WordPress Requiring PHP Upgrade

If your WordPress platform is used to manage and maintain your website, it may be time for a PHP upgrade. Don’t know what PHP is? You’ve come to the right place.

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a popular open source general-purpose scripting language that is easily embedded into HTML and used for web development. When a page contains PHP, the code is executed on the server, creating HTML that gets sent to the client. The results of that script get sent to the client, but they never know what the underlying code is. It’s entirely possible to set up your server so that all of your HTML files are processed with PHP.

PHP is simple, but still contains a lot of features that are enticing to a more advanced programmer.

Need to Upgrade?

Now that you have some information on what PHP does for your site, it may be time for an upgrade. When a new version of PHP gets released, it’s fully supported for two years. After the two years of active support have ended, it’s supported for an additional year, but only critical security issues are fixed. After three years, that version of PHP has reached the end of its shelf life and is no longer supported. That could be the case for the PHP running on your site right now.

Unless your site is currently using PHP version 7.1 or higher, it’s no longer supported and you need to upgrade. Active support for version 7.1 ended 5 months ago, but security support will still exist for another 6 months. You’re even better off if you currently have versions 7.2 or 7.3. Active support for version 7.2 continues for another 5 months, while version 7.3 will still have active support until 18 months from now.

What About My Site?

If your website has been developed within the past two years or so – or if it is built on a WordPress theme that has been recently updated by the designer to accommodate the latest PHP – chances are your site should run fine on the latest version. However, if you’re site is older or the theme is outdated, it may be time for a website refresh. Older themes may have other issues as well including mobile-friendliness and compatibility with some of the more recent plugins and integrations. Think five years isn’t a long time? The iPhone 6 was released in 2014 so imagine how displays and technology has changed!

Why is it Important?

Maybe you’re thinking that upgrading your PHP isn’t all that important and that you can continue running an unsupported version on your site without anything bad happening. After all, PHP is used by over 78% of all websites, and some of those sites have to be running on unsupported versions of PHP, right? Instead of falling behind and coming face to face with your very own PHP horror story, remember these important reasons to stay ahead of the curve.

Security: Ensure that you’re running on a version of PHP that is fully supported and regularly checked for security vulnerabilities.
Performance: PHP versions 7.2 and 7.3 perform much better than older versions and will help your website to run smoother and more efficiently.
New Features: Some of the new features for the most recent versions of PHP include combined comparison operator, new type hinting, and anonymous classes.

Have questions about PHP, WordPress, or your website? SPARKS! Marketing Communications is here to help. Give us a call at 866-500-8088 or CLICK HERE to request a Free Website Review.

WordPress Will Usher in the Era of “Happy Publishing” in 2019

It’s been many years since WordPress was simply a site used for blogging, and in 2019 the software language of the company will finally reflect that reality.

With the introduction of WordPress 5.1, the word “publishing” will replace any mention of blogging throughout the platform. The language will be updated in wp-config-sample.php this year. So long, “happy blogging”. Hello, “happy publishing”!

Once upon a time, blogging was the central function of all WordPress sites, but the software’s capabilities have expanded dramatically, and the platform is more dynamic than ever. “WordPress is no longer a simple blogging platform,” wrote Gutenberg and WordPress core contributor Gary Pendergast. “It’s now a comprehensive publishing solution.”

WordPress is a popular and heavily relied upon open-source content management system due in part to its versatility and ability to serve multiple functions. Although it can still be used for something as simple as publishing blog content, it also allows users to perform functions like set up an affiliate shop, create real estate listings, and fundraise. Even better, these functions are accessible to people regardless of whether or not they know how to code because of the software’s user-friendly setup.

That’s not all that WordPress has in store for 2019, though. WordPress core contributor Matt Mullenweg laid out the platform’s priorities for the new year. Allowing users to opt-in to automatic plugin and theme updates, upgrading the widgets-editing areas, creating a block for navigation menus, and making it possible for themes to visually register content areas are all upgrades that WordPress expects to make within the next 12 months.

By changing the website’s language, WordPress is simply making clear what was already true a long time ago. There’s no shortage of functions that the platform can be used for, and its capabilities expand so far beyond simply blogging. Without WordPress, 32% of the web would cease to exist, and as its uses continue to grow and expand, so does the vernacular we use to talk about them.

WordPress: Content Management or Major Security Vulnerability?

Enjoying the Benefits and Preventing the Threats From One of The World’s Most Popular Open-Source Web Platforms

Now powering over 27% of the world’s websites serving over 400 million users monthly¹, WordPress has certainly established itself as one of the web’s top applications. One of the reasons is that, as an “open-source” software platform, it is largely built by a collaborative developer community from around the world contributing to the easy-to-use content management system (CMS) enhanced by hundreds of convenient add-on functionalities and tools (plugins). Perhaps, that is also the reason why WordPress could become one of the biggest threats to our privacy, security and maybe even the internet itself.

Essentially, “Open Source” software is not proprietary nor restricted and anyone can access the code that makes it run. With knowledge of the “engine” behind a program or application, developers can improve and expand its capabilities and performance. That is good and benefits us all. Similarly, those with more sinister intentions can find and exploit vulnerabilities. That is bad but can be defended against.

There are many tools available to minimize the potential risks, and reputable web developers (like SPARKS!) employ them to safeguard WordPress sites and protect our clients and their visitors. One of the most popular plugins, Wordfence, blocks millions of malicious attempts every day from all over the world. That also gives them insight into the sources, reasons, and methods used in hack attempts, from which they can refine and update their protection measures. But, it will likely be a continuous game of cat and mouse.

All in all, WordPress is an outstanding platform and offers great flexibility and scalability in serving the needs of businesses, news outlets, retailers and bloggers alike. But, like homes, cars, banks and everything else these days, a security system is needed to protect what’s inside.

WordPress 101

Businesses today are using various online channels to reach their clients. One of the most efficient methods is content marketing and blogging using the WordPress Platform. Where do you start? WordPress 101! [Read more…]

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WordPress Requiring PHP Upgrade

If your WordPress platform is used to manage and maintain your website, it may be time for a PHP upgrade. Don’t know what PHP is? You’ve come to the right place.

WordPress Will Usher in the Era of “Happy Publishing” in 2019

It’s been many years since WordPress was simply a site used for blogging, and in 2019 the software language of the company will finally reflect that reality.

WordPress: Content Management or Major Security Vulnerability?

Enjoying the Benefits and Preventing the Threats From One of The World’s Most Popular Open-Source Web Platforms

WordPress 101

Businesses today are using various online channels to reach their clients. One of the most efficient methods is content marketing and blogging using the WordPress Platform. Where do you start? WordPress 101! [Read more…]

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It’s been many years since WordPress was simply a site used for blogging, and in 2019 the software language of the company will finally reflect that reality.

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