Akismet 2.1.2 anti-spam comment plugin has been released. The new version added comment type filters to separate comments and Pingbacks.

With the sub-navigation, you can choose to see only comments, pingbacks, or all. For developers, it has a new hook for other plugins to add more tabs to the sub-navigation.

So far, there is no plugin that “hooks” with Akismet 2.1. We can expect some other antispam plugins using the feature.

Generally, no new function in the new version, Akismet still works good to filter out spam comments from your blogs. Yes, it is still free.

akismet, antispam, plugin, wordpress

One of the most wanted feature about Automattic Stats for Self-Hosted WordPress Blogs is loading the stats report inline at our own blog’s dashboard, instead of redirect to WordPress.com. It has been addressed in the version 1.1 to load the stats in an iframe on your own blog dashboard.

Download WordPress.com Stats plugin

If you do not have a WordPress.com API key yet, read: How to get a WordPress.com API Key?

wordpress, automattic, plugins

I was asking for AuctionAds plugin in my Auction Ads review. Virtual Marketing Blog created the first AuctionAds WordPress Plugin — Easy AuctionAds.

Image: Easy AuctionAds options

Easy AuctionAds plugin allows you to add AuctionAds into blog post by adding a custom tag. The AuctionAds layout and format can be set on Option page. It means you can only have one ad format at one time. The plugin installation requires to edit WordPress internal file (general-template.php), which I do not recommend to newbies.

It would be nice if the plugin allows users to set a few of different ad layouts like AdSense Deluxe did.

auctionads, wordpress, plugin, ebay

skeltoac released an Automattic Stats WordPress plugin for WordPress users. Automattic Stats is familiar to WordPress.COM bloggers because it is the default free web statistics for their blogs.

You need to get a free WordPress.com API key to install the Automattic Stats for your self-hosted WordPress blogs.

After installing Automattic Stats (or WordPress.com stats), you will get a “Global Dashboard” link under WordPress.com Blog Stats on your WordPress dashboard.

Clicking the link will lead you to WordPress.com Global Daskboard(dashboard.wordpress.com) where you can get the Blog Stats of your self-hosted WordPress blog.

The WordPress.com Stats will take a few minutes before it can display your first stats report. Here is sample screenshot of WordPress.com Blog Stats report:

Beside a flash graph of last 30 days traffic, the statistics report also shows referrers, top posts, search engine terms, clicks, and incoming links.

Another feature of WordPress.com Stats is that it does not record stats of logged in WordPress users (you!). Don’t need to worry your own visits will generate inaccurate traffic report.

My two cents

I have many web statistics for my blog, do I need another? While we have detail stats like Google Analytics, Automattic Stats (WordPress.com Stats) has a simple and straight forward report.

I will use Automattic Stats for daily traffic review and other complex stats such as Google Analytics for weekly review. However, I wish Automattic Stats can be integrated into my own blog dashboard.

Download Automattic Stats and tell me what do you think about it!

wordpress, automattic, stats, plugin, statistics

For WordPress, if you are using full-text feed on your blog but the feed truncate the content and shows a (more…) link where you insert a <!--more--> tag (to divide the post into half)… You can install the Full Text Feed plugin to remove the “more…” link and show the complete post content to your feed readers.

Author AdSense is a WordPress plugin that allows blog authors to enter their Google AdSense publisher ID and have ads display on their own posts to generate revenue. The Admin can set the ratio of author’s ads vs. admin’s ads.

Image: update author adsense options

I would say Author AdSense is a simplified version of AdSense Revenue Sharing System plugin.

[via Weblog Tools Collection]

wordpress, plugin, adsense

Wanna show off your Technorati rank to your visitors? You can create one for your WordPress blog by using the JPF Technorati Rank plugin and the technorati widget image by Eric. Read add a Technorati Rank Widget in 3 Simple Steps for instructions to add a feedburner counter like Technorati widget into your sidebar.

The popular antispam WordPress plugin, Bad Behavior has a new home. I installed the latest Bad Behavior 2.0.10. It was running fine and blocked 20,000+ access attempts in 24 hours (spammers love LiewCF Tech Blog)

But, my site was not accessible just now due to a Bad Behavior plugin error:
[html]Fatal error: Cannot redeclare bb2_db_date() in /home/liewcf/public_html/blog/wp-content/plugins/Bad-Behavior/bad-behavior-wordpress.php on line 50[/html]
Disabled the plugin, site back to normal. Not sure what caused the error. No contact information on the new Bad Behavior site.

Did you experience the same error?

antispam, bad behavior, plugin, spam, wordpress

Feed Styler is a WordPress plugin to add CSS styles to your blog feeds. I use it for basic feed styling such as align image to left or right.

Top Posts by Category Plugin allows you to display best posts which determined by the number of visits to the post or number of comments. Top posts list is recommended to increase blog traffic and new readers. Currently, I am using my in house script for the Popular page, powered by Alex King’s Popular Context plugin.

I did a Blogger to WordPress migration for a client using Romantika’s Blogger RSS Import, a WordPress plugin to import blog posts and comments from a New Blogger account. Oh, install WordPress Suicide as well. It is useful when the import failed, but use it with caution!

Note: WordPress default Blogger Import does NOT work with New Blogger account.

Update: if the plugin does not work, try Import Blogger Beta Posts to WordPress by TechCounter [hat tip: Alex]

WordPress has launched a plugins directory, finally.

A WordPress blog is not complete if it does not install WordPress plugins. In fact, the reason I chose WordPress over other blogging platform is because it has many powerful and free and opensource plugins.

