MU: Can learn to love "The Merge"

[mfields]

Hi, to be honest I have never played around with WordPress MU... mainly because I have not had a reason to. But I think that I do now and with MU being merged into core, I think that it may be perfect for my situation. If any experts could let me know if MU is the right way to go... that would be awesome.

The problem: I do a few different things that, when expressed all on the same wordpress installation get kinda messy: I create artwork, I write code + tutorials, I do visual design and sometimes I write normal blog posts. The solution that I am starting to implement is to reconfigure each section into a sub domain: art.mfields.org, web.mfields.org... etc and use the main domain as a "global index" page for all of the subdomains.

Not only does this help me out by separating my content into each place, I think that it will serve users exactly the type of content that they are looking for. In my experience, Art-folk don't care about php and coders don't really want to see my paintings.

Now I believe that MU creates sub-domains for each individual blog just like in my example. My concerns are as follow:

1. Is it easy to import a normal WP blog into a sub-domain on MU?
2. Does MU provide a "Top level blog" for your main domain name to can pull content from all of the sub-domains?
3. Does my proposed solution sound like something that should be handled by MU?
4. Is it easy to rename sub-domains that MU creates? For instance, art.mfields.org is currently it' own installation of WP, If I were to install WordPress into webroot and create a new blog called arttest.mfields.org and import all data from art.mfields.org, could I then rename the "arttest" sub-domain to "art"?

Thanks to anyone how can help me understand better :) And am open to other solutions as well. Thanks, Mike

[andreasnrb]

Hmm you should consider the SEO implications also. Sub-domains are considered separate sites. Basically your are splitting a large site into many small ones.
So if you merge everything to the top level domain you probably got a duplicate content problem also if the whole posts are "reposted" there.

1: Don't know. Probably by using the import function.
2: You can have top level blog but you need to use plugins I think to pull the subdomain blog content.
3: Nah but thats just me. MU is mostly for multiple separate blogs with different authors. At least from my experience.
4. Hmm subdomains are created by your webhost in most cases. At least that has been the case for me. So basically I've had to go into my webhost account and create the subdomains there and then create the new blog with the created subdomain.

[Ryan]

If any experts could let me know if MU is the right way to go... that would be awesome.

I'm not an expert, but I'll give my opinions anyway as I think I know some of the answers :)

1. Is it easy to import a normal WP blog into a sub-domain on MU?

The XML importer/exporter works. I'm not sure if direct database transfers work so smoothly or not though.

2. Does MU provide a "Top level blog" for your main domain name to can pull content from all of the sub-domains?

If you create a "blog" which uses the main domain, then you can use a feed aggregator to feed them all into that top-domain blog. But AFAIK it isn't built in functionality.

3. Does my proposed solution sound like something that should be handled by MU?

That sounds like something which would work just as well with separate instances of WordPress. Since you would presumably haul the feeds into the top level, I don't see any benefit in using Mu apart from the benefit of only having to maintain the one installation.

4. Is it easy to rename sub-domains that MU creates? For instance, art.mfields.org is currently it' own installation of WP, If I were to install WordPress into webroot and create a new blog called arttest.mfields.org and import all data from art.mfields.org, could I then rename the "arttest" sub-domain to "art"?

No idea. But even if it was, it wouldn't be too much hassle presumably to just import and export into an entirely new blog.


EDIT: I forgot to mention that I have never managed to install Mu :D This is all based on tidbits I've picked up from reading about it.

[Rich Pedley]

Don't use Mu though. Wait for WordPress 3.0 as MU is finally getting integrated into the core.

There is also an issue that some plugins haven't worked for MU in the past, not sure how 3.0 will work on that ide yet)

[andrea_r]

1. Is it easy to import a normal WP blog into a sub-domain on MU?

Yes. Just like when you move from wp.com to wp.org. If you need the options from wp_options, try this:
http://bavatuesdays.com/importing-a-...-installation/

I have done this process a lot. The only wiggly part is if you have a lot of users signed up to each blog.

