My presentation at WordCamp Raleigh on Saturday, 11/23/13. I talked about what WordPress multisite and BuddyPress both are and are not. Reasons to use or not use one or both were given, and limitations and caveats were pointed out. Examples of real sites were included. I quickly showed what was needed to get up and running. The material presentation should help designers or webmasters make an informed decision on if multisite and/or BuddyPress would be a good fit for their needs, and if so, inspire them with the live examples given.

1. Branching Out with WordPress
Multisite and BuddyPress
by Melodie Laylor
WordCamp Raleigh, November 23, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 13

2. A Little About Melodie
✤
From Hampton, VA
✤
Worked with WordPress for 6-1/2 yrs
✤
Organizer of WordPress Hampton Roads Meetup
✤
Freelance web designer
✤
Myself and husband are rebranding as PajamaWeb
Saturday, November 23, 13

3. Connect with Melodie
✤
e-mail:
melodie@pajamaweb.com
✤
Websites:
http://www.melodielaylor.com
http://www.pajamaweb.com
✤
Twitter:
@melodielaylor
Saturday, November 23, 13

4. Why I Chose This Topic
✤
I’m migrating a blog and social network to WordPress/BuddyPress for a large
non-profit organization
✤
Original site is a custom-coded CMS
✤
Original developer moved on, was only programmer involved
Saturday, November 23, 13

5. Why I Chose This Topic
✤
I’m creating a new multisite for a business networking organization with
BuddyPress
✤
Different chapters in different cities need their own sites
✤
Want to build an online community of businesspersons
Saturday, November 23, 13

6. Why I Chose This Topic
✤
BuddyPress - Not very much documentation in Codex
✤
BuddyPress - Many if not most articles online are old (circa 2009-2010)
✤
BuddyPress and Multisite often used together
✤
Wish to add to the discourse
✤
Saturday, November 23, 13
Share insights gathered, lessons learned on this head-first journey

7. WordPress Multisite
Saturday, November 23, 13

8. What is WordPress
Multisite?
✤
A network of sites
✤
These sites all stem from a single
WordPress install
✤
It’s a mode in WordPress enabled via
a code snippet
✤
Real-life example: WordPress.com is a
GINORMOUS multisite
Saturday, November 23, 13

9. What’s Multisite
Good For?
✤
A blog network
✤
Multiple sites by a single owner - to
consolidate maintenance
✤
Businesses or organizations with
multiple locations or chapters that
need their own sites under a parent
umbrella
Saturday, November 23, 13

10. What WordPress
Multisite is NOT:
✤
Web hosting
(because it’s not)
Saturday, November 23, 13

11. Multisite Considerations
✤
Single database for network
✤
Shared user base (all users in all subsites are listed in primary site)
✤
Shared themes - all installed and can only be modified at primary site
✤
Shared plugins - all installed at primary site
✤
Network activate - plugin is activated in all sites
✤
Or not - listed in subsite dashboards and can be activate on a site-by-site basis
Saturday, November 23, 13

12. Multisite Considerations
✤
The owner of the network is a Super Admin - “god” of all sites on the network
✤
Subsite owners are admins of their respective sites
✤
Allow users to register and create their own sites, or manually assign users and
create additional sites
✤
Create multiple networks stemming from the primary one (via a plugin:
http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-multi-network/
✤
Subsites can have their own unique domains via the Domain Mapping Plugin:
http://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-mu-domain-mapping/
Saturday, November 23, 13

13. Multisite Caveats
✤
Users on subsites cannot install plugins or themes
✤
Users on subsites cannot edit the themes available
✤
BUT, there are plugins to allow adding custom CSS
✤
Edit theme at network level, it changes across the network in all
sites using it
✤
Installed themes are available to all sites
✤
Plugins not network activated will be visible and selectable to all
sites
Saturday, November 23, 13

14. Multisite Caveats
✤
Content is NOT shared; what’s published on one site is unique
to that site
✤
If you have more than a handful of subsites or lots of traffic on
the network, shared hosting will not be adequate
✤
Managed hosting
✤
VPS
✤
Dedicated - $$$$
✤
Cloud (AWS) - advanced option
Saturday, November 23, 13

15. Multisite Caveats
✤
Exporting from multisite to standalone WP site - less
straightforward
✤
Remember themes and plugins are installed at the top of
the network, so if a single user if migrating, they don’t
have access to their theme and plugins unless the super
admin provides copies
✤
Posts, pages and corresponding media can be exported
from the dashboard and imported into the new WP install
✤
Backup Buddy (premium plugin) is supposed to export
from multisite/import to standalone WP, iThemes still
declares this an experimental function
Saturday, November 23, 13

16. Multisite Caveats
✤
Last but not least, these considerations and
caveats create greater responsibility as an
admin
Saturday, November 23, 13

