WordPress 3.1.1 is now available. This maintenance and security release fixes almost thirty issues in 3.1, including:

•    Some security hardening to media uploads
•    Performance improvements
•    Fixes for IIS6 support
•    Fixes for taxonomy and PATHINFO (/index.php/) permalinks
•    Fixes for various query and taxonomy edge cases that caused some plugin compatibility issues

Version 3.1.1 also addresses three security issues discovered by WordPress core developers.

We suggest you update to 3.1.1 promptly. Log in and update automatically from the Dashboard > Updates menu in your site’s admin area.

WordPress release haiku:

Only the geeks know
What half this stuff even means
Don’t worry — update

Press This provides a lightning-fast way to grab text, images, or video from any website and post it to your blog without ever visiting WordPress. You can also use Press This to quickly share a link on your blog.

It only takes a second to get the Press This mini-application going. Simply go to Tools -> Tools in your dashboard and find the link to the bookmarklet:

Next, drag the Press This link to the bookmarks/favorites area of your web browser. (It may look different than what’s pictured below, depending on your browser.)

That’s it – you’ve installed Press This!

Using Press This

Let’s say you come across a great blog post about landscape photography, and you want to quickly share a few of the author’s tips with your own blog readers, without reproducing the entire post. Simply highlight the material with your cursor and then click the Press This bookmarklet in your browser.

Or maybe you just want to quickly share a link to a website, without reproducing any of the content in your own post. In that case, just click the Press This bookmarklet while you’re viewing the webpage.

Press This will appear in a pop-up window. You’ll have the option to add images, video, and/or your own commentary to the post before publishing it to your blog. If you have multiple blogs, use the drop-down menu to choose where to publish the content.

Adding Images and Video
To include images, click the picture frame icon. You’ll see a selection of all the images from the webpage. Select the one you like and click Insert Image. If you like, use the HTML tab to edit it. Use the filmstrip icon to add video.

via Press This « Support — WordPress.com.

Do you feel like you are wasting your time and money making constant changes to your website? If you are still maintaining your web site with tools like Frontpage or Dreamweaver, or you are making updates directly in the HTML code, chances are there is a much easier way. It is time for you to meet the modern Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress.

These systems have a number of advantages over applications like Frontpage. First of all, they work on the internet and thus don’t require you to install software on your computer. You have a new laptop? No problem! Your website updates will work fine without installing any software. By the same token, you don’t even have to be working on your own computer to make an update; you can make your updates from any computer with internet access. Better yet, you can make your updates from a smart phone!

Secondly, these systems have what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) graphical interfaces that require no coding skills whatsoever. It is as easy as point and click. As the very name implies, these systems are designed to let you “manage your content” easily.

Last but not least, these systems will give you more out-of-the-box features and components so you can have a unique looking website rather than a cookie-cutter template. Thanks to the open-source community supporting these systems, there are plug-ins built for every need you can imagine.

Now that you understand the benefits of Content Management Systems, you may be interested in switching to one. Blue Pixel Design can help you jump-start this by converting your website into a CMS format. Give us a call today at 1 (604) 318-5394 or e-mail raielene@bluepixeldesign.com.

"If you are a photographer and have a website, you need a blog. A blog can be a huge supplement to your website and can offer more for the viewer than just viewing your portfolio online. You can post new work to it and describe a little bit about your recent photo shoots, and add keywords to your copy which in turn will bring the search engines coming back to your site looking for new content."

Read more here:  http://freelanceswitch.com/freelancing-essentials/how-a-blog-can-help-your-photography-business/

"As we see more and more businesses move their services online, and even more that begin their life on the Web, a greater need arises for websites that are designed and built to sell. A great-looking website may achieve the goal of shaping and delivering a strong brand, but its good looks alone aren’t enough to sell the products or services on offer. For that, you need to introduce the element of marketing."

Dmitry Fadeyev’s article, "Design To Sell: 8 Useful Tips To Help Your Website Convert", outlines 8 useful tips to make a casual reader of your website a buyer.