CHAPTER 9 • Using WordPress As a CMS 227
The first and foremost trimming action you can perform is to limit the user privileges.
As mentioned in the discussion of security in Chapter 1, “The Anatomy of a WordPress
Install,” not all users need full admin accounts. Most of the time, the Editor account role
will be enough, and sometimes you may want to go below that. For every step down the
user level ladder you take, fewer options are displayed for the user, and that is a good
thing.
You should make sure there are no unnecessary plugins activated because these not only
potentially slow things down, but they also clutter the admin interface with option pages and
related elements. If that’s not enough for you, consider the security implications of having a
lot of plugins that you might not have full control over. So keep it clean.
TWEAKING THE ADMIN INTERFACE
You can make the WordPress admin interface appear in tune with your needs by using one of
the CMS plugins available. There are several, but I’d advise you to start looking at Members
(http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/members). This plugin comes with a
Role Manager that enables you to create and edit existing user roles. This means that you
could upgrade your Editor role, a default one set by WordPress, to be able to work with
widgets, for example. You can also use Members to hide the parts not needed by disabling
them for roles. This plugin can really make the WordPress interface a little easier and less
scary for new users. I especially like the message box option, which can contain information
for the user on how to proceed and links to more help. As an added bonus, Members can also
password-protect your site and be the foundation for building a members-based site. It is
really a pretty nifty plugin, this.
There are several plugins that let you hide parts of the admin interface. You may want to
consider them if you will be responsible for running a site at your company, or for a client, for
a long time. But beware if it is a one-time gig! As you know, new WordPress versions roll out
all the time, and this means that plugins may stop working or need to be upgraded. Although
that is easy enough in WordPress, it also means that you have to educate the client about how
to perform an upgrade if you’re not providing ongoing support.
Still, to use WordPress as a CMS makes a lot more sense if you hide the stuff you don’t
need. The competition may not be doing it, but if you’re using WordPress to power a
semistatic corporate website, it certainly sounds like a good idea to remove all the stuff the
users don’t need to see. Just make sure that you’ve got the upgrades covered when they
roll out.
Another option is to remove parts of the interface yourself. Although most boxes can be
hidden using the built-in Screen Options pane at the top right of every page in the Word-
Press admin, sometimes you want to make sure that the boxes just aren’t there. How you
do it would depend on what you want to remove, but chances are, remove_meta_box()