The good thing about using a system like WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS) is it’s so very easy to use. But it also means that there are more and less knowledgeable administrators. The good news is, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist. The bad news is, there will be times you come across things you just don’t understand and things you should not touch.

One of these is mod-rewrites. I’ve heard someone refer to it as voodoo and agree with it so much I’ve adopted it. It is voodoo in the sense it is awfully powerful and is well, kinda magical. With that also comes the down fall. One small mistake could crash the server and your web host will not be too happy with you for that.

Most of the time, it is not that severe but you will probably end up with a web site with 404 not found errors everywhere. Still not good.

There are many plugins in WordPress. Most are harmless but there are a handful that should only be installed and configured by someone a more experienced in technical matters. Choose wisely. Make sure you understand what it does and how to configure it. Lastly, if you’re in over your head – don’t feel bad its easy to do even for me – hire help.