By popular demand, I am teaching another round of WordPress courses January 16th and April 10th, 2010. These courses are being offered through BCIT and will be offered as separate morning and afternoon sessions. The morning session will use WordPress.com to build a website/blog. The afternoon session will use WordPress you install yourself to build the same kind of site, but with more customized features.
You can sign up for the WordPress morning course and WordPress afternoon course through the BCIT website.
I know that the courses will be taught in the awesome Mac lab at the New Media Design School, but if you have your own laptop you’re welcome to bring it.
Now, on the subject of installing WordPress yourself, this is a little more complicated. In many of my classes I have walked students through the process of installing MAMP or XAMPP on their laptops or the classroom computers then installing WordPress “locally” (meaning running on that laptop or computer). This is great in one respect, it’s easy, free, and you get to play with WordPress in the safety and security of your own machine. In another respect though, it isn’t very good at all. When you’re working on your own machine, it’s really not much like working on a web host on the Internet.
Sure WordPress works the same, but configurations, setting, and tweaks are too easy. You won’t run into any issues with directory permissions or setting up domains through a control panel. So while it’s not required to have purchased a domain and set up with a host before the class (or the day of), I highly recommend it.
I’ve moved hosts recently and started using DreamHost for my sites (I’m still moving some over now) and they allow me to create discount codes. Of course I get some money as well (less the discount I give you) in the process. So if you’d like to sign up with DreamHost using my coupon you can follow my DreamHost referral link or use the coupon code TCHGRNHOSTING when signing up for DreamHost. If not, that’s fine too.
Either way, you’ll get more out of the afternoon class when you have a domain and webhost of your own. Might be a little more complicated at first, but in the long run you’ll be a lot better off. Not to mention you’d be able to leave the class with an actual, functioning website of your own.
That’s not too shabby is it?
Tris Hussey is a writer, teacher, blogger, and speaker on all facets of Internet life, WordPress, and social media. If you are interested in having Tris speak, teach, lead a workshop or consult for you, feel free to email tris [at] trishussey [dot] com.
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