We’re looking for someone with a broad range of WordPress, PHP, XHTML and CSS experience, basic server configuration experience, and in particular someone with outstanding communication skills.

Ideally we’d like to add someone who lives on the west end of the country¹ in order to have better coverage throughout the work day across all US timezones. However, we’re definitely looking for the best person for the job.

Providing great service is our number one priority, and we need someone who understands this inherently. Not only does the HelpCenter team reflect on Crowd Favorite, but we also have a responsibility to every affiliate plugin and theme developer who puts their trust in us. It’s also important to continue receiving good press and word-of-mouth recommendations.

See the job posting on the HelpCenter web site for more details and to apply. The position is open immediately and we hope to fill it within the next 30 days.

Questions? Post them in the comments and I’ll try to answer.

1. You can work remotely. [back]

The white label program is very simple. We provide the servers and the software you need to run the system. You provide the service (including your support and recovery service) to your clients at rates of your choosing, while paying just 1/2 the standard BackupMoxie monthly rates. That’s it!

The premise is that you probably know the site you built for your client better than anyone, and you are probably the best person to handle a restore, etc. should something bad happen on the client’s server. The barrier to providing this service was a lack of turnkey backup solution that could easily be branded with your company – we’ve got you covered.

You can easily customize individual settings on the web site like the site name, the name and price of packages, contact email, alert notification email, etc. as well a wholesale replacement of the header and footer of the site and override CSS. You can style the site and make it your own – either a basic skinning job or more in-depth full content replacement changes.

The features of BackupMoxie allow you to provide great service for your customers.

• BackupMoxie provides 60 days of full snapshot backups, taken every 6 hours (Gold) or every 24 hours (Silver).
• If a backup fails for some reason, the backup is flagged accordingly and an email notification is sent to the address you specify. There is also an RSS feed of failed backups.
• The admin interface of the system allows you easy access to create web site profiles with multiple databases, excluding certain directories (cache, etc.) as well as reporting on backup failures (server timeout, permissions errors, etc.) for easy review and management.
• To restore a site, simply download a backup from the last known good state and restore the necessary files and/or database to get things back where they need to be.

If you’re interested in offering BackupMoxie (maybe branded as Your-Name-Here Backup Service), you can get in touch through the form on the white label page and we’ll get you all set up.

This release addresses two bugs:

1. The use of the native json_decode() function, required by the changes in WordPress 2.9 (version 2.1) created a problem for users with servers running 32-bit PHP. The json_decode() function treats the tweet ID field as an integer larger than it can handle, which causes the issues. Thanks to Joe Tortuga and Ciaran Walsh for sending in the fix. Of note: I haven’t had a chance to set up a 32-bit PHP install so I can’t reproduce this, but it appears to work for many based on forum feedback. Yep, I’m still dealing with the ramifications from this.
2. Typo-fix that should allow resetting digests properly (not sure when this broke). Thanks lionel_chollet.

The download and more information are available on my WordPress Plugins page.

If you have any trouble with this, please contact the WordPress HelpCenter (303-395-1346) or you can try the WP Support Forums.

This version has a bunch of changes including a fix for the issues with WordPress 2.9 and PHP < 5.2.

The download and more information are available on my WordPress Plugins page.

If you have any trouble with this, please contact the WordPress HelpCenter (303-395-1346) or you can try the WP Support Forums.

Enjoy!

Changes

• Add a shortcode to display recent tweets
• Change how Services_JSON is included to be compatible with changes in WP 2.9 and PHP < 5.2
• Better RegEx for username and hashtag linking
• Exclude replies in aktt_latest_tweet() function (if option selected)
• Digest functionality is marked as experimental, they need to be fundamentally rewritten to avoid race conditions experienced by some users
• Make install code a little smarter
• Add unique index on tweet ID columns, remove duplicates and optimize table
• Track the currently installed version for easier upgrades in the future
• Add action on Update Tweets (aktt_update_tweets)
• Use standard meta boxes (not backwards compatible) for post screen settings
• Use site_url() and admin_url(), losing backward compatibility but gaining SSL compatibility
• Added WordPress HelpCenter contact info to settings page
• Misc code cleanup and bug fixes
• Added language dir and .pot file

