When creating a site for a class, you will often be asked to use WordPress. You may also be considering WordPress for a personal project. But what exactly is WordPress?
Open-Source Content Management System (CMS)
WordPress is described as an Open-Source Content Management System or CMS. Open-Source software permits users to use, study, change, and distribute it and its code to anyone. Content management systems are software that allows users to create and modify digital content. This means that WordPress is software that will let its users create and modify digital content and then share it with anyone.
What is WordPress Used for?
WordPress is used to help users create and build their websites. (The website you currently are on is a great example of what you can do by using WordPress.)
What do I Need to Know to Use it?
WordPress is a great tool for beginners and more advanced users alike.
After initially installing it, WordPress will offer to walk you through some of the main features, such as adding text. WordPress’s website is a good source for learning more about how to use the software, alongside Domain of One’s Own Guides. You may also book a consultation with a DKC consultant who would happily walk you through learning how to use WordPress. If you don’t have an appointment, you can come in during the hours the DKC is open as a walk-in and be assisted as long as one of our consultants are free.
There are also two different forms of WordPress. One is Sites@UMW, and the other is Domain of One’s Own. Sites@UMW comes with limited customization features, such as only allowing a few plugins and themes, whereas, with Domain of One’s Own, you can install any plugin or theme you desire.
Common Misconceptions
There are a couple of common misconceptions when it comes to WordPress.
Just for Blogging
One misconception about the site is that WordPress is just used for blogging. However, since its creation, it has become equipped to deal with various types of sites. These include e-commerce sites, business websites, online portfolios, and more. However, when using WordPress from UMW, you cannot use the website to make money.
Security Fears
Some people believe that WordPress sites are not secure. While it is true that WordPress websites can suffer from security threats, usually this occurs only if users fail to maintain them properly. You will not have to worry about this if you use Sites@UMW.
UMW and WordPress
UMW offers two ways to use WordPress. One is Sites@UMW, and the other is Domain of One’s Own. They function differently, but both will allow you to use WordPress to build a website.
Go to your settings (Fig. 1) and select general (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Scroll down until you see the ImageMagick Directory Path, and make sure it’s set for /usr/bin (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3
You can run a test by clicking the test button to make sure the directory path works. Once you do this, make sure you hit the save changes button (Fig. 4)
Fig. 4
To add an image, you can navigate to items (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5
There you can select to add a new item (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6
After clicking on add an item, you’ll want to navigate to files (Fig. 7)
Fig. 7
Under files, you can click on browse to select an image downloaded on your computer. If you want to add more than one, you would also click add another file before selecting that photo.
How to Hide the Citation Field
In Omeka, to change or edit the citation field, you have to create a custom plugin, meaning that hiding the citation field is much easier than trying to change it.
The first step is finding the File Manager on your cPanel (Fig. 8)
Fig. 8
Once inside your File Manager, you’ll want to find the folder labeled with your blog’s domain name. Then you want to open the theme portion of that folder (Fig. 9).
Fig. 9
Once inside your themes folder, you want to find your current theme, whatever that may be. Then you want to find the items folder (Fig. 10)
Fig. 10
Inside the items folder, there should be an item called show.php, which you can click on and then use the edit button to adjust the code (Fig. 11).
Fig. 11
You’ll want to remove the following lines of code from that file (Fig. 12).
Remember to hit the save changes button at the top right when that is done.
How to add an input with two fields
When using the input box, you can only add one value per box. To add multiple values, you will have to use the Add Input button to create a box for each value (Fig. 13). If you fail to do this step, multiple inputs will simply be treated as one input.
Fig. 13
Search Bar Questions
How to search
To search your Omeka website, you can use a search bar that is always present in the upper right corner of the admin side (Fig. 14).
Fig. 14
The search bar on the front end of your website may be a little harder to find as it will vary by them.
You will want to type in a keyword when using the search bar. Based on your search settings, this search might lead to this keyword pulling up items, files, collections, and pages.
How to Change Search Settings
To change your search settings, click on settings in the upper right corner (Fig. 15).
Fig. 15
Next, you want to navigate to Search.
Fig. 16
Listed below are the different settings for your Omeka search bar (Fig. 17). You can make it look for a Keyword, Boolean, or an Exact Match. You can have it pull Items, Files, Collections, or all three.
Fig. 17
You can also use the Hide Elements plugin, which will allow you to hide elements from the search bar.
Other Resources
The Omeka Classic Getting Started User Manual includes a large variety of information when it comes to setting up Omeka, installing themes, and troubleshooting information.
Much like the User Manual, Omeka.net has a lot of great guides showing you a wide variety of things you can do with Omeka.
If you are confused about a term, there is a Dublin Core guide that will assist you with learning what they mean.
Head to your Domain of One’s Own’s cPanel. Once you have logged in and reached your cPanel, under featured applications, you need to find Omeka (Fig. 1)
Fig. 1
This will take you to a page telling you a little bit about the application you intend to install- in this case, Omeka. When you are ready you can click install this application, which will be located to the right of the screen (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2
Step 2: Choosing the settings
Now you should be on a settings page where you can select what domain you would like to install Omeka.
