new design over old complicated blog

  • Hey folks,

    have run into a cluster of a project…eek.

    scenario:
    I was asked to program out a blog/site. Everything went smoothly using thematic framework. Then I find out that they actually want to switch out themes and basically keep everything from the old site. The new design is slightly different in look as well as functionality.

    Current blog:
    Is really complicated, has about 20 plugins
    Has a forum with 6000 users
    Subscribers/mailers
    over 800 posts.
    60pages

    Am not sure what the best strategy is at this point.

    1.) To move the site to a new location and try the reskin the current theme.

    2.) I tried to import the posts etc to the current them I already designed and then slowly start to bring in bits and pieces. IT’s turning out to be pretty cumbersome and breaks with the plugins. So am beginning to feel this is not the best approach.

    So the million dollar question is what is the best approach.?

    Any help is greatly appreciated!

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

  • Obviously, it depends on what the plug-ins actually do, but if their usage is spread across 800 posts, let alone the 60 pages, I can’t see just deleting most of the plug-ins without damaging a fair number of posts and pages. That leaves you with the idea of building a new WordPress site with links to the old. But then you are faced with keeping two WordPress installations up to date to avoid security issues.

    Alternatively, I’ve seen other CMS software that lets you generate static HTML from your entire web site, but I haven’t heard of the equivalent for WordPress. But, if it existed, that would give you a nice way to preserve the old site, more or less frozen in time. You may want to search for plug-ins that do that.

    On the other hand, if very few of your posts and pages use the plug-ins, you could try importing them to the default WordPress theme, Twenty Ten, to see how practical that would be.

    No matter how you slice it, Retrofitting is a pack of trouble.

    Is the original site using an old WP install or a different blogging system?

    Thread Starter dreeftwood

    (@dreeftwood)

    it is an original install.

    I mirrored it on another server for now to try and figure out a solution. Why would anyone need 26 plugins, good grief.

    Thread Starter dreeftwood

    (@dreeftwood)

    kill me please.

    After I wrote the above notes, I realized that another way to “freeze a web site in time” by capturing the HTML generated by WordPress is through the many “web site save” programs around. Admittedly, I’ve had less than ideal results in the few short tests I’ve done.

    You’d have to Google to find all the possibilities, but Free Download Manager is an (Open Source?) product I’ve tried and “almost got working”.

    These guys have a lot of stuff, too, but I haven’t tried any of it:
    https://www.spidersoft.com/

    Thread Starter dreeftwood

    (@dreeftwood)

    here is the approach that seems to have possibilities.

    1.) I moved the site to a new directory keeping the old one intact and running for current users.
    2.) I activated the new theme, and basically have had to implement the new widgets etc etc, restyle some things etc. But the idea is to get this new theme working in additions to the bizzilion plugings.
    3.) Let the user test this one out alittle and make sure it is all working savy.

    4.) Move this one into new directory backing up and replacing current one.

    ADAINt, gosh there are so many plugins and alot of seo, slugs blab blah it’s hard to tell which is not and which is relavant. Tehy are all active so I assume they do something or the other.

    Has anyone used this approach, any pitfalls or better approaches?

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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