2. Does MU provide a "Top level blog" for your main domain name to can pull content from all of the sub-domains?

Yeah, it's the main blog. When 3.0 rolls out, your current WP install is the "main" blog.

Like was stated above, this is not built in, but is easily done using this plugin:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/...sitewide-tags/

This plugin needs a better name. :) It pulls all post info to the main blog without feeds and while retaining the original blog's permalink.

Downside of using feeds: pull too many across the system and you'll pull your site down. Besides, it's inefficient to pull the feeds across two blogs in the same db.

While the posts retain their permalinks, you won't get dinged by duplicate content. And if you have subdomains, like Andreas said above - they are seen as mostly separate sites anyway. Duplicate content is only from within the same URL.

3. Does my proposed solution sound like something that should be handled by MU?

It sounds perfect for MU.

4. Is it easy to rename sub-domains that MU creates? For instance, art.mfields.org is currently it' own installation of WP, If I were to install WordPress into webroot and create a new blog called arttest.mfields.org and import all data from art.mfields.org, could I then rename the "arttest" sub-domain to "art"?

Yes. You have a management page where you can access most of the database fields for each subdomain.

Other things to look out for:
- the subdomain creation. make sure your host allows wildcard subdomains
- file upload paths. MU puts them in a different spot.

You may want to read up at http://wpmututorials.com where I have screenshots of the site admin area (which will be Networks in 3.0 )

Also, have a look at my personal site http://atypicalife.net. It's not a subdomain setup, it;s a subfolder. There are multiple blogs there belonging to me & family. The landing page shows you the blogs that are public and the last few updated posts.

Don't use Mu though. Wait for WordPress 3.0 as MU is finally getting integrated into the core.

Why not? MU is still getting worked on. People who use it now can upgrade to 3.0. The functionality remains the same.

There is also an issue that some plugins haven't worked for MU in the past, not sure how 3.0 will work on that ide yet)

The plugin authors will have to get busy.

[Ipstenu]

Don't use Mu though. Wait for WordPress 3.0 as MU is finally getting integrated into the core.

Why not? MU is still getting worked on. People who use it now can upgrade to 3.0. The functionality remains the same.

In my experience, and I am pretty tech savvy, the move from a moderate-to-large blog to MU is a million times easier on WP 3.0.

The current alpha build is 'stable enough' for me, and I've been on it for a couple weeks, in total 'cat in sunlight' heaven. It cured my woes. (I had one large and one small blog, with integrated users and bbPress and didn't want to lose that - One day I may have to seriously look into BuddyPressing the community, but I'm not there yet)

[Cais]

The plugin authors will have to get busy.

... and on that note, I've been testing my plugins for 3.0 compatibility; and, fortunately all seem to be fine in a "Single Site" installation.

BUT (there's always a but?!), what would you suggest as the simplest test to know if the installation is a "Multi-Site"? It seems two (or three?) of my plugins are not working exactly the same as a single site install.

[andrea_r]

In my experience, and I am pretty tech savvy, the move from a moderate-to-large blog to MU is a million times easier on WP 3.0.

How come? Like, what specifically was it that made it easier? (mostly curious as to me the process is the same)

[Otto]

Note: Using subdomains like this has special hosting requirements. Your average host may not have support for it without additional effort.

Specifically ask your hosting service about "wildcard subdomains". Also, if you run DNS through somebody else, ask them about "wildcard DNS". Both must be available for you to use the MU style subdomains. This may also mean that you need a dedicated IP for your webserver, but your hosting service should know more about that.

[Ipstenu]

In my experience, and I am pretty tech savvy, the move from a moderate-to-large blog to MU is a million times easier on WP 3.0.

How come? Like, what specifically was it that made it easier? (mostly curious as to me the process is the same)

I didn't have the munge with the database on 3.0, whereas on MU2.9.x, if I wanted to keep my users intact, I had to do a lot of manual shuffling. 3.0's auto 'flip to Multi Site' option is what made it easy. But again, it had to do with the users. I didn't want to lose them, since bbPress was using them, and I didn't want to have to reset a couple hundred passwords.

The process was the same, but 3.0 automated it, which makes it easier, IMO.