BuddyPress, the WP MU based social network is now available for all wordpress users.
Earlier, BuddyPress was limited only to WP MU users and the most difficult part of getting started with BP was the manual installation.
The new release makes the installation a super breeze process (now, it’s a 3-step process) – all you need to do is install wordpress [Simple Steps to Install WordPress on your Computer] and download the BuddyPress plugin [link].
Once activated, BB can be customized to include features like activity stream, bbpress forums, friends, groups – in short, a complete social network.
The Caveat?
In order to use BuddyPress effectively, you need to use BuddyPress enabled WordPress themes – and right now, there are a very few themes enabled for the same – though, one can always customize themes to maximize BP usage.
Having said that, one can download this plugin to make one’s theme compatible with BuddyPress installation.
WordPress – Blogging Platform or a CMS Tool?
This is one big step for WordPress, which so far has been a Blogging platform force-fitted as a CMS by a few webmasters. BuddyPress comes with very useful plugins and quite a few ‘sexy’ themes are being scheduled to be launched in the coming days [example]
We will cover hacks/themes/plugins for BuddyPress in the coming days [check out our WordPress tips/hacks section].
We have already enabled BuddyPress @Answers site.
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by one and half day with full reading of buddypress plugin, I dont know how to use buddypress in wordpress. Can u help me?
I’m thinking about starting a community review website and am doing some research on Buddypress. WordPress is all we know so we are trying to find plugins that can help us achieve our goals. Buddypress looks like one of them! I’ll have to check out the BuddyPress Template Pack.