I use a lot of plugins though many times I wish I had the time to work them into my core files. However, over time I have figured out what plugins I absolutely love. So what do I mean by Administrator plugins? These are plugins that help the Administrator create, organize, and even operate the site or blog. Typically, these are some of the first plugins that I install, and while the results can be seen on the other side, these plugins are primarily for the admin. I did not include the security or SEO plugins as I will write separate posts on those at a later time.

1. Admin Management Xtended: This plugin allows the admin to  to be able to manage contents easily and quickly, especially important those who are using WordPress as a CMS. This plugin has a video demo as well.
2. Broken Link Checker: There is nothing worse than having dead links or no images. This plugin helps you ensure that none of your links are dead, pictures go missing, or frustrate your readers. It lets you know on the WordPress Dashboard how many dead links that you have that need attention. One of the practices I started doing was if I referred to a page that served as a source for a content article, I would make a PDF of that article and store it on my site, so when the site takes down the article and/or the moved it somewhere, you have an easy place to refer people that ensures that people can see the content.
3. Digital Fingerprint: No one likes their stuff taken, but how do you know if it is or not? This plugin solves that for you. "This plugin helps blog owners stay vigilant against unauthorized content use by the overwhelming majority of blogs that are splogs," who steal your content!
4. Gravity Forms: This is a premium plugin that is well worth the money because of the time it saves you. Previously I used plugins like cforms that were rather cumbersome. However, Gravity Forms allows you to create all sorts of forms including forms that turn into post drafts!
5. My Category Order & My Page Order: One thing that I dislike about WordPress postings was the ranking number. I simply wanted to write, create, etc, and then go back and re-order easily. My Category Order and My Page Order allow just that. It uses a drag and drop interface that is simple and easy.
6. Ozh Admin Drop Down Menu: This plugin is probably my most favorite admin plugin. One thing I absolutely dispised about WordPress was the lack of space to write posts, etc. This plugin moves the left menu system and replaces it with a drop down menu system, which means more horizontal space below! For small monitors, this is a dream come true.
7. Widget Logic: This plugin is a bit more technical; however, it allows for much more customization. Many taut this as the best plugin for sidebar customization. Widget Logic allows widgets to appear or not depending on standard WP conditional tags, such as is_home() and is_single() and so on.
8. Widgets Reloaded: Widgets Reloaded replaces many of the default widgets with versions that allow much more control. Widgets come with highly customizable control panels. Each widget (archives, authors, bookmarks/links, calendar, categories, pages, search, tags) can also be used any number of times.
9. WordPress Navigation List (NAVT): This is also another favorite plugin of mine. This powerful tool is designed to provide you with complete control over the creation, styling and contents of your web site's navigation. The plugin gives you the ability to create unique site navigation from your pages, categories and users using a Drag 'n Drop Interface; arrange the items within a group in any arbitrary order. It requires the use of Javascript, so ensure that it is turned on.  However, be careful if you operate more than one website using this plugin as I have lost a few menu systems that way. Previous to this, I used Multi-level navigation plugin.
10. Permalink Plugins: Personally, I don't really care to much for the use of these; however, I always install one of the following, just in case I do eventually have the use of one of these. The two best permalink plugins are: Advanced Permalinks and Custom Permalinks. It personally doesn't matter which one I use as I have found not much difference between the two functionally. However, if I were to choose, I would choose the Advanced Permalinks but I could be easily persuaded to encourage the use of the other as well.
11. Embed iFrame: This will let you embed iframe - an HTML tag that allows a webpage to be displayed inline with the current page, in a WordPress post. Although an iframe can lead to a complicated website, it can be very effective when used appropriately. So if you wish to have an Amazon store on your WordPress site, you can, but you must use this plugin.
12. Search Meter: This plugin helps you keep your blog focused on what your visitors want to read. It does this by keeping track of what your visitors are searching for. If you have a Search box on your blog, Search Meter automatically records what people are searching for — and whether they are finding what they are looking for. So it is an excellent plugin to help you come up with more blog posts or even to know which ones to edit (copywrite) so that they appear in the search box.

Upon the release of Thesis 1.7, I was disappointed in only a few things; however, there are three things I would love to see in the near future releases.

1. Advanced Feature Box Controls & Options*
2. Customizable & Integrated Navigation Menu*
3. Mobile Features
4. Multiple Custom Page Layouts & Options*

*Granted that Thesis does have some features that already address these in a very limited format, there is a lot of work that needs to be done with these.

