The move from Windows Live Spaces to WordPress brings with it the need to learn a new language and to get to know new customs. Most users of Live Spaces saw that platform as a gateway to their photos and other services, the blog module was just one of many. From my reading I gather that blogging was important to maybe just a quarter of the Spaces users. Here at WordPress it is all about blogging.
The look and feel of WordPress blogging sites are a culture shift for “Spacers”. The site layout and features are different and the language used to describe elements is different as well. When moving over, the default “theme” used on WordPress is “Twenty Ten” (currently, in October 2010). This blog uses that theme, so I will use it to describe some of the other elements 
and features.
WordPress “Themes” – there are nearly a hundred – are more restrictive than the themes on Spaces. There you could rearrange the layout and modules, resize modules and change font and sizes for title and other elements. On WordPress a “theme” brings with it a fixed look, page width, font, and location of “widgets”. “Widgets” are similar to modules on Spaces.
Take a look at the illustration here. This shows the layout of theme “Twenty Ten”.
The blog title and slogan are fixed in location and size (see the top of this blog), that is followed by a header image. This image is optional, but when used (default) its size is fixed. There are many images to choose from, or you can upload your own as I have done here. The main area shows the most recent post. There is a “side bar” to the right where the “Widgets” are placed. Widgets are of fixed width. For the Twenty Ten theme there are two areas in the sidebar (labeled 1 and 2 in the illustration). These areas adjust in length to the size and number of widgets. The Twenty Ten theme has four additional areas for widgets on the bottom (labeled F1, F2, F3, F4 – they are called First, Second … Footer Widget Area ..).
There are additional features that have no equivalent in Live Spaces, but those are for another post.
How do you use the Widgets, and make other customizations? I will go into some of these in future posts, but will not cover the details as they are very well described in a series of posts on “Technogran’s tittle tattle” – in particular:
- From Spaces to WordPress step by step. General Settings.
- From Spaces to WordPress step by step. Adjusting other Settings.
You will find much useful guidance there.
Please also visit my blog on “things photographic”: Café Ludwig
This 'n That 
Good post Ludwig! However, do remember that what you see is a HOME page. The sidebar doesn’t have to be on the right hand side, but yes, most themes on here are ‘set in stone’ unless you pay for the CSS upgrade and know how to alter them.
Your header is in fact exactly the same as was on your main Spaces page, and in fact there are some themes on here that allow you to have a ‘static’ home page that does not show any of your blog posts at all.
I don’t agree either with the figure for how many were using their Space for blogging, during the Wave 2 era, most users on Windows Live used it for blogging. But good post covering an area that I didn’t cover and explaining in easy to see illustrations, the difference between the two platforms.
Oh and thanks for the heads up and the links to my how-to’s. I look forward to your future posts.
TG 🙂
Great post Ludwig. As an FYI, I didn’t notice any clubhouse tags on these posts; just Technorati. Your blog has great content with a very appealing theme. Can’t wait to read some more. Thanks for the comment.
Why no Clubhouse tags? Unfortunately, the blog registration command in the Clubhouse does not (currently) work. So the Clubhouse tags are not effective, the posts do not show up. 😦
Argghh! Finally succeeded in getting my blogs registered with Clubhouse. It picked up old posts that had Clubhouse tags! In the past when it missed, there was no getting an old post to show in the listings. That seems to be different now. Now I wish I has put all the Clubhouse tags on the posts!
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