What comes before??

First I would like to assure you that it is OK to give your ftp details to podz.
The further good news is that is a fine looking design and is easy to implement once we get you started. It is true that blogger is soooooooooo simple. But WP is far more powerful. Really. We do this. And on the free design – there are more free designs you can use or adapt here than fleas on a dog. And a lot of folk to help.

Thank you wonderful WP people! You sure are a lot nicer than blogger people!

Nicer than blogger people ? Hell yes -I’ve just found one stealing my site !

Thank you for trying.

I am going back to blogger.

This is what my site looks like now: https://www.myeggsarecooked.wired-hub.com

It is just way too complicated over here.

Thank you again for trying so hard.

Don’t give up, Juli! (*grin* you have exactly the same name as my niece)
Podz just was faster… I also wanted to offer to install it for you – if you wish.
(my nickname here @ mydomain)

https://www.myeggsarecooked.wired-hub.com

I can’t even do anything now. Did you see it???

Well, that is *only* an error message. You have to look at the file in question (header.php in the theme folder) and the line in question (20) and the erroneous thing in question (unexpected >). There is probably a typo with an html tag.

It may be scary when things don’t work, but isn’t it nice that the programs can tell you, in English, what’s bugging them?

Word Press is too complicated.

I am just pissed that I have wasted so much time trying to figure this crap out.

WP is far from “user friendly” or “easy anything” – the only thing they have going for them is a nice and friendly support group but “that does not a good blog make”.

Julianna,

When you uploaded the WP files you used FTP, right?

You can use that FTP utility to look at your files on your site. Go to where WP is installed on your site, and navigate in the WP install folders to /wp-content/themes/ and right there is where all the theme folders are. The theme you pick to use is in there, the default and the classic themes come with WP. You can upload other themes to that space too. So if you did, as it sounds like you have …

In order to edit the files online in WP Admin, you have the “CHMOD” the theme folders to “666” to make them “writable”.

So if you load a theme in WP ADMIN Theme Editor, and it gives you that message … then you need to CHMOD to 666.

Whatever FTP you have it’s doable, easier or not. Go to that theme folder you want to edit and right click and choose “Properties” is one possible way you access permissions for files. There is usually some kind of help in an FTP utility to get you to understand how to “set file permissions” which is the same thing as “CHMOD” and “CHMOD” is how one is told to set file permission to a certain level as in CHMOD “777” or CHMOD “666” either setting will allow you to edit those files in WP Admin Theme Editor. “666” is a lower permission level and that’s all you need to make them writable, and the setting that is advisable.

You can also dowload those files and edit them on your computer, then re-upload them to the correct place.

In your theme folder you will find the names of files, “sidebar.php” if it’s there will be where you might be entering your “about” info, somewhere near the top of the file.

WP is a PHP application. It’s a valuable program, much nicer than anything Blogger has. It’s not the same as Blogger therefore. You can work with it as it is, without changing anything, but it’s some thing that makes for a fun learning time if you jump in and try to understand it and make a go of it.

There is the codex here:

https://codex.www.ads-software.com

which you can read up on how to do things there, and come back here and ask Q’s as much as you need to! We love to help newcomers to WP!

In order to “customize” WP you do need to look at the individual files in your chosen theme.

Index.php is the Main page, the front page.

Your posts will show up there first.

Every post has a permalink page. You can have that page look the same as the index.php front page, or change it’s look by using “single.php” which the system will recognize if it’s in your theme, and your permalink single archive posts will show up on that when that permalink is clicked.

There is an Archive Template then which is the page that monthly and category, for instance, archives will show up on when called up.

That page shows multiples posts, only the “single.php” template shows just one post, with default settings.

It’s easy to use WP just as it is, so it’s not fair to say “it’s not easy to use”. It’s easy right out of the box. Customization beyond that is an aquired skill just like anything is, to one degree or another. It’s only a need to familiarize yourself with how to edit a file’s permissions, and how to edit different theme templates in WP.

If you stick with it, give it time, do it slowly, before you know it you CAN have your WP site looking as you want it, like you had it at blogspot.

You can take that and turn it into a theme, you just need to know how.

So either figuring it out on your own is a good idea, or taking up the offer of someone here to do the conversion of your theme over might be a good idea too. ??

I hope this thread isnt damaging WP to other readers. WP is very simple but there is an entry requirement. That is the ability to use ftp to put it on your host. If you cant there are pre installed services. Or people like podz who offer to do it voluntarily.

I am starting to calm down a little bit. It is just very difficult for a novice. I made progress by adding some of my personal information……my blog title is still “Poetic Rose” which is none to pleasing but I will keep trying.

Thank you.

P.S. Root, this is reality for someone who is used to the simplicity of something like blogger. Perhaps WP is better in the long run, but it is a rude awakening for someone like me. Even the words “CHMOD” and “666” and “FTP” are words or initials that I have never, ever needed to know about until coming over to “WP”.

It is a lot like me describing my dental instruments for certain tooth numbers………..Gracey 12/14 on the distal of number 28.

Have you ever heard of that before? Have you ever needed to know that before? Do you care? Is it a pain to have to learn it?

Julianna,
I learned how to use WordPress simply by working with it. I know virtually nothing about PHP. I have learned some CSS and other things while building/breaking/rebuilding/rebreaking my site over the past couple of years. I went through some very frustrating times myself.

I’ve been around to see WordPress used by teenaged geniuses all the way to retired RVers who like to post their adventures online. It can be learned, but you have to learn some other aspects of online “work”. It can be a steep curve for some, but it’s worth it in the end.

I know from personal experience how much stuff you had to cram into your brain to become a dental hygenist. WordPress and web stuff can be mastered by someone who has the intelligence that you have. Medial, distal, and lingual surfaces on a tooth, right? ?? There may be more, but I only remember those. Lingual is the “tongue-side” of the tooth, I think.

I’m a glow-in-the-dark-moose from northeast British Columbia, and I make maps for a living. Trust me, if I can do this, then so can you. Keep at it, and we’ll all do everything we can to help you through it all. ??