17. Enough already,
let’s enable
multisite!
Saturday, November 23, 13

18. ✤
If you’re not starting from a clean WP install, BACKUP your DB and files!
✤
Enable pretty or canonical permalinks
✤
Add this line to wp-config.php:
define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );
above the line
/* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */
✤
Refresh dashboard, go to Tools --> Network Setup
and choose subdomains or subdirectories
NOTE: CHOOSE WISELY, YOU CANNOT CHANGE
THIS LATER
✤
Fill in your Network Details and click Install
✤
Add lines to wp-config.php and .htaccess as provided
Saturday, November 23, 13

19. For More Information on Multisite:
✤
Codex article: http://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network
✤
Codex article: http://codex.wordpress.org/Before_You_Create_A_Network
✤
Mika Epstein’s WCSF 2013 presentation:
http://wordpress.tv/2013/08/01/mika-epstein-dont-use-wordpress-multisite/
Saturday, November 23, 13

20. Saturday, November 23, 13

21. What is
BuddyPress?
✤
A Plugin:
http://wordpress.org/plugins/
buddypress/
✤
Turns a WordPress site into a
social network; “social networking in
a box”
✤
Use it to build an online community
Saturday, November 23, 13

22. What’s BuddyPress
Good For?
✤
Building a niche community
online; i.e. a social network
built around a special interest
Saturday, November 23, 13

23. What BuddyPress
is NOT:
✤
The next Facebook
(because it’s not)
Saturday, November 23, 13

24. BuddyPress Features/Functions
✤
Member profiles
✤
Notifications
✤
Activity streams
✤
Groups
✤
Extended Profiles
✤
Forums (add plugin bbPress)
✤
Friend connections
✤
Global content tracking (multisite)
✤
Private messaging
Saturday, November 23, 13

25. BuddyPress Features/Functions
✤
Does NOT require Multisite, though they are often used together
✤
Now compatible with nearly all WordPress themes (as of version 1.7)
Saturday, November 23, 13

26. BuddyPressConsiderations
✤
Requires pretty or canonical permalinks
✤
BP does not work when WP is installed in its own directory (run from www root directory but
files located in another)
✤
Use with multisite so users can create their own sites/blogs
Saturday, November 23, 13

27. Buddypress
Caveats
✤
BuddyPress extended profiles (Xprofiles) and
user profiles metadata are not linked
✤
User documentation (the Codex) is rather
scanty
✤
Saturday, November 23, 13
small team working on BuddyPress core
dedicated to improving BP itself

28. For More Information on BuddyPress:
✤
Download BuddyPress: http://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/
✤
Official BP website: http://www.buddypress.org
✤
BP Codex: http://codex.buddypress.org
✤
WPMUdev BP manual: http://premium.wpmudev.org/manuals/thebuddypress-manual-2/
✤
bbPress: http://www.bbpress.org
Saturday, November 23, 13

29. Site Examples
Saturday, November 23, 13

30. Multisite Live Examples
✤
http://www.wordpress.com
✤
Georgia State University - http://www.gsu.edu
✤
BBC America - http://www.bbcamerica.com
✤
Spotted By Locals - http://www.spottedbylocals.com
✤
University of Mary Washington - http://www.umw.edu
✤
Edublogs - http://www.edublogs.com
Saturday, November 23, 13

31. BuddyPress Live Examples
✤
Tasty Kitchen - http://www.tastykitchen.com
✤
Bitsy - http://www.bitsythis.com
✤
Enterprise Nation - https://www.enterprisenation.com/
✤
CUNY Academic Commons - http://commons.gc.cuny.edu/
Saturday, November 23, 13

32. My Projects (Under Construction #1)
✤
A standalone WP site w/BuddyPress:
✤
✤
Guest bloggers
✤
✤
Social network/user community
Video section (using CPTs/taxonomies)
Important plugins:
✤
Buddypress Xprofile Custom Fields Type http://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress-xprofile-custom-fields-type/
✤
Commons In A Box - http://commonsinabox.org
Saturday, November 23, 13

33. My Projects (Under Construction #2)
✤
WP multisite w/BuddyPress
✤
Organization with chapters opening in different cities
✤
Each city has it’s own site, site owner/admin
✤
✤
Site owners can blog their own events, get their own members to sign up
Paid memberships
✤
Saturday, November 23, 13
members directory - of businesses local to chapters

34. My Projects (Under Construction #2)
✤
BuddyPress - goal is to build free community of users - maybe
✤
Important Plugins:
✤
Paid Memberships Pro - http://www.paidmembershipspro.com
✤
Business Directory Plugin - http://businessdirectoryplugin.com
✤
bbPress - maybe (http://bbpress.org)
✤
✤
Saturday, November 23, 13
Included in Commons in a Box
BuddyPress Toolbar - http://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress-toolbar

35. I hope you enjoyed this presentation.
Thank You!
Saturday, November 23, 13

36. Questions anyone?
Saturday, November 23, 13