Congratulations to Alex also known as Viper007Bond, creator of Viper’s Video Quicktags plugin and major contributor to the oEmbed feature introduced in WordPress 2.9. Alex has been working for Automattic through contract work for a few months and today, he has announced that he’s become a full-time employee. Another piece of solid talent picked up by the company. I imagine if I ever had the chance to attend an Automattic retreat, my head would explode from all the geekiness in such close proximity.

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RichWP.com is a commercial theme provider maintained by Felix Krusch. RichWP has a variety of theme styles available including magazine, photo blog, news, and business oriented designs. The theme I’m reviewing today is called Rich-Biz 1.3. Rich Biz is a business oriented design that contains a large space to promote the initial offering of a product or service with up to three widget containers below the main content. This theme is monochrome in color with gray and white being the primary two colors. The third color of red enables links to stand out within content.

License:

All themes that are for sale on RichWP.com are licensed under the GPL.

Installation

The first thing I found out was that this theme does not play nice with WampServer which is what I use to create and manage my local server environment. However, when I installed the theme on a live site, it worked just fine. It must also be pointed out that when you extract the files from the theme zip file, they will not be added to a folder that is automatically created, leaving a mess within the extraction location. The manual specifies that it’s best to upload the zip file through the theme management page and allow the extraction of files to take place there so that the file names and paths do not get screwed up. Once I installed the theme this way, everything worked as expected.

Configuration And Use

Before you can dive into the theme to customize it to your hearts content, you’ll need to create two pages. One called Home with the Frontpage Page Template applied and the other called Blog or News. Then, in the Reading Settings area of WordPress, select Static page and choose Home for the front-page and Blog or News for the Posts page. This will ensure that the front-page contains the three boxes at the bottom mimicking the demo site.

Another thing worth mentioning is that after the theme is installed, you’ll need to edit the Media settings to make sure the image dimensions are compatible with the theme. Refer to the themes manual to figure out what these dimensions are.

As is standard on most commercial WordPress themes, Rich Biz has it’s own theme options panel to guide users through the configuration and design process. The theme options panel does a good job of not inundating the user with all of the options up front. Instead, they use a tabbed interface for the main menus with drop down sub-menus. This keeps the page nice and tidy throughout the configuration process.

While Rich Biz provides options to exclude pages in the navigation menu or include pages in the footer navigation area, you need to know the ID’s of those pages in order to make this panel useful. I much prefer the method seen in other commercial themes where they provide a list of pages that have been created and you select a check-box next to each one you want to include or exclude. However, with a new menu management system on the way with WordPress 3.0, this may become a moot point in all commercial themes. Asides from the navigation, users can configure custom icon images to replace the ones that ship with the theme, whether to enable or disable a built in light box effect and other options.

Rich Biz provides a Front Page tab that contains options to edit the content for the three boxes that appear within the Front Page. The nice thing about this particular options panel is that it provides a way to edit the front page template file without touching any PHP. The HTML or content goes into each corresponding box with options to link the title to a particular page or post. The options also give users a chance to upload a big picture inside of the big box which would be perfect to showcase a product. This is a design meant to be static most of the time so you won’t find an image scroller within the big box at the top of the site although this would certainly be a cool enhancement.

As for design options, Rich Biz did not skimp. Users can edit everything from the navigation text links to the content and sidebar box designs from within the options page. One thing I found annoying is that whenever I clicked the save button to apply a color code change I made, I was redirected to the first option tab with all of the sub menus closed. For those that like to apply color changes one hex code at a time such as myself and then view those changes, this behaviour will become an increasingly frustrating inconvenience.

Rich Biz also comes with it’s own advertising manager where you can apply advertising codes to specific areas of the theme. For example, an advertising block under the post headline or an advertising block above the comment box. Adding these is as simple as copying and pasting the advertising banner code into the corresponding box and saving the changes.

Last but not least, the Upgrade tab provides easy access to upgrade the theme to the PRO version. If you purchase the regular theme, upgrading to the PRO version is only $57.00. The PRO Version of the RichBIZ theme is aimed at designers, and gives you full control over your theme design. You can change the look and feel of your site with just a few clicks with access to pre-made color schemes.

Support:

Support for RichWP products is handled through email as well as Skype. Felix states that any support for the initial setup for any of his themes is free. Support that extends beyond those boundaries will cost you $75.00 per hour. If you have a design that needs to be coded into a WordPress theme, Felix can do it in about 7-10 hours. RichWP also has a couple of video tutorials available for their themes.

Conclusion:

The theme itself works as advertised without any problems and is well suited to be used for a corporate website or the face of a product. When I inquired about a specific problem via email, Felix was quick to give me a response. However, I don’t understand how an email or Skype only support system could scale with an increasing amount of customers. Furthermore, since no public forums are in use, it’s hard for a customer to gauge how good the support is.

