WordPress plugins are tools that are used to enhance the functionality of the open source blogging platform. Among the most widely used WordPress plugins are WordPress Guestbook Plugin. In order to understand what a guestbook plugin is, it is imperative to have an insight about a guestbook and its various aspects.
A guestbook, in the context under consideration, is a means by which users endorse their visit to a particular website or a webpage, and are allowed to drop in a comment of any sort, if they wish to participate in a blog activity. The guestbook, in this sense, takes note of the number of users visiting the site even if they choose not to enter a comment or share their details. The guestbook page allows users the opportunity to share their email address and other contact details.
A guestbook plugin is nothing but a tool that allows users to share details in a guestbook. The features of a guestbook plugin include:
- Replying to comments
- The perquisite to choose the order of comments that are made
- The privilege to add smileys and emoticons
- Allowing the user to create backups
- Allowing users to number pages
The WordPress platform is primarily based on the PHP programming language and MySQL. Guestbook plugins are accordingly programmed using PHP in order to relate to various functionalities that are available in the WordPress platform. There are different WordPress guestbook plugins that have been programmed and developed. Here are some of the top WordPress guestbook plugins:
The Gwolle-GB
The Gwolle-GB is one of the most widely used WordPress guestbook plugins. The main feature that catches the attention of people seeking to download guestbook plugins is that the Gwolle GB is associated with high usability and security. The Gwolle GB isn’t just something that allows users to make and receive comments but, it is one of the most recently plugins, particularly developed to provide enhanced functionalities. The plugin comes with integrated features of the older guestbook plugins and is extremely easy to learn and use. The Gwolle-GB guestbook plugin is associated with the following features.
- Allows importing of information from other guestbook plugins like the DMS guestbook and comment guestbook without additional requirements.
- Provides for e-mail notifications when new entries and comments are mailed.
- Comes with the stunning WordPress 2.9 look
- Data is not deleted when entries are imported from other guestbook plugins.
- Allows access to the best emoticons and smileys.
- Comes with features that help you control entries that are made in a guestbook, thereby augmenting security. The feature, Moderation, can be turned off if intended.
- Allows users to choose from a range of languages including English, German, Polish, French, Dutch and Spanish.
- Allows users to customize the style of entries made, an effective feature to differentiate admin entries from normal entries.
- An interface that is highly supported by WordPress.
- Akismet and Recaptcha integration in order to shield the application from malware and spam.
- Provides the facility of a log for every entry made, thus allowing the admin to accurately identify the person who made the entry, the time and date of which is explicit and accurate.
The Gwolle-GB is the most preferred guestbook plugin after the DMS guestbook. But, because it can import DMS guestbook entries, it is still widely used.
The DMS guestbook
The DMS guestbook plugin is the most widely used plugin. With enhanced features, DMS guestbook has asserted itself to be called as the best guestbook plugin till date. The main reason for this is the increased improvement of features of all other WordPress plugins. If Gwolle-GB is an integration of all the plugins (barring DMS), then, DMS is not just an integration of various guestbook plugins, but, an improvement of the Gwolle-GB itself. The most effective aspect of the DMS guestbook is that the entire guestbook can be customized according to requirements. Most of the features that are available on the DMS guestbook are just an improvement of those of the Gwolle-GB plugin, with a few additional functionalities. The DMS guestbook is associated with the following features:
- Customization of the front end of the application. The user can change the text, size, spacing and other aspects of appearance and style.
- Allows entries to be hidden in the Guestbook
- Fields that are compulsorily required to be filed can be made mandatory.
- Allows for the creation of multiple guestbooks.
- Set the language for each guestbook.
- Implements the much favored gravatar function
- Captcha integration to deal with malware and spam.
- The comment guestbook is a WordPress guestbook plugin that is used to add a guestbook site. Comments can be made and read. The features are highly limited.
- The WP wall was a very common WordPress plugin that was used a few years ago. With the advent of plugins of increased functionalities, it is not very widely used. The features of the WP wall guestbook plugin are confined to commenting, posting and a few basic functionalities for the admin. Other basic features are smileys and emoticons.
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