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Best plugins to reset WordPress

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You want to have a fresh start on your WordPress site but not necessarily have to rebuild everything from the ground up? Don’t fret, there is a solution for you and it’s called resetting. You’ve likely heard about resetting before, but in case you didn’t, resetting is essentially taking your site to the same state it was in when you initially installed it, but without entirely deleting it.

Basically, you will be clearing out the site from everything it has been accumulating for however long it has been up. When you reset a site you will be wiping different types of data. First, you have the database data which is composed of pages, posts, users, comments, website settings and so on. Then, you have the data that makes up the site, the themes, media files, plugins, etc..

This data isn’t stored in the database but in the wp-uploads folder which is why only a database reset isn’t considered a full reset. Lastly, if you want to get rid of all the traces of your site, you also need to clear out all the third-party services that you used on your site since they might also contain some traces of its data. Regardless of the data type, you accumulated the most, at some point in time there comes a need for a fresh start, a reset.

Resetting doesn’t only have to be done on your main site, it can also be done on your test site, staging site, whichever site you want to wipe clean. A reset also doesn’t have to be a full reset every time, sometimes you only want/need to delete database data, other times just the wp-uploads folder. Deleting those things separately is, of course, an option, which we will talk about a bit later while reviewing a plugin, but it doesn’t mean it should always be done that way.

That approach would take a lot of effort and time, something not everyone is able to invest. That is why doing a reset fast and all at once is a standard practice. Before we get into how that is done, it’s best we first talk about why resetting needs to be done in the first place. While it’s not a thing you do a lot, at least not on your main site, it can be done for a lot of reasons. Here are some of the most common ones.

Repurposing a site

Domain names and hosting aren’t cheap, at least not if you go for a good domain name and a quality hosting plan. Once a site has run its course and there is no use for it anymore, it doesn’t mean the domain name and hosting plan you paid good money for should go to waste. You can always reset the current site and repurpose its spot for a different project.

While doing this, we strongly suggest deploying a coming soon or under construction page.

Cleaning up after a round of testing

For testing to be productive and yield clear results, the testing environment has to be a fairly clean and organized one, which means you can’t keep piling plugins on plugins, add-ons on add-ons on your testing site, especially if they serve a similar purpose, and expect to be able to smoothly run tests.

Even though the purpose of a test site is to be sort of a sandbox in which you can try out a lot of different options, even it needs to be reset from time to time. A good practice would be to follow up on each round of testing with a round of resetting.

Restoring your site

Mistakes happen and so do hackings. Something both of those things have in common is that they are usually fixed by restoring the site. Of course, a site can’t be restored on a crashed or compromised installation, but on a fresh one which of course is created by resetting the site.

You simply want a fresh start

Websites that strive to be successful, generate content, a lot of it. As years go by, that content is no longer relevant or can match the quality that your current content has. If you know that a large chunk of your content or even most of it doesn’t serve a purpose or interests your audience anymore, rather than decluttering it post by post, doing a reset would be a faster and more practical option.

Redesigning your site

Okay, so what if you like your content but not the way it’s showcased, in other words, you aren’t happy with your site’s design. A reset can help in that case as well. As mentioned, resets can be partial, so you can freely do a reset of all the things that make up your site’s design, rather than manually disable themes, change the layout back to the initial one, and so on, but at the same time keep your content and plugins the way they are.

Unexpected and/or irreparable bugs

Bugs happen on all sites, both old and new. Regardless if the bugs were caused by human error or maybe by an update, sometimes they can be too complicated or severe that trying to debug them just won’t work. In that case, hitting the reset button and starting over again is just the easiest or only way to go.

Methods of resetting

As you could see there are several reasons why one might want to reset a site. Regardless of that fact, WordPress by default doesn’t have an integrated reset option, so anyone in need of doing a reset has to settle for one of two methods, a manual reset or a reset using a plugin. Although doing things manually when you have an automatic solution is a bit unnecessary, some people prefer doing things the manual route so it wouldn’t be fair for us not to mention it.

Manual method

Since the focus of this article are plugins, we won’t go into too much detail about the manual method, we’ll just give a brief explanation of it. Basically, a manual reset is made up of a few steps. First, you will delete your site’s database using cPanel, create a fresh new database and then assign a user to it. After resetting the database, the rest of the process consists of deleting the site’s files (plugins, themes, uploads), reinstalling WordPress on your domain again, and that is it. The manual reset process definitely isn’t difficult but is a bit tedious and takes a lot more time than the method we will talk about next, the plugin method.