Before I wrap up the review, if you register an account with RichWP.com, RichBiz is one of the free themes you’ll gain access to as well as the Magazine Theme giving you a chance to play around with those themes. Also, if you decide to purchase any themes from RichWP, please do so through the following link as I’ll receive a cut back of 50%. Right now, RichWP.com is running a special where if you buy one theme, you can get another for free. Regular theme for regular theme or Pro for Pro.

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One of the project ideas that caught my eye was Template Versioning.

WordPress saves post revisions, but changes to theme files are not recorded, though the presentation layer is sometimes just as important. Build a versioning system for template files within the theme editor.

I wonder if any willing student will snatch up this project. This project idea also confirms that the built in theme editor isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

For any students who want to participate in the WordPress GSoC project, you’re encouraged to review the application template from 2008 as well as the ideas from last year. However, the best way to increase your chances of being selected is to start learning the WordPress code base right now and submit a few patches so the mentors can get a basic idea of your abilities.

Good luck to any student who pursues one of the listed project ideas.

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The turn out for the show was much better than what I’ve been seeing on Tuesday evenings which I’m pretty happy to see. Also during this interview, I accepted a challenge from Michael. The challenge was to install the IntenseDebate plugin and use the service for at least one week. Starting March 8th, the comment form on WPTavern.com will be powered by IntenseDebate until March 15th. After the challenge is over with, I’ll write a review and also solicit feedback from those who submitted comments on the site within this time frame.

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Announcements:

On March 13th, I’ll be interviewing Mike Cloutier to talk about his use of WordPress for RidgewayHerald.ca and we’ll also talk about the state of the print industry as he sees it.

WPWeekly Meta:

Next Episode: Saturday, March 13th 2P.M. EST

Subscribe To WPWeekly Via Itunes: Click here to subscribe

Length Of Episode: 54 Minutes

Download The Show: WordPressWeeklyEpisode90.mp3

Listen To Episode #90:

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If you’re a fan of ‘anti-clutter’ plugins such as simple email notifications, you’ll love Zen for WordPress. More even, if you would have been on the verge of switching to a more writing focused platform such as Habari but could not decide to ditch WP yet, Zen might be what you are looking for.

I’ve seen the screenshots and personally, I’m not a fan of taking away the very tools with which I use to generate content. In order to achieve my zen in WordPress, I use the icons only menu layout on the left hand side and if I’m really in the mood, I’ll hit F11 on my keyboard to take the writing pane to full screen. I’ve also adjusted my work-flow so that the meta details are covered first, then I concentrate on the content. I don’t often find myself distracted by the WordPress write panel but if you do, then Zen might be the plugin for you.

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I’d also like to thank each and every one of you that purchased BackupBuddy through my affiliate link. Purchases as well as the number of comments to the post were overwhelming. I simply couldn’t believe all of the developer version memberships that people were buying through me. In one day, I made enough money to travel to at least one more WordCamp this year if I chose to do that.

Congrats to Keven and Jeremy LeRay, backups are no longer a problem for the both of you! Also congrats to Cory Miller and the PluginBuddy team on a great launch.

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Yesterday on Twitter, I mentioned that I had accidentally deleted a comment in the WordPress iPhone app. I thought I was in trouble considering the comment disappeared and there was no way to access the trash-can feature implemented in WordPress 2.9. When I logged into the WPTavern back-end today, I was relieved to see that the comment I deleted on the iPhone was in the trash bin. Upon searching the iPhone app forums today, I didn’t find any references to the trash feature but this could have been due to the fact that the search box on the forum doesn’t appear to search the forum at all. Instead, it performs a search of the WordPress.org support forums. Not sure why those two are linked together as it makes the iPhone forum search box useless.

To make matters slightly worst, there is a trash can icon that is used from within the app that deletes comments. This causes confusion, especially when I’m used to the trash button within WordPress itself.

I’ll be filing an inquiry today in the forum to see if trash will be put into the next version of the iPhone app. Until then, don’t blow a gasket when you accidentally delete a comment from within the WordPress app.

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Installation And Usage

Installation is the same process for every other plugin. However, in order to activate it, you need to have an active license key from iThemes.com. No problem, as BackupBuddy provides an easy way to generate and apply a new license from within the plugin itself. Once the plugin is activated, you’ll want to browse to the Getting Started with BackupBuddy page which explains what the plugin does and the steps needed to configure how it works. Here is how BackupBuddy Explains itself.

BackupBuddy is an all-in-one solution for backups, restoration, and migration. The single backup ZIP file created by the plugin can be used with the importer PHP script to quickly and easily restore your site on the same server or even migrate to a new host with different settings. Whether you’re an end user or a developer, this plugin is sure to bring you peace of mind and added safety in the event of data loss. Our goal is to keep the backup, restoration, and migration processes easy, fast, and reliable.

