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Posted March 12, 2015 2:04pm by

Gravatar signup. Utterly confused and don't want to take an extra step if it's not needed

Ok so we're doing everything on here via the wordpress.org type of site and the one click install and all but now we get to the gravatar thing and it says we need a wordpress.com account.

I have in the past 3 days set up two sites with two different hosting companies and both have WordPress installed on them and things are running smoothly. So now have 2 different WP "accounts" as I see it and I've tried logging in to gravatar with both and while there was some password confusion at first, I think ... think I have the right passwords going in now and it's still saying "nope".

So, do I now need to create an entirely separate account on wordpress.com? I just... ugh... this is confusing and the last thing I need is another account if it's not required.

1 Answer

March 12, 2015 3:56pm

Huckleberry,

It's confusing, but WordPress.org and WordPress.com are two different things.

WordPress.com is basically a blogging site that allows you to sign up and run a blog on the WordPress servers. You're restricted to a wordpress.com domain name (like huckleberry.wordpress.com) and can't do much custom coding.

WordPress.org allows you to download the WordPress content management system and use it on your own site with your own hosting. This way you can have any domain name and customize it however you want. When you do this, any usernames/passwords that you set up are strictly for your site and have no connection to WordPress.com.

Gravatar is just for displaying an avatar (a little image representing yourself) in your profile, when you post comments on blogs, etc. I don't know about the course you're taking right now, but it shouldn't be necessary. If you don't have a Gravatar account, you'll just be displayed as a generic silhouette or something similar.

March 12, 2015 4:05pm

Right right. I did understand most of that but I thought that -- although they're separate entities -- they were still the same companies and that your wordpress.org login would also be considered valid as a subsequenct WP.com login.

And yeah I did understand the gravatar thing as far as how it operates and showing the silhouette on comments and posts and such, but I had just assumed that you could use the WP.org login for it as well.

So, it seems clear to me now that in order to sign up to gravatar I would need that separate WP.com account. That's a bummer because I like the idea of the Gravatar thing but don't like the idea of having yet another silly account somewhere.

Oh, and I'm going through the Learn WordPress track right now. Finishing up custom user roles, then on to admin settings and then the final course which is How to Build a WordPress Blog Without Coding. Which, seems to me to be pretty close in content to the WordPress for Website Owners course but whatever, doesn't hurt to drill the material amirite?

Anyway, thanks for your help. Much appreciated :)

Cheers,

Huck -

March 12, 2015 4:21pm

Even though it would save you a step for Gravatar, you wouldn't want WordPress.com to store all of the usernames and passwords you create for your WordPress.org-powered sites. It's estimated that over 23% of all websites (including some Fortune 500 sites) are now powered by WordPress (of the .org variety). Can you imagine what a catastrophe it would be if WordPress.com stored all of those passwords and the database got hacked?

I haven't done the courses you're talking about, but I agree...never hurts to relearn. I've been creating WordPress themes and setting up sites for clients for 4-5 years now and still have to check the Codex and brush up on certain things all the time. It's worth it, though. Keep up the good work!

March 12, 2015 4:30pm

Oh cool beans! So you're like... a go-to guy for word-press (mental note: remember to tag Shawn Flanigan in every post you make about WP. :p ).

Ok, so I can just sign up to Gravitar separately but they simply give you the option of foregoing that process and using the WP.com login info. But if you don't have that, you just sign up normally. Kind of the way every site and their mother offers you the ability to "sign in using facebook!" yet you can choose not to and just register with the site in a normal fashion.

Ok, cool. Thanks for all your help bro!

Cheers,

Huck -

March 12, 2015 4:35pm

No problem. Speaking of avatars...for as many times as I've said to someone "I'm your huckleberry"...it took me waaaaaaay too long to recognize Val Kilmer in your photo.

March 12, 2015 4:43pm

LOL nice, nice.

Ya know, there's a fair amount of good taste wandering these hallowed halls. I've gotten more comments about my avatar&username in the past month than I usually get in a year on other sites. I'm thrilled with the community here :).

Cheers,

Huck -

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