First, in Thesis 1.6, it said, "Expect your display options to improve dramatically in a future release!" So I was expecting, and there was nothing. Nothing? Yes, nothing. However, they do have a consistent track record of producing some fantastic releases and upgrades, so hopefully there will be more in the Thesis Options pages in the future. However, there is a fairly decent text tutorial by godhammer in the Thesis Support Forums, which I will also be documenting what I did on one of my sites. However, both Dynamic Content Gallery and Featured Content Gallery (which I believe Dynamic Content Gallery is much simpler & easier for the non-techie) have tutorials on how to use them with Thesis's Featured Box (DCG tutorial, FCG tutorial).

Second, while Thesis has improved the way that they do their navigation menu, for someone who wants more user-friendly customizable control, it is still lacking. However, the NAVT plugin works exceptionally well. I love their drag and drop functionality; however, one is stuck with the order of pages, categories, and external links. However, there are some hacks that can enable a person to manipulate the order of their tabs. However, it is not user-friendly in that regard. Why not create this section where all of these are interchangeable and selectable and adaptable very similar to the NAVT plugin.

Third, I am surprised that Thesis has not yet produced something like the Carrington Framework where the theme can be converted to a mobile-friendly site (possibly through a plugin that is later enveloped into the core files), further increasing SEO for the Thesis theme (to me the only hanging fruit left for Thesis to execute). However, not just to take on what another theme does, but to take it and improve it is the key. So for Thesis to take this to the next level, it would be awesome to see a mobile-friendly theme with a mobile-friendly admin.

Fourth, one of the things I was trying to figure out for the longest time was how to create a variety of custom pages using Thesis. However, I didn't really want this feature in just the pages, I wanted it in posts. I wanted the ability to customize the sidebar based on the post and/or page. When I bought Genesis, I finally found part of what I wanted. One of the features from the Genesis theme is the ability to have both a universal and in-post layouts that differ (see a comparison between Thesis and Genesis). However, what would be better would be the ability to have different widgets (or array of widgets on the sidebar) that can be assigned to different layouts.

Once I discovered WordPress, I was super excited about its potential, especially over Blogger.com.  Then I learned about the coding behind WordPress.com. With a strong desire to customize and customize, I grew unhappy with WordPress.com, and eventually switched to WordPress.org. Then I learned how to hijack php code and manipulate stuff around. Then eventually I grew unhappy with some of the results of just dealing with php and having little luck with SEO. So then I learned of Thesis, and eventually I switched over to Thesis. Then bam! Hooks! I had no idea what to do and where to start. It was as though I was back at square one.

However, there were a few things that helped me learn fairly quickly the major benefits of hooks. First, a must read is Rae Hoffman's Hooks for Dummies. Then seeing it visually is so important! Here are two: ThesisHooks and from FrancisRaymond.com (but both refer to pre-Thesis 1.7).

Plugin #1: Thesis OpenHook

Once you understand this, you'll understand the need for the Thesis OpenHook Plugin (WordPress Plugin Directory, (and here is a video introduction to the Thesis OpenHook Plugin). Thesis OpenHook Plugin gives you option to add HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and even PHP code anywhere in thesis your theme without modifying the template files including the custom_functions.php file. Thesis works on hooks and you can call particular hooks very easily to make changes using this plugin, so having OpenHook with the visual guide is priceless. From what I can tell so far, Thesis OpenHook does not yet support Thesis 1.7 though I am sure it is only a matter of time.

Plugin #2: Thesis Import/Export

You don't realize the importance of backing up until something crashes or until you did something in the custom_functions.php file editor that renders the entire site inoperable or you upgraded a plugin or theme or WordPress itself that makes your site go haywire until it happens. And then all that work starts over! And in Thesis, it is not enough to have the custom folder backed up because of all those minor changes made to the various options. So having the Thesis Import/Export plugin (WordPress Plugin Directory) makes this extremely useful. However, in Thesis 1.7, this plugin is rendered useless as its features are upgraded aesthetically and with an additional option of doing all (Thesis Options, Design Options, and OpenHook Content) and built into the theme under Thesis Options Manager.

When I first started blogging, I began blogging on Blogspot.com. Shortly, thereafter, it became part of Google and was re-branded to blogger.com though it has never lost blogspot. However, I thought it was cumbersome, heavy and man it seemed like a pain to blog sometimes. However, it did have some cool features like being able to email blogs that would post (but never seemed to post correctly). So finally I found WordPress, not through word of mouth, but by simply comparing various blogging platforms that were available. Soon after seeing WordPress.com, I became obsessed to learn more. Finally, convinced I switched over to WordPress.com only to see that I was slightly fooled and confused by WordPress.com and WordPress.org. And, I am not the only one to see this as an issue or a point of confusion.

So what is the difference between the two (WordPress.com and WordPress.org) or is there a difference? When people talk about WordPress, what do they really mean?