Bit.ly plugin

• Added a trim() on the API Key for people that struggle with copy/paste
• Changed RegEx for finding URLs in tweet content (thanks Porter Maus)
• Added a j.mp option
• Cleaned up the settings form
• Use admin_url(), losing backward compatibility but gaining SSL compatibility

Exclude Category plugin

• Use admin_url(), losing backward compatibility but gaining SSL compatibility

Hashtags plugin

• Use admin_url(), losing backward compatibility but gaining SSL compatibility

Plugins

In version 2.0 I added the ability for Twitter Tools to be extended via plugins and created the plugins included in the default plugin. Other folks are creating plugins for Twitter Tools as well. You can find more Twitter Tools plugins here.

Have you created a plugin for Twitter Tools? Let me know so I can add it to the list.

I have a new version available that may address the issue that some people were having saving posts with Twitter Tools enabled in WordPress 2.9.

I believe the cause of this issue is as described in this ticket. Basically, a change in WordPress core in 2.9 was incompatible with some plugins that included the same JSON library.

I have not been able to fully test this and would like your help in doing so. If you have experienced these problems, please download this testing version, and let me know your results in the comments. Thanks!

UPDATE: Get version 2.1.x which has the same fix.

Affiliate Program

The affiliate program is really core to how we want the HelpCenter to work (note: anyone can join the affiliate program). It creates a formal relationship between WPHC and plugin and theme authors so that we can support the great WordPress development community. It sets up:

• WPHC to pay plugin and theme authors when we do paid work with plugins or themes they created.
• Makes it easy for plugin and theme authors give us FAQs and tips about the things they have built so that we can provide great support for them.
• Builds relationships with plugin and theme authors so we can send them bug reports and contact them with advanced issues we are dealing with.
• Rewards affiliates for referring business to us.

We have a collection of badges that plugin and theme authors can place on their web sites and in the WordPress admin pages for their plugins and themes to direct people to the WordPress HelpCenter to get support (and earn affiliate payments).

We also have released a WordPress plugin that does two things:

1. it adds a WordPress HelpCenter support tab to the admin interface to make it easy for people to contact WPHC for support.
2. It creates a system profile that details key information about a WordPress installation that is very useful in troubleshooting and debugging. This system profile can be sent to WordPress HelpCenter.

Affiliates can download a customized version of this plugin that includes their affiliate code so that they receive a referral payment in addition to any payments for work we do with plugins and themes they have registered with us.

We think that this may be something that plugin and theme authors may want to distribute along with their work. Additionally, developers that create WordPress powered sites but may not be in position to provide on-call support for them may want to install this on sites they create for their clients.

The system profile page created by the plugin uses standard WordPress filters to enable plugin and theme authors to add information to it that may be relevant for their plugins or themes.

I’m really excited about the affiliate program because it provides a monetary reward for plugin and theme developers while actually removing a burden from them and potentially freeing them up to spend more time building great things for the WordPress community.

Over the years I’ve thought and brainstormed quite a bit about ways to provide financial incentives for WordPress developers. Our affiliate program is a start. It’s a true win-win arrangement, and it will only get better as the WordPress community continues to grow.

Public Knowledge Base

The public knowledge base is another core element to WPHC and our vision of what we want it to be. We do troubleshooting and debugging of WordPress, plugin and theme issues every day, and this gives us a way to share the solutions we find with the community.

In addition to our own notes, when affiliates register plugins and themes with us they have the opportunity to add FAQs and tips about those plugins and themes. As appropriate, we then make that information publicly available.

Even better, the affiliates can come back and add additional FAQs and tips at any time. This is something I’m really excited about because the way that plugin README files work, they always lag one release behind on wordpress.org.

We have a section on the site for plugins and for themes. There are a few resources up there now, I’m looking forward to watching these areas grow in the future as more affiliates sign up and register their plugins and themes with us.

I expect this to become a very useful resource for the WordPress community; one that grows nicely over time.

I view the WPHC from several different perspectives.