A full backup is required to restore your site or migrate. However, a Database Only backup may be created as a faster, more regular backup solution. When restoring your site or migrating, simply include the latest database backup ZIP in addition to the full backup. BackupBuddy will automatically check the full backup and database only backup to restore the latest database version.

Instead of diving deep into a review, I’ll cover things in a bullet point process.

In order for scheduled backups to occur, you’ll need to configure a password. This password is used for migration and restoration. When asked in the live chat today whether they plan on adding encryption support, they said it was one of the things that could possibly be added at some point down the road as another security precaution.

What does BackupBuddy backup? Unlike backup solutions that are part of cPanel, BackupBuddy is only concerned with WordPress and the things associated with it. So that means it backs up the database WordPress is installed in, plugins, themes, uploads, everything related to the WordPress install. This is for the full backup. Alternatively, you can tell BackupBuddy to only backup the database.

Where do the backups go? If no options are selected, the backups will be stored in a sub-folder within the uploads directory called backupbuddy_backups. Alternatively, you can send the backup file to a remote FTP server or have the backup emailed to you as an attachment. When asked about backing up to Amazon S3, the PluginBuddy team stated they will be working on that for an upcoming version of the plugin.

Scheduling of backups. BackupBuddy provides an easy way to configure when a backup should occur. This can be monthly, twice monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly. You can also specify the exact date and time for the first instance of the backup to occur which will then reoccur at the same time on the same day. You can not group multiple days into one scheduled backup. For example, if you wanted to create a weekly backup on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you would need to setup three different backups and schedule them for weekly, on those days. Asides from not being able to group multiple backups into one schedule, you can not edit a scheduled backup. Instead, you need to delete the backup and reschedule it with the corresponding edits. I’ve been told though that in a future version, you’ll be able to edit scheduled backups.

Something that I think many will consider a killer feature of BackupBuddy is its ability to easily be used to migrate WordPress installations from a local development server to a live public server. This is how it works.

1. Upload the resulting backup zip file and importbuddy.php to the root web directory of the destination server. You do not need to install WordPress or any other files on the destination server. The backup will handle this.
2. Also upload the latest database backup ZIP file if one exists.
3. Navigate to importbuddy.php in your webbrowser on the destination server.
4. Follow the importing instructions on screen. You will be given the option to change settings on import.
5. After completing the restore / migration, repeat the process, selecting the database backup zip on import.

As you can see, you don’t need to actually install WordPress on the live site. Instead, all you have to do is upload the extracted backup file and run the importbuddy.php script which will handle everything. One of the biggest pains is having to manually go into phpMyAdmin to change the SiteURL and Blog URL from localhost to the live site. The importbuddy.php script provides options to configure these settings before the migration is set in stone. A real time save if you ask me.

If you decide to keep a set of backup files within a sub-folder in your WordPress installation, BackupBuddy gives you easy access to those files, including a way to send that backup via FTP or through email. Alternatively, you can download the zip file from within this interface so you don’t have to muck around with your FTP client.

BackupBuddy Is Awesome

The first public version of BackupBuddy is impressive. The problems I mentioned earlier with schedule editing and the likes are definitely not showstoppers from using the plugin. Considering those will be addressed in a future version, BackupBuddy can only improve from their initial offering.

Now here is something I found to be really impressive. Their pricing. For the personal package which covers support for two websites, includes automatic upgrades for two sites and is good for one year, at $25.00, that is exceptional value for the price. I was expecting this plugin to be around $50.00 or more so was thoroughly pleased at the personal site price point. Their business membership plan is $75.00 while the developer version is ONLY $150.00.

I purchased my personal site membership during the live Q and A today and had it performing a back-up in no time. Highly recommended by me as this is truly a great backup solution that is WordPress centric, no third party services involved.

If you’re interested in purchasing a copy of BackupBuddy, please use the following link as I’ll receive a cutback from your purchase. Also, today is a great day to purchase your membership package with the coupon code BACKUP10 which will be good until midnight tonight. This coupon will save you 10% on the already cheap prices.

Update Cory has given me the go ahead to give away one single membership package and one development membership package of BackupBuddy. All you have to do is leave a comment. Pretty simple right? I’ll choose the winners tomorrow.

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One thing to note about this particular episode. There was no flamewar or vicious GPL debating going on. Rather, it’s a general conversation with someone that has not yet decided to go with the GPL and their reasons into why. According to Grant, their current business model is working, despite the lack of being GPL compliant. Since their business is running well, the only reasons I can see them switching to GPL compliance either with the full theme or just the PHP code is to be in the good graces of Matt and the majority of the WordPress community. Being GPL compliant would give them much more advertising and more people would review the theme. I can’t review Headway and tell everyone about it because of my agreement to only support GPL compliant products as they relate to WordPress.

P.S. I was drinking Smirnoff during the show and each time GPL was said, I took a drink. I felt pretty good by the end of the show.

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