Posts Tagged ‘security’
Why I’m optimistic about all the open-source bug reports
So the intertubes are all abuzz about reports of newfound vulnerabilities in open-source software. For instance, consider this breathless headline: WordPress Tightens Bug Bounty Scope After Monthly Security Reports Nearly Double to 773 Sounds awful. But to see why I’m less concerned, see what I think is the key paragraph in that post “Last month…
Read MoreDo you have to pay “Domain Listings” $288? 2024 Edition
It must be that time of year again. A client sent me this scan with a short, to the point question. “Is this junk or is this a legit renewal for us?” Client to remain nameless As always, my short, to-the-point answer is no, this is not a “legit renewal.” As I’ve been saying since…
Read MoreWhy the difference between real WordPress vs for-profit “WordPress.com” matters
Short answer? Real WordPress is free, open-source, created and distributed by a not for profit foundation, and distributed to individual tens of millions of personal web servers around the world.Meanwhile, the for-profit, deceptively named WordPress.com is a social-media-style company like Twitter or Facebook, with terms of service that let the owners freely collect and sell…
Read MoreShould you give a developer access to your hosting account?
When you hire a WordPress professional to work on your site it’s pretty common for them to ask for It makes sense that they’d need to log into your website as an administrator. If they couldn’t they couldn’t add or remove plugins, make changes to the theme (colors, fonts, menus, widgets, footers), or run fairly…
Read MoreWhy every website needs a 50,000 mile checkup
Hey, if WordPress is so great why do so many web developers offer maintenance plans? Is WordPress really that insecure? Fragile? Hackable? No! A well-built WordPress site on a good hosting plan is surprisingly secure. So… why should you still get a good WordPress maintenance plan? Here’s how I explain things to my clients: WordPress…
Read MoreRead fine print before paying “Domain Listings” $288.00
It must be that time of year again. I just opened a suspiciously invoice-like “offering” from a company called “Domain Listings” that offers to add you to their “Annual Website Domain Listings on Internet Directory” for the low-low unreasonably-expensive price of $288 per year. Please note that Google will do this for you for free.…
Read MoreAnswering the question “Why is email through WordPress so complicated?”
Why aren’t website’s contact form messages showing up in my inbox? It’s a common problem. It’s a common question. Here’s an answer. On a Reddit support forum for WordPress users, in a now-deleted post, someone said they were having trouble getting their contact forms and other email delivered when using 3rd-party email providers like Microsoft’s…
Read MoreRead the “fine print” before sending money to Domain Authority
I’ve discussed this issue before but a lot of my clients get this “Renewal Notice” from a company called Domain Authority. Looks like they’ve updated their stationery but they’ve been sending these things out for years. Almost everything about the letter implies it’s an invoice to renew your domain name until you get to the…
Read MorePaying $289 to “US Domain Authority” won’t renew your domain name
I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries from clients asking “do I need to pay this bill?” This morning in a business meeting four members said they’d received one of these notifications from a company called “US Domain Authority” in Hendersonville, North Carolina. In a nutshell: You don’t have to pay “Domain Authority” a penny…
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