WordPress MU is the multi-user version of the awesome WordPress. So you can imagine my excitement when I think of all the cool stuff that can be done with it. We even completed a project at work using it, which had it’s ups and downs.
The reality is that it’s just not that straight-forward. The vanilla install works pretty well but that’s where the fairytale ends. So this little series is about my experiences with working with WordPress MU.
For the course of these tutorials I’ll be attempting to create a social networking site to support local interest clubs. You know, the small clubs for car enthusiasts or charity groups. That kind of thing. To do that I need something that will allow all the basic social networking functionality. I know there are other solutions out there but WPMU seems a sensible option, and I’ve got a lot of experience with it now!
I’ll also be using the BuddyPress plugin set for WPMU which gives a vanilla set of plugins covering things like friend lists, photo galleries, status, etc. So as I go along I’ll post additional parts to this tutorial explaining the process I went through.
The general process, initially will be as follows:
- Introduction (this)
- Installation of WPMU
- Installation of BuddyPress
- Breakdown of WPMU/BP execution
- Theme Analysis
- Theme Build
- Testing
- Deployment
I’m going to avoid planning for now, as it’s quite an involved process and I really just want to learn about the system.
Right. Let’s get to it.
