In the early 1990s, I went on CompuServe and set up a personal web page. In those days, I was quite the “computer geek” – technically savvy for the time and interested in computers and programming. Unfortunately, my career path took me away from the IT side and I did not keep up with new technology and techniques.
When I recently decided to start my own website I knew virtually nothing about web hosting, website administration, how to set up a website or a blog.
Using another book, I was able to get through the process of setting up my domain with Hostgator. However, the website utility applications included were clunky and difficult to use. In reading more on the subject, I knew I wanted to go with WordPress and learned about Sarah McHarry’s book “WordPress To Go – How To Build A Website On Your Own Domain, From Scratch, Even If You Are A Complete Beginner [Kindle Edition]”.
True to her promise, I was able to install WordPress on my domain quite easily. Starting at noon on a Friday, I worked through Chapters 1 through 8 and had my website up and running by Friday night. I went through the more in-depth chapters on Saturday and by mid-day Sunday I had this website set up, running and looking good.
There were a couple of times when her screenshots proved to be outdated due to WordPress updates, but those were not an issue. There were a couple other times when I had to go to the WordPress codex to read further on a subject. On the whole, however, this book is exactly what a beginner like me needed to get up and running.
I plan to continue to learn and develop my web administration skills, but this book is a great place to start. It’s easy to read and not technical. I recommend it highly. 5-star rating.
By Richard D. Turnquist
December 15, 2013