• As the founder and a partner in the business, I want it to be financially viable so that we can maintain a great staff and provide top notch service.
• As a WordPress professional, I need it to be a place I trust and feel comfortable referring my clients to for support.
• As a WordPress developer, I want users of my plugins and themes to be able to get great support. I also know that with the growth of the WordPress community and the responsibilities I currently enjoy, I am no longer in a position to provide that support directly.

From all of these perspectives, it is of paramount importance to me that the WordPress HelpCenter be a shining and trusted member of the WordPress community. The team and I are very committed to making that happen.

If we are able to continue to build it as we envision, the WordPress HelpCenter will be a great asset to the entire WordPress community. With these new features, I believe we’ve taken a few big steps in that direction.

This will be a full time position with benefits, and we are open to remote candidates. See the job posting on the HelpCenter web site for more details and to apply.

Responsibilities will focus on creating QA plans and managing the QA process for our projects, and will also include work on misc. development projects. This person will be coordinating with developers, designers and project managers to create documentation and test plans for expected functionality, and executing those test plans, in coordination with the rest of the team.

I’m not 100% set on how the person in this role will grow with the company, it will likely be somewhat up to them. While the primary need is to formalize and implement our QA processes, they will also have the opportunity to be mentored and grow as a developer if that is the path they’d like to take.

I can say that this person will get an opportunity to work with a great team on some great projects – it should be a pretty fun gig.

Download it here

This release addresses a handful of issues that were reported in version 1.0, and has been well received in testing on the Google Group. Hopefully the revisions in version 1.1 will make the plugin compatible with most server configurations.

If you do have problems, the best places to go for answers are:

• The Analytics360° Google Group
• WordPress HelpCenter, (512) 788-9236

My thanks to the MailChimp team who have been awesome to work with. My team at Crowd Favorite and I are very pleased to have been the developers for this plugin and are excited about the new release.

Enjoy!

Twitter Tools is a WordPress plugin that creates a complete, two-way integration between your WordPress blog and your Twitter account. Version 2.0 of Twitter Tools makes the plugin extensible in the same way WordPress itself is. I’ve added hooks and filters that allow other plugins to be created for Twitter Tools and extend/change/customize the way Twitter Tools works.

I get a lot of requests for features/changes that are specific to someone’s particular needs. Unfortunately I can’t build specific features for each user into the general plugin, but now other people can build plugins for it to make things work just as they want it to.

To make sure these hooks and filters work properly, I created three plugins for Twitter Tools that provide commonly requested features:

• Bit.ly for Twitter Tools – enables shortening your URLs with Bit.ly and tracking them on your Bit.ly account.
• #hashtags for Twitter Tools – enables adding hashtags to your blog post tweets.
• Exclude Category for Twitter Tools – enables not tweeting posts in chosen categories.

Each of these plugins can to be activated individually from your Plugins page, and adds their configuration options to the Twitter Tools settings page. These should be great examples for anyone wanting to build a plugin for Twitter Tools.

Here are some ideas for other Twitter Tools plugins that I’ve seen requests for:

• Add tracking tokens to the end of blog post URLs that are sent to Twitter – this is all customizable with filters now, so it should be pretty easy.
• Support for yfrog, twitpic, etc. in the Twitter widget display – you can customize the output of the tweet to include an image if you find one present.
• Add hashtags to your blog post tweet using the WordPress tags associated with the post.
• Make links in Tweets open in a new window/tab.
• Only Tweet blog posts in a certain category.
• Ability to customize/add text to the blog post Tweet.
• Use http://example.com?p=123 style URLs for blog post permalinks.
• Changing how much of the tweet text is used for the post title (or changing it to something else entirely).
• Etc.

Hopefully we’ll see lots of interesting Twitter Tools plugins from folks who have been requesting these features. I’m very interested to see what people build.

I’ve also added some additional CSS classes to the tweet output and a commonly requested feature to customize the tweet prefix for new blog post notifications. I had resisted this in the past due to some edge cases that could cause problems, but I believe only a rare situation (annoyance, not fatal) is possible and I doubt folks will run into it – sounds like famous last words, right?

The download and more information are available on my WordPress Plugins page.

If you have any trouble with this, please contact the WordPress HelpCenter (512-788-9236) or you can try the WP Support Forums.

Take a look at the post about the plugin on MailChimp’s blog, which includes a very cool video.