Plugin method

Resetting using a plugin is by far the easiest way you can go about resetting your site. Reset plugins are installed as easily as any other plugin type and aren’t complicated to use. Some plugins will offer only an option of doing a full reset, some will offer several options for partial resets along with the full reset option, and some will be dedicated to resetting only one aspect of your site. A few plugins will even allow you to configure which settings you want to be reactivated after a reset and to create copies of your current site/database, but more on that a bit later.

This method of resetting will require virtually no effort from you other than choosing what to reset and clicking the reset button. It will also take only a fraction of the time the manual method takes.

For instance, resetting your site using the WP Reset plugin (whose features we will review in detail in the next section of the article) is very straightforward.

After adding the plugin to your WordPress installation, it will receive its own dedicated tabs, for both the full and partial reset options, in the tools section of your WordPress dashboard.

Before a reset begins, the plugin gives you a notice about everything that will be deleted, to make sure you are aware of what you will end up with after a reset. The plugin will also give you the possibility of instructing it on what you want reactivated post reset, for example, your current theme, the WP Reset plugin or the currently active plugins.

Lastly, before the initiation of the reset process, comes a fail-safe mechanism which will require you to type in the safe word “reset” before hitting the reset button. After the button has been clicked, the reset will start and finish in a very short period of time leaving you with a fresh new site afterwards. 

Since the plugin method is pretty popular, the plugin market isn’t lacking in reset plugin options, so knowing which one to choose might come as quite a challenge. To help you make a decision more easily, we have compiled a list of the best reset plugins you might want to check out. Let’s see what our picks have to offer.

WP Reset

WP Reset is a plugin geared especially towards non-developers who are looking to speed up their development, testing and debugging using the option of resetting their site in just one click. WP Reset operates in a way that it will reset the database of a site in seconds without modifying any of its files. It basically takes your site back to the state it was in when it was first installed by deleting any content and customizations that were subsequently added to it.

When you decide on doing a reset using this plugin the following will happen. Every post, page, custom post type, user, and comment left by a user will be deleted. Deleted will also be all default database tables and custom tables that have the same prefix as the default ones. What a reset using this plugin won’t remove or change are the media files, they will be moved from the media folder in the admin section but will stay on the server. Those media files include plugins, themes, uploads, language settings, search engine visibility settings, site title and the currently logged in user. Because the creators of this plugin were aware that sometimes you want/need to undo a reset, they also enabled to you make a snapshot of your database in less than 10 seconds using this plugin and restore that snapshot at any time.

Besides the reset feature, this plugin is packed with a number of other features and fail-safe mechanisms. The features include WP-CLI compatibility in case you like doing your resets through the command-line interface. Post-Reset Setup feature that will configure your site (activate specific plugins and themes) per your instructions after a reset. Nuclear Reset feature that will delete absolutely everything that makes up your site. Webhooks Integration feature for triggering the plugin tools from third-party services. Database Diff Viewer feature for comparing different versions of your database. Plugins & Themes Collections feature for creating collections of themes and plugins which can be then collectively installed after a reset. Change WP Version feature for a fast and easy switch between different versions of WordPress. And the Emergency Recovery Script feature which will help you get out of worst-case scenario situations.

The plugin also has several partial reset tools that allow you to only reset specific parts of your site like transients, uploads, plugins, themes and theme mods, custom tables and the .htaccess file.

Although it is not fully compatible with WordPress Multisite yet, the plugin can also be used for resetting sub-sites.

Lastly, the plugin comes with free and reliable in-house support that you can contact regarding any issue at all times, has over 200,000 active installations, a five-star rating and is available in 7 languages. The best thing about this plugin might be that it is absolutely free and can be downloaded directly from its site or the Plugins section in the WordPress dashboard.

Website: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-reset/

WP Database Reset

This plugin is a product by the same company (WebFactory Ltd) as the above-mentioned WP Reset plugin, which means it will give you a service just as great. Unlike WP Reset which can reset different aspects of your site, this plugin is used for resetting only the database, entirely or just selected tables. Resetting the database using this plugin is extremely fast and simple and is initialized using only one click. The plugin’s interface is very user-friendly so the process can be easily done by anyone with or without technical knowledge.

