Rolling with WordPress
In response to a question from Tony about some nice-looking tables in a previous post, I thought I’d revisit the plugins I use on this site. After all, WordPress provides a great platform, but the ecosystem that surrounds it really makes it great.
FD Feedburner Plugin: I like Feedburner because I can get a good feel for my subscriber numbers, but I want to retain control in case I decide to dump it. This plugin simplifies redirecting your readers to a Feedburner-powered setup without permanently changing the URL.
FollowMe: Adds that little badge on the right-hand side of the blog (if you actually visit it). Seems unobtrusive enough, though I always listen to feedback on that sort of thing.
Google Analyticator: Used to simplify the use of Google Analytics for better stat tracking on the site, plus it adds a little box to your Dashboard. I still use the core WordPress.com Stats plugin, but this replaced Cystats.
Prev-Next Keyboard Navigation: Most (all?) readers probably haven’t even noticed this, but you can navigate up and down through posts on an index page with the J and K keys now. A little vi love for us old-school Unix geeks.
Twitterlink Comments: Adds a little field so commentators can include a link to their Twitter profile, if they wish. I think this helps build community and encourages folks to comment, if only to pimp their own reputation.
Twitter Widget Pro: Does a good job showing my Twitter feed in the sidebar, though I really need to do some CSS work and improve the aesthetics a little.
WP-Table Reloaded: What I use for those tables that led to Tony’s query. A little extra work, since you build the table in something like a spreadsheet form and then include a shortcode in your post. But I think the results make it worthwhile.
Feel free to suggest your favorite WordPress plugins in the comments below!
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