Although the appearance and features in a WordPress blog can vary depending on the theme file that determines its appearance and any plugins that might be installed, there are several basic features that can be found in most WordPress blogs. On these pages, we show you some pages from a sample blog, Camden Lady (camdenlady.wordpress.com; Figures 7 and 8) and explain the commonly found blog components they include. Figure 7. The home page for a typical WordPress.com blog.Figure 8. Clicking the title of a post or a Comments link displays the post and its comments in a page with a comments form.1. HeaderThe header, as you might imagine, appears at the top of each page. It normally contains the name of the blog and a brief description. 2. Links to static pagesWordPress enables you to include static pages in your blog. Most bloggers use them to provide information about the blog or themselves, but they can be used for any content. Links to static pages can appear in the header, as shown here, in the sidebar, or elsewhere. 3. PostsPosts are individual entries in the blog. Each post normally includes the post title, the post date (and time), and the post author (if the blog has more than one poster). Posts can be as long or as short as you like. In some blogs, long entries are truncated and a Read More link appears so readers can read the entire article. This makes it possible to keep the home page short. As you can see here, posts can also include images and links to other pages. Comment links offer access to comments by readers, along with a comment entry form (Figure 8). 4. FooterA footer appears at the bottom of each page. It normally includes copyright information and may include details about the blog's theme. In some blog themes, you can find the RSS feed links in the footer. 5. SidebarThe sidebar, which also appears on every page, usually includes a variety of navigation links and other features:
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