Sites that Soar still works!
For nearly two years, I've had a great time sharing what I've learned about installing and using the Branford Magazine theme. That hasn't changed.
In fact, my book has been published and it's selling well at Amazon.com, in addition to the continued popularity of my ebook.
Sites that Soar! contains over 150 pages. It works with WordPress through 2.9.1 and versions of Branford Magazine to 2.6. (It doesn't include the Branford 3.0 changes.) So, there's no reason to update it.
See... I didn't like the later versions of the Branford Magazine. The July 2009 update -- Branford Magazine 3.0 -- was a good example.
Sure, it sounded great to eliminate Custom Fields for homepage graphics. However, when I visited the website of Branford Magazine's creator, I kept running into problems. They looked like this screenshot:
(I added the red arrow, pointing to where it says, "something has gone wrong with WordPress or a plugin.")
The problem might have been his WordPress installation, plugins that he was using, or his theme. I don't know.
If the designer's own website has problems... that could be a problem for others, too.
So, I can't support those later versions of the Branford Magazine theme.
The good news is: I don't have to!
The earlier versions -- which I give away at my websites, free -- still work fine!
As I see it, these are your best options.
- Use an earlier version of Branford Magazine.
- If you're totally in love
with Branford Magazine -- as I am -- use an earlier version. They still work wonderfully!
I offer them as free downloads at my demo website, BranfordMagazine.com. Click on the Downloads tab on the homepage, and choose any version of Branford Magazine that you'd like to use. (I do not offer downloads of Branford Magazine 3.0 or later versions.)
My current version of Sites that Soar! will talk you through the installation & customization steps.
If you're using Branford Magazine 3.0 or later, the concepts remain the same, but there will be differences in how you handle some of the homepage graphics.
Mr. Oeser, the creator of Branford Magazine, offers additional information at his website but very limited support at his forum, DER-PRiNZ.com. - Use a Studio Press theme.
- Studio Press Themes are not free,
but they come with support and a forum. This is an
enormously popular choice for many website owners.
Studio Press (originally called Revolution) was one of the inspirations for Branford Magazine.
One of many good reasons to choose Studio Press (in addition to having support to help you) is that you can order any of several themes already designed for a particular use, including the Church, Corporate and Magazine themes, shown below.
- Consider using
Mimbo.
Mimbo was another one of the inspirations for Branford Magazine. It's free and offers many
of the same features as Branford Magazine. Designer Darren Hoyt offers several premium ($) options, as well, and his
blog is an excellent resource for additional ideas and products.
(Mr. Hoyt has endorsed Sites that Soar! for Mimbo users. Some of the features are different, but my book still offers enough help to be useful to Mimbo users, too.)
If you have more time than money (and need something free or nearly free), use a stable version of Branford Magazine. I give them away, free, at my websites.
As of early 2010, I still love Branford Magazine and use it for almost all of my own websites.
Or, consider Mimbo. It's available in a premium edition, as well.
However, if you need a product with a lot of support to help you, choose any of the Studio Press themes and support options. Most people are very happy with them.