Location
Location is where you will choose which domain or subdomain you would like Omeka to install.
Domain
Under Domain (Fig. 4), you can click the arrow to get a drop-down menu listing your main domain and all of your subdomains. There will be two versions of each domain. One will start with http and another will start with https. It is important to select the one with https as it will make your site more secure.
Fig. 4
Directory (Optional)
Underneath Domain will be a bar labeled as Directory (Optional). You should delete the cms that is auto-filled to this box. If left in, cms will appear at the end of your website’s URL (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5
Version
Below Location is Version. Omeka will automatically be downloaded in the newest version and this should be kept the way it is. Lower down in Version you will have the option to choose whether or not you wish for Omeka to automatically be updated once you download it. We recommend you keep the default settings to ensure your site remains up to date (Fig. 6)
Fig. 6
Settings
The next set of options is under Settings (Fig. 7). Here, you will set an administrator username and password. Unlike WordPress, it is important that you can remember these as you will need them to sign into your account and use Omeka. You can also change your password and username here at any point.
You can change your website title now if you would like to, but if you decide to wait or change the title later, that’s fine.
Fig. 7
Final Installation Step
The final step in installing Omeka is to hit the install button at the bottom right corner (Fig. 8)
Fig. 8
Step 3: Launching Omeka
Now that Omeka has been installed, you can access your Omeka profile at any time by logging into your cPanel through Domain of One’s Own. Your new Omeka site should be underneath Applications (Fig. 9)
Fig. 9
You can click on your new Omeka site. You will be taken to a page with information about your Omeka site and three links (Fig. 10).
Fig. 10
The first link will take you to what people visiting your website will see. The second ends with /admin/ and is what you will click to access the back end of your website, where you’ll be able to make edits or add to the Omeka site. The third and final link takes you to forums where people post about Omeka. This is a useful place to find information if you are experiencing issues with your website.
Unlike with applications like WordPress, the admin username and password won’t automatically fill in for you. Instead, you will have to log in using the password and username that you set up earlier (Fig. 11).
Fig. 11
After these are typed in, you will be in the backend of your Omeka account and can start editing.
Themes and Plugins
Now that your Omeka is up and running, it will probably be helpful to check out the themes and plugins available to you that allow your site to have more capabilities and customization. To do that, you can check out omeka.org and can click on Themes or Plugins on the landing page at the top (Fig. 12).
Fig. 12
Themes
Themes affect the layout of your website, and are important when it comes to design. To see the available themes, you click on themes at omeka.org (Fig. 13).
Fig. 13
These themes can be sorted either alphabetically or by how recently they were added (Fig. 14).
Fig. 14
Once you find a theme you like, you can either click on the theme to receive more information about it or hit the download button (Fig. 15).
Fig. 15
After you click the download button, the theme will be downloaded onto your computer. With the theme downloaded, navigate to your cPanel and scroll down until you find your file manager located underneath Files (Fig. 16).
Fig. 16
Click on file manager and find your website before clicking on the themes folder (Fig. 17).
Fig. 17
Once there, you will want to click on the upload folder at the top (Fig. 18).
Fig. 18
You’ll then be prompted to click to select which file to upload (Fig. 19).
Fig. 19
Next, you will have to unzip the file that you uploaded. To do that, you will have to click on the zipped file and press extract (Fig. 20).
Fig. 20
When you do this, you can add a new name for the unzipped file (Fig. 21).
Fig. 21
Sometimes these files will end up in the domain folder instead of the folder for themes, so after completing this step, it’s important to look and see where these files may have ended up. If this happens you can drag your theme back into the theme folder.
With a theme now uploaded into your file manager, you can go to the dashboard of your Omeka site and click on appearance (Fig. 22).
Fig. 22
Now, on the themes page, you should see a new theme has appeared (Fig. 23)
Fig. 23
To activate your new theme, you can click Use this Theme.
If you want to make more adjustments to the theme, you can hit the Configure button (Fig. 24)
Fig. 24
Plugins
You can access plugins the same way as themes. Instead of clicking on themes at the top of omeka.org, you can click plugins (Fig. 25). They will also be sorted in the same way, recently added or alphabetically.
Fig. 25
When you find the plugin you want you can click on it for more information and when you are ready you can hit the download button (Fig. 26).
Fig. 26
Returning to the File Manager, you’ll want to find the folder underneath your domain labeled Plugins (Fig. 27).
Fig. 27
Following the same steps as with a theme, you will upload the plugin in and extract it from the zip file.
To activate your new plugin, head to your website dashboard and click on plugins (Fig. 28).
Fig. 28
After you click Plugins, you find the plugin you want and hit install (Fig. 29).
Fig. 29
After you complete this step, your plugin should be installed and up and running (Fig. 30).
