »

SimpleCorp: A Free Responsive HTML5 Theme for WordPress

It’s not often that you stumble upon a WordPress theme that can be used effectively as a corporate website, portfolio, or simple blog. SimpleCorp is a new free responsive HTML5 and CSS3 theme that encompasses all three right out of the box. Created by the folks at Site5 Hosting, SimpleCorp is one of the most versatile themes we’ve reviewed lately.

Besides a beautiful, clean design, the SimpleCorp theme comes with a ton of excellent features:

Easy to setup, Theme Options Page
Custom Logo, Favicon support, and custom header image for entire website or per page
Typography; Google Web Fonts supported
Custom CSS
Homepage contents support
Built-in Slider

simplecorp-feature

Read more »

Jetpack 1.8 Gives Any WordPress Site a Mobile Theme

Jetpack has been picking up the pace with its development lately. Version 1.8 introduces a new module that gives any WordPress site a mobile theme. This module provides a quick way to optimize your site for mobile viewing, especially if you’ve opted not to use a responsive WordPress theme.

The design for the mobile theme may look familiar to you, as it is based on the Twenty Eleven default theme.

Configuring the Mobile Theme module is a little more involved than most Jetpack modules, especially if you need to adjust your sidebar ID, but it’s all outlined in the documentation.

jetpack-mobile-feature

Read more »