When people speak of WordPress, they could mean either and only context can reveal which one. Personally, I believe most are referring to WordPress.ORG and the capabilities of the WordPress software. Rarely will you see the community speak about WordPress.COM as it seems to serve as a stepping stone. However, to combat this and to bring in more revenue, WordPress.COM has started some more robust VIP components for a price. According to WordPress.com, here is a brief comparison.

	WordPress.COM site: http://yourname.wordpres.com	WordPress.ORG site: http://yourdomain.com (.org, etc)
Benefits	It’s free and much easier to setup	Ability to upload themes
	Everything is taken care of: setup, upgrades, spam, backups, security, etc	Ability to upload plugins
	Your blog is on hundreds of servers, so it’s highly unlikely it will go down due to traffic	Great community
	Your posts are backed up automatically	Complete control to change code if you’re technically minded
	You get extra traffic from blogs of the day and tags
	You can find like-minded bloggers using tag and friend surfer
	Your login is secure (SSL) so no one can get into your account if you use wifi
Cons	We provide 70+ themes (and adding more every day) which you can modify and edit the CSS, but you cannot run a custom theme	You need a good web host, which generally costs $7-12 a month, or thousands of dollars per month for a high traffic site
	You can’t hack the PHP code behind your blog	Requires more technical knowledge to set up and run
	You can’t upload plugins	You’re responsible for stopping spam
		You have to handle backups
		You must upgrade the software manually when a new version comes out
		If you get a huge spike in traffic (like Digg or Slashdot) your site will probably go down unless you have a robust hosting setup

* The VIP program on WordPress.com for high-traffic and high-profile sites allows you to run custom themes, custom PHP code, ad code, and WordPress plugins.

So it comes down to these 3 things:

1. Technical Knowledge: With WordPress.ORG, there is a need for more technical knowledge, especially if you desire a lot of customization. However, you don't even need this if you have #2. And if you decide to go with WordPress.COM, there is little to no technical knowledge needed. All someone needs is the basic ability to search and click, drag and drop, and other blogging abilities.
2. Money: This includes hosting costs (What's hosting?), domain registration (I have to register my name too?), and sometimes setup/installation (though less often, unless you want to pay someone). Even though WordPress.org blogging platform is free, there are the other costs. And even though WordPress.com is free, it can cost money too (and I personally believe it is more expensive to go with WordPress.com VIP than do your own).
3. Customization: WordPress.COM allows for little to no customization, except for VIPs (again refer to #2).

And the basic decision is not on cost per se, but on simplicity or flexibility; working within certain pre-determined confines or creating something yourself with complete control borrowing from the massive community. A better table found at blogmum.com is as follows:

	WordPress.COM	Self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.ORG)
Cost	Basic blog is free; paid upgrades for various features.	Hosting must be paid for; software is free.
Themes	You're limited to themes that WP choose to offer (currently around 70-ish); a paid upgrade gets you the option to edit the CSS. You cannot install themes of your own choosing, or custom themes made just for you.	You're free to install whatever theme(s) you like.
Plugins and PHP-hacking	You can't use plugins, though widgets do offer some of the same functionality. If there are specific things you want to do with your blog, check if WP.com will offer them.	You can install as many plugins as you like, and even change the core PHP code of your blog. It's yours to do with as you like.
Spam	Spam-fighting done for you.	You'll need to use plugins to keep spam commenters off your blog.
Upgrades	Your blog is automatically upgraded to the newest version of the software.	You'll need to click a button to upgrade to the newest version of the software.
Backups	Your blog's backed up for you.	You'll need to use a plugin to backup, or do it manually with FTP and PHPMyAdmin.
Storage space	Various-sized paid upgrades available.	As much as your host provides; if you're running a photoblog, think about an account with unlimited storage.
Multiple users	Up to 35; paid upgrade for more.	As many or as few as you like.
Ads	May be served up by WP on your blog; paid upgrade to remove them. You can't add your own advertising (e.g. Adsense) or affiliate marketing, nor can you post paid-for posts (e.g. Pay Per Post).	Up to you; if you want ads, you can sell 'em.
Robustness	Hosted across multiple servers, so if you hit the front page of Digg, you should be okay.	Up to you and your service provider; unless you've done something to make your blog more robust, if you hit the front page of Digg, your site will probably go down.

Depending on your long-term goals, the best place to start is probably to begin with a wordpress.com to see how you like blogging. And because the software is the same between WordPress.COM and WordPress.ORG, it makes for a very simple transition. However, when you make the transition from WordPress.com to your self-hosted WordPress site, it will set you back a little at the setout. However, I have seen people and have made these transitions myself very easily. One benefit is that you already have content at the start of the self-hosted and you just need to wait for Google or Yahoo! However, with social media, your community can make the transition extremely successful. So what do you think? Which would you choose?