It’s pretty slick, and useful – though I may be biased since my team and I at Crowd Favorite were lucky enough to build the plugin. I don’t log into my Google Analytics account that often, but I’m in my WordPress admin daily. With this plugin, I’ll probably be keeping a little closer eye on my stats.

I can’t imagine how useful this would be if I also did email campaigns with MailChimp. Having a visual display of web site visitor data integrated with mailings and blog posts is hot! The plugin uses APIs and MailChimp and Google Analytics to gather data, then uses that data to build the visualizations in the plugin. With the excellent APIs at both services, we can do all of this without needing to store your credentials for the services, making everything that much more secure.

Check it out, you (obviously) need either a Google Analytics account or a MailChimp account to bring in the data from that service, and it will work if you have either/or.

If you have questions, need support or need to report a bug or plugin conflict, please use the form here (per the FAQ).

Click…

and…

There you have it. A small convenience to be sure, but a convenience nonetheless.

Of note to other plugin developers, the code I created to place the tab and drawer in the WordPress admin is well abstracted in this plugin. It’s all done with hooks, etc. so you can take it and use it in your own plugin quite easily. I also submitted the code to core, so hopefully this sort of feature will be easier in a future release of WordPress.

The download and more information are available on my WordPress Plugins page.

If you have any trouble with this, please contact the WordPress HelpCenter (512-788-9236) or you can try the WP Support Forums.

• Carrington Blog – version 2.1
• Carrington Text – version 1.2
• Carrington JAM (Just Add Markup) – version 1.2

Carrington Blog and Text are designed to be ready-to-use themes for any bloggers, while Carrington JAM is our theme skeleton for designers and developers to build on.

These are mainly compatibility update releases, but also include the latest version of the core framework.

Also, a reminder that we’d love to help you show off sites you build using the Carrington framework – submit them to the Showcase.

Changes since beta 1:

• Added tag reports. I’m pretty pleased at how these work – you type in the name of a tag you want a report on, it will auto-complete just like in the tags form on the New Post page, and then bring back the tag report when you hit Add.
• Added nice re-flowing code so that reports take up all available horizontal space when displaying.
• Added some additional refinements to the overall Popularity list at the top of the reports page.
• Added a Last (n) Days option to the widget (you can configure the # of days for the widget).
• Removed tags from category reports list.
• Fixed an issue with AJAX deletion of comments.
• Fixed a divide by 0 error that I’m not sure how could happen, but apparently did for someone. The code is more robust now anyway.
• Don’t add JavaScript code to the post content if not using the API (default) method of recording views.
• Works around a broken data situation where there are no rows in the Popularity Contest options table. I have no idea how you’d trigger this situtation, and still can’t reproduce the issue – but now the code works around it. Thanks to Dave (who apparently has never heard of Hanlon’s Razor) for finding the cause of the issue.

Known Issue in beta 2:

When installing for the first time, the WordPress plugins page reports an error:

Plugin could not be activated because it triggered a fatal error.

with an empty “fatal error” message. It also successfully activates the plugin and creates the proper default settings – everything seems to work just as planned. I spent a few minutes playing with various things, but without any error message or anything in the error log, I haven’t found the cause of this yet. If any other devs have time to check this out, I’d certainly appreciate the help.

Aside from this and perhaps a few minor tweaks based on feedback, I think this is just about ready for the final 2.0 release.

The download and more information are available on my WordPress Plugins page.

If you have any trouble with this, please contact the WordPress HelpCenter or you can try the WP Support Forums.

The new version of WordPress Mobile Edition is really a developer release. This version adds API access so that other plugins can participate in mobile device checking and add to the settings page for WordPress Mobile Edition.

I was contacted by a developer who was interested in adding to the plugin, and after reviewing his proposed changes that integrated with his (account required) service, I thought they were interesting but would be better as a separate plugin rather than part of the default distribution.

As a result, I added a couple of simple APIs that gave him the access he needed. I’m releasing this new version so anyone can build a plugin that leverages, enhances or extends WordPress Mobile Edition.

The download and more information are available on my WordPress Plugins page.

If you have any trouble with this, please contact the WordPress HelpCenter (512-788-9236) or you can try the WP Support Forums.