If the kind folks at WordPress cannot help you install your WordPress for free, see here, there are alternatives.  If you are inclined not to even try installing WordPress yourself, you have a couple of solid choices that cost you nothing or very little. First, let me say that it’s not difficult to install WordPress even if you are completely tech-unsavvy. But, I do understand how some would rather not touch complicated looking files in gibberish language. Visit WordPress’s page on the 5-minute installation. It actually takes 5 minutes if you’re somewhat computer savvy, but maybe 10 minutes if you’re not. Also visit WordPress’ main installation pages if you’re installation requires a bit more elbow grease for whatever reason.

Now, on to the nitty-gritty. There are usually two types of installations you can do. Either a new installation or an upgrade. Upgrades may or may not be simple depending on the difference in versions. If, for example, you’re upgrading to the current version, 2.5.1 from let’s say version 1, which I hope to goodness you’re not, things can get a bit complicated…maybe.

Last year for timing and other reasons I could not attending the First Annual BlogWorld Expo. But this year I will be attending, yay! It’ll be held in Vegas this year and I have never been to Vegas, so this should be exciting.

For those of you who don’t know about the BlogWorld & New Media Expo:

The first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference, and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of blogging and new media. In addition to the only industry-wide exhibition, BlogWorld features the largest blogging conference in the world including more than 50 seminars, panel discussions and keynotes from iconic personalities on the leading-edge of online technology and internet-savvy business. –BlogWorld & New Media Expo

WPTouch: This is a pretty cool theme and smart idea for a theme! WpTouch WordPress theme is a complimentary theme installed as a plugin on your WordPress blog or website that will format your content with this Apple-inspired, full-featured theme when your visitors are using an iPhone or iPod touch.

I’ve been using WordPress since I think 2006, maybe 2005 and had absolutely no idea that it was only 5 years ago that the first version of WordPress was released! WordPress, like technology itself has progressed in leaps and bounds.

At the Minna Gallery in downtown San Francisco, WordPress is having their 5th Birthday Party from 9pm to 2am. Read more about it at Upcoming.org or the official WordPress.org blog.

Yay! Last week I stumbled upon a great new website listing the latest new attractive FREE WordPress themes available for download. Check it out at WThemes.com.

A co-worker sent me a link to this totally original and amusing flash animation called “Animator vs Animation”. I thought this would be amusing for some. Check it out here at devianart.com.

So you want to create a an author page for your WordPress blog? Good, I don’t know why most blog themes don’t already come with one. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult. I won’t bother explaining the code to those of you who don’t know or care about programming ’cause frankly I couldn’t anyway. I’m a designer and front end developer and certainly not well versed in PHP language. But, fortunately for your I am excellent at problem solving, analyzing and just following bloody directions :0)

Sorry I have been so bad with consistent posts lately. I’m working on a couple of WordPress projects that are diverting my attention and which I’ll share with you once they’re up (in beta). Anyway, on one of the current projects I installed the WordPress plugin, AJAXed WordPress, and implemented a trick to compress my CSS stylesheets to decrease load time.