All posts by Jesse Byars

My name is Jesse Byars, and I am currently a student at Clark College studying web development. Although writing can be painful (especially personal biographies), I find it to be rewarding more often than not, so I am glad for the opportunity to contribute to this magazine.
Tutorials, Web Writing

Become a Better Web Writer: Quick and Essential Tips

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A few important guidelines are all you need to transition from writing for print to writing for the web. This collection of tips will enhance your web writing skills, attract a larger audience, and keep readers on your site longer.

Write Catchy Titles

A catchy title is a sure way to attract an audience. Without a good title, potential readers will never click on the link to your article in the first place.

Ensure that the title is:

  • Brief
  • Clearly states its purpose
  • Creates curiosity in the reader
  • Properly capitalized (this is partially a style choice)

Brainstorming titles until you find a title that sounds perfect is a great technique. Don’t overlook this step. Continue reading Become a Better Web Writer: Quick and Essential Tips →

Interviews, WordPress Community

Interview with Eric Mann

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I recently had the chance to interview Eric Mann of 10up.com, a web development company that specializes in WordPress. Without further introduction, here is the interview:

JB: Who are you and what kind of work do you do for 10up?

Photo of Eric Mann of 10up.com
Eric Mann of 10up.com

Mann: First and foremost, I’m a web developer. My actual position at 10up is “Senior Web Engineer,” a role in which I write code, review code, and train other developers. Most of my projects are heavy on the back-end with PHP but I’m also fairly adept with JavaScript as well. At the moment, I’m working on the development and refinement of a few WordPress themes and two different advanced plugins.
Continue reading Interview with Eric Mann →

Tutorials, WordPress Basics, WordPress Tips

A Well-Dressed WordPress Widget Sidebar

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I can’t resist using a quote from our professor Lorelle VanFossen to introduce this article:

“Your sidebar is not your junk drawer.”

Keeping your sidebars clean of Widgets that are unnecessary to your site is essential to maintaining a clean, professional look to your site. There are many Widgets that have their place and time, but should not be used injudiciously. It can be a common misstep (particularly among those who are new to WordPress) to use all of the cool Widgets that you can find. This can be a disastrous mistake, as it clutters your site with needless information, and hinders its navigability.

It should be obvious that this applies not only to the main sidebar present in all WordPress themes, but also to the other areas that are available for placing Widgets.
Continue reading A Well-Dressed WordPress Widget Sidebar →

Tutorials, Web Writing

Differences Between Pages and Posts on WordPress

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What are the key differences between Pages and Posts on WordPress? Well, there are a few.

To start off, as our professor Lorelle says: “Pages are timeless, and Posts are timely.”

What this means is that a Page is content that will rarely change, where as a Post is a piece of content that is relevant at the time.
Continue reading Differences Between Pages and Posts on WordPress →