Image: WordPress Plugins Directory

The WordPress plugins directory has a clear and simple layout. On the top is featured plugin, and listed below are popular plugins, newest plugins, and recently updated plugins.

Image: wordpress plugin directory page

Each listed plugin has an information page with description, brief information about the plugin, tags, rating, and plugin related information such as installation, FAQ, screenshots.

My two cents

Before this, I will google for certain plugin function when I need it. Now with WordPress plugins directory, it will become my first destination for WordPress plugins.

blog, plugins, wordpress

I created a photo album page by pulling photos from my Flickr account using FAlbum plugin. It is very easy to install and it has useful features powered by Flickr API. Tell me what do you think about it?

Along with the release of WordPress 2.1, the Akismet 2.0 (read previous review) is also available now. Here are some of the new features of Akismet 2.0:

• 
  Paged navigation and search box for caught spams.
• Recheck messages in “Awaiting Moderation” for spam.
• 
  New Akismet counter widget.
• Option to discard spams on posts older than a month.

Akismet 2.0 review

The paged navigation and search box are great, Akismet should have included them earlier!

In fact, I have not been using the Akismet plugin for over a month. The main reason was the increasing number of escaped spam comments. I switched to Spam Karma 2 (SK2) with Akismet check plugin(a plugin for a plugin). Overall, the combination of two most powerful WordPress anti-spam plugins work very well.

I tested Akismet 2.0. Many spam comments managed to escape. I was quite disappointed. I will keep it on for two more days before switching back to SK2+Akismet.

akismet, anti spam, antispam, plugin, spam, wordpress

I had a WordPress tutorial about implementing Google AdSense search results within WordPress Pages. Although the tutorial is step-by-step but it is still difficult for some beginners.

MightySearch is a WordPress plugin to add Google AdSense search results into WordPress Page.

After installing MightySearch plugin, you only need to create a new WordPress Page and add a MightySearch tag, which insert Google AdSense search form and results codes.

Now, everyone can easily implementing Google AdSense search results into their WordPress blogs!

Download MightySearch WordPress plugin

wordpress, plugins, adsense, google, search, searchengine

Text Link Ads (TLA) launched Feedvertising – a feed advertising program for blogs. It adds a text ad to the bottom of feed entry. You can add your personal ads or sell the ad space. Currently for WordPress 2.0+ users, more blogging platforms will be supported later.

Feedvertising sample ad

How does Feedvertising different than other feed advertising programs?

Unlike other feed advertising programs, Feedvertising does not insert graphical banner into your feed. It adds only a text line, and you can have your own ads(promotion, affiliate programs, etc).

The Feedvertising payment is not based on CPM or cost-per-click. It use a flat rate pricing, which is good in my opinion.

Sign up Text Link Ads to join Feedvertising.

My two cents

Currently, I have feed advertising in my feed, and get paid. I would love to try Feedvertising but I haven’t upgrade my blog to WordPress 2.0.

Have you tried Feedvertising? How is the result?

blog, feed, feedvertising, money, ads, advertising, textlinkads, TLA, wordpress

AdSense Beautifier, a WordPress plugin that add images beside AdSense ads, has been updated to support more ads format: Medium Rectangle (300 x 250), Small Square (200 x 200), Banner (468 x 60), and Half Banner (234×60). Good job!

Download AdSense Beautifier [Thanks, JohnTP]

adsense, adsensebeautifier, plugins, tips, wordpress

If you have a group blog, how do you share the blog revenue(read: AdSense) with the other authors. AdSense System might be a ideal solution for you.

AdSense System is a WordPress plugin which allows you to share AdSense impression with co-authors of the blog.

How does it work?

1. Your author published an article on your group blog.
2. When a visitor reads the article. AdSense system randomly selects the AdSense id of the author’s and yours, based on a specified ratio (default is 50:50).
3. Both of you get money.

The AdSense system options for admin. You can set up the ratio and lowest user level that are allowed to add their AdSense ID.

Your author can add their AdSense ID after logging into WordPress admin panel.

The AdSense system can shows your AdSense revenue in WordPress admin.

My two cents

AdSense System is good if you have a group blog and want to share the happiness(read: money) with your authors. I might use AdSense system if I would create a group blog later.

It is fair that the authors only get paid for the articles they wrote. The ratio setting is nice. It allows you to decide how much revenue to share. 50% or 100% to the author? Up to you.

Please note that in order to use the AdSense System, each author needs to have own Google AdSense account.

Download AdSense System

ads, adsense, advertising, money, plugins, tips, wordpress

I introduced the Paged Comment Plugin. How about paged comments in WordPress admin panel?

Paged Comment Editing plugin is a Wordpress plugin that works in admin panel. It is the replacement for default comments listing with features like paging and listing spam comments.

Screenshot of Paged Comment Editing plugin

My two cents

Paged Comment Editing plugin is useful when you receive many comments. It allows you to view every comment (even the hidden spam comments) page by page. Never miss any informative comment again!

plugin, wordpress, wordpress plugin

If your nicely designed WordPress blog is broken by a long list of comments, then you may want to install the Paged Comments plugin.

Paged Comments Plugin is a plugin for WordPress 1.5 and 2.0 to allow comments paging. It is useful for popular blogs that receive many comments or act as a guestbook page.

Screenshot of Paged Comments

Paged Comments plugin is quite flexible. It can sort comments by descending or ascending order. You can set the number of comments per page, enable/disable auto paged comments, page range and more.

Download Paged Comments Plugin

blog, plugins, wordpress