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Harmful Hidden Codes in Free WordPress Themes

December 25, 2010 by

After having encountered some unexpected problems like pre-installed AdSense link unit codes, theme supplier’s RSS feeds URLs, and some other codes like multiple URLs of third parties that I could not remove from any visible PHP files, I made a search for the possible reasons, as I knew that some FREE theme suppliers do include such codes as a price or cost for supplying such free themes. One of the most popular WordPress theme developers is transparent enough to declare in his site that certain codes are pre-installed to set off the costs for developing themes and running the site. He frankly instructed to join as a member and get the instructions to remove the codes, of course for a small membership free, and it is worth it.

In the case of another themes supplier, the approach was different. The instructions in the supplier’s site simply said that for free themes no support or guidance is available, and for support (meaning to remove unwanted codes or remove ads or other things not related to you), you should select only premium themes. I even appreciate such an approach.

But what about themes that do not have any visible problems, but have hidden codes that are encrypted and embedded in the theme files, quite often in such a fashion that you cannot detect them? Such codes can even steal your passwords and login details and all that can cause losses and security problems for your business and site. A detailed explanation with examples can be found at www.tech-evangelist.com.

If you are using a free WordPress blog, you are the safest, because everything supplied therein are pre-tested and safe. For those who install WordPress in their own self-hosted WordPress sites too, there are 1,296 themes available for free download, which show 25,066,203 downloads at the time of writing this post. You can go to http://wordpress.org/extend/themes and download FREE themes from there. These are WP-tested themes and hence safe.

The next alternative is to go to the sites of the developers of the same themes offered by WP and download FREE themes, if available (most of them offer both FREE and premium themes).

Also, there are thousands of reliable theme developers who offer free WordPress themes and plugins as a community service for WP. Search around and you will get the preferred theme that is safe too. In the next posts, I will include the addresses/ URL sources of some such reliable theme suppliers. Anyway, my intention is not to say that all themes suppliers and developers are embedding malicious codes, but there are a few who do so.

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Selecting the right WordPress theme for your blog

December 22, 2010 by

What kind of theme do you want to install in your blog? Unless you are a seasoned WordPress professional, or at least know the basics of how WordPress works, installing the right theme or template for your blog can pose some problems. To solve this problem, there are a few things you can do.

WordPress offers a variety of themes that you can download or install in your blogs or sites. These are pre-designed WordPress approved themes that are optimized from the point of view of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and available in various designs and requirements of the blogger or webmaster. Most of the themes can be customized to your satisfaction, but of course limited by the parameters set by the theme designer and the requirements of WordPress specifications. So you may end up with the result that you may not have all the required widgets or gadgets, pluggins and other features. If that is the case, deactivate the theme and select another theme and repeat the process of customizing.

The second alternative is to look for the themes of your choice. Make a search on the internet and you can find many thousands of themes that suit your needs. Try some of them and most probably you will get the right theme and designs that suits all your needs. These are about installing FREE WordPress themes.

If the above steps are not suitable for you, you may have to go for the alternatives of contacting some PREMIUM theme sellers to whom you have to pay the price they charge for their designs. The advantage with this option is that you will get the technical and other supports from the theme designer or the theme seller for successful installation and customization of your WordPress themes.

If the above option is not for you, you have to hire the services of a custom theme designer who will do all that you like for the look and feel plus the optimum functioning of your blog or site for the price that they quote for their services.

If you want to be your own master of everything that has to be performed on your site or blog, I will recommend that you experiment with the free themes available from WordPress, and in case of difficulties in customizing, you can always go to the WordPress forum from where many WordPress experts and experienced members shall guide you through the process of installing the right theme for WordPress your site or blog.

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