Google Analytics

Yes, even though you don’t have control over the template in our wordpress MU installation, you can still insert your own google analytics code.

In the ‘Presentation’ tab of the admin interface, select the ‘Widgets’ sub-tab and use a text widget to contain your GA code. Of course, the GA code is invisible, so you can put other stuff in the text widget too.

Firestats

Firestats is a plugin which we’re experimenting with. There is NO guarantee that we will continue to make it available if it causes problems, but for now, it’s a convenient tool for gathering and viewing stats.

In your wp-admin, under the Plugins tab, activate Firestats. Then, in the Dashboard tab, you’ll find a sub-tab that allows you to view and configure Firestats. Mostly, you don’t have to change anything.

If you want to advertise your stats, there’s a neat little widget you can use to display stats and popular posts.

First, your blog admin will need to activate the plugin for your blog. It’s turned off by default because it’s a fair chunk of javascript that not everyone needs.

Next, upload your pics as you write your post, giving the picture a title. Then “send to editor” as a thumbnail* linked to original file. So far all standard Wordpress, but the next bit is a little tricky.

You need to enter the ‘code’ view and find the link to your image, which will look something like <a href="/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/004.jpg" >. You then add in rel="lightbox" just before the closing > so that last bit looks like ...XX.jpg" rel="lightbox" >. Add a title attribute … title="A Photograph" > as well and it’ll display as a caption.

That’s it! Try this image as an example.

More than one photo at a time?

Easy! instead of just rel="lightbox", use something like rel="lightbox[mypics]". Then all the photos on the page with ‘mypics’ will display as a slideshow like they do on this page.