After an instant messenger discussion with another blogger (who I won't mention out of respect), it dawned on me that there are more than just a few people confused about using the built-in plugin and theme editors for WordPress. A simple question: When you try to use one of the editors, do you see "If this file were writable you could edit it." below the edit box?

A lot of plugin and theme authors seem to forget that only some blog authors are familiar with flavors of Linux, BSD or UNIX (and other non-Windows platforms). The line I mentioned can be confusing to someone who isn't familiar at all with permissions. Perhaps something as simple as a quick paragraph to explain permissions should be included with all plugins and themes, not just some of them.

If your server is on a Windows machine, or you're not self-hosted, none of what I'm going to tell you will apply to you right now. It might, however, apply to you if you move your blog to one of the aforementioned platforms.

This is what I do when I add a theme or a plugin (that has its own directory). I use an FTP program (like Filezilla) to upload the whole directory to the server under the appropriate directories. Then I check to make sure the new subdirectory has a permission of 755 (777 works too, but I won't go into details on permissions). Some FTP clients let you use the CHMOD option from a right click menu. Filezilla has a box of checkboxes and you click the appropriate ones until you get the desired permission in the box at the bottom.

The next thing I do is change the permissions for each of the files in those directories to 666. Once I've completed that, each and every file within the specified plugin or theme directory is editable by WordPress. Sounds simple right? It is if you've done it once or twice. If you've never done it before it might as well be Greek.

I know that a lot of you reading this are bloggers just like me. Sometimes I wonder why you read some of the tripe that I write. I know it's not because of the picture on my "About" page because I fell out of an ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. It's part of the reason I don't like to have my picture taken.

I don't know about you, but the blogs I like to return to on a regular basis have a lot of personality injected into them. How many of you have gone to blogs to read the top 10 plugins, tips, whatever, only to never return to those blogs (except to reread the same thing)? Why is that, do you suppose? I believe it's because the rest of their content is boring and sounds like lectures, not inviting interactivity.

I like to ask a lot of questions. I think it invites readers to comment when they wouldn't normally do so. I also like to throw in a little controversy, but not too much. When I do that, I get beat up by social news sites. Now, if you took the time to follow me to some of the blogs that I visit, and how it affects the way I write and what I write about, you'd know that I have a wicked, yet subtle (but not always so subtle) sense of humor. I think everyone likes to laugh once in a while, don't you? In my case, I don't care if you laugh with me, or at me, as long as you're enjoying yourself.

As I mentioned in other places, I like to focus on entertainment of all kinds when I write. Unfortunately, it's not possible because I get sidetracked by other issues. You know what? Some of those other issues are just another form of entertainment for some people, even if not for me.

You've heard that content is king. You've also heard that comments are important. I'm suggesting, above all else, your personality is the most important ingredient in your blog. You don't believe me? Fine. If your blog doesn't have personality, let's see if I visit YOUR blog more than once (you'll know if I do because I like to leave comments).

Here are some more tips I'd like to pass on to aspiring bloggers:

1) Choose your web hosting service wisely. If a plan seems like a good deal, be aware that it probably can't handle the "Digg Effect".

2) Make it clear who your intended audience is, if it's a topic that has a specific audience, to prevent misunderstanding by other audiences.

3) Post articles frequently. The more the merrier. Trust me. Readers seem to gravitate toward frequently updated blogs.

4) Visit blogs on your blogroll daily (or whenever they have new articles) and comment. It encourages those bloggers to do likewise. It also encourages their readers to visit your blog.

5) Use a feed reader to see when your blogroll links have new articles. Don't forget to add their comment feeds. I recommend Google Reader because it saves feeds for several weeks.

6) Be leery of using widgets with pictures. They can slow your website to a crawl if they're hosted on a different server than your own.

7) Use HitTail for keywords and suggestions. It's free.

8) Use TheGoodBlogs widget. Your miniblog appears on other websites and will generate a small amount of traffic for you.

Here are a few tips I'd like to pass on to aspiring bloggers. I'll publish more as I discover them:

1) Use OnlyWire to bookmark your best blog posts to your own lists on the web services they send to. Yes, I know, it's only YOUR list. You'd be surprised, however, how many other people on the same services search (by tag) for information that you have. This saves you the trouble of going to each of the bookmarking services yourself.

2) Don't be afraid to be controversial. Post what's on your mind. People are attracted to controversy.

3) Check your spelling and your grammar, even if it's not intended to be precise. It reads better!

4) Submit your posts to social news sites such as digg and reddit, but only if your post isn't personal. Don't worry about losing points or being dugg down. You'll still get a a lot of visitors. Bear in mind, however, that people that come from these sites don't click ads and they don't leave comments, usually.

5) Investigate and post to less popular or newer social news sites. Who knows? You could be their next top poster.

An example:

I posted a simple post on reddit, not expecting much. I received over 1,100 unique visits that day. There's no telling how many of them came back later and no telling how many became new repeat visitors. I did manage to get a few comments.