When resetting you will have an option of selecting one table from a drop-down list or selecting all/multiple tables at once. This plugin also has a fail-safe mechanism, requiring you to type in a security code before proceeding with the reset.

It is also WP-CLI compatible which means the resetting can be done through the command line and not only the interface. If you need to refresh your knowledge on the necessary WP-CLI commands, you can find the list of the most essential ones on the plugin’s official page linked at the end of this paragraph. The plugin boasts 80.000 active installations and a rating close to five stars. It can be used alone if the only tool you need is a database reset tool, or in combination with other reset plugins if you require more reset tools. The plugin is free to download at the link below.

Website: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-database-reset/

Customizer Reset by WPZOOM

Customizer reset is a plugin used for cleaning your website out from any customizations made to its theme. This plugin will remove all modifications made using the WordPress Customizer and registered by the Customizer API. It works not only on themes but also on plugins that use theme-mod settings. After being installed, this plugin is integrated into the WordPress Customizer through a reset button placed in the Customizer itself. This plugin is great for situations where your Customizer isn’t working as it should be because of a plugin conflict or corruption in the database. The plugin can help resolve all of those issues with just one simple reset. When using the plugin, you should keep in mind that you won’t be able to reset your Customizer settings unless you have a backup of them and that after a reset you will need to reconfigure them again. This plugin is an open-source plugin with over 20.000 active installations and almost a 5-star rating.

Website: https://wordpress.org/plugins/customizer-reset-by-wpzoom/

MASS Users Password Reset

Security should be a number one priority and keeping it in check isn’t the easiest thing to do. This plugin helps maintain your security at a satisfactory level by enabling you to reset all the passwords of all of your users at once, even based on their user role. After every reset, the users that had their passwords reset will receive a newly generated password through email. The passwords it generates are by default 8 characters long but can be customized using a filter. At a time, you can update you to 100 passwords. The plugin is very easy to install, is available in 9 languages and comes with free support. It can be further advanced using the Schedule Password Reset add-on which is able to reset an unlimited number of passwords on a predefined schedule, and even lets you set up a specific schedule for specific user groups. MASS Users Password Reset also comes in a Pro version which is packed with advanced features. The standard version of the plugin has a great 4-star rating and is completely free to download and use. The mentioned Schedule Password Reset add-on isn’t free but comes with a 30-day trial.

Website: https://wordpress.org/plugins/mass-users-password-reset/

Conclusion

Thanks to the power of resets, struggling with a slow or buggy site should become a thing of the past. You will no longer be frustrated with an overcluttered site or lose time on doing a reset manually thanks to all the reset plugins we mentioned in this article.

Instead, you will be able to dedicate your time to aspects of your site that are truly important. Although you won’t be resetting every day, but as often as it is necessary in your case when you do need to do a reset, make sure you know what exactly you want to reset. That way you will be able to choose the best tool for that specific task. Any of the mentioned plugins will be a great choice, especially the WP Reset plugin. Once you’ve chosen a tool, getting a clean slate or in other words, a clean installation should take only a few minutes.

We really hope you enjoyed reading this article, and as a last word of advice, we would like to say, before doing a reset using any plugin or method, creating a backup of your site/database should be the first thing you do, since without one, there will be no going back.

From television to the internet platform, Jonathan switched his journey in digital media with Bigtime Daily. He served as a journalist for popular news channels and currently contributes his experience for Bigtime Daily by writing about the tech domain.

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The Intersection of Art and Technology: Animation in the Blockchain Era

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Brief Overview of the Intersection of Art and Technology

The convergence of art and technology is a fascinating phenomenon that’s driving innovation in today’s digital age. These two seemingly disparate fields are intersecting in unprecedented ways, leading to the creation of new forms of artistic expression and transforming our interaction with technology.

Art, with its emphasis on creativity and aesthetics, is influencing the design and functionality of technological products and services. It’s inspiring technologists to create solutions that are not only efficient and effective but also aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly.

On the other hand, technology is opening up new avenues for artists to express their creativity. It’s providing them with innovative tools and mediums to create art, from digital painting and 3D modeling to virtual reality and interactive installations. This synergy between art and technology is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, leading to the emergence of a new field where creativity meets innovation.

Introduction to the Role of Animation in the Tech Industry

Animation has evolved from a form of entertainment to a powerful tool in the tech industry. It’s playing a pivotal role in making complex concepts more accessible and engaging, enhancing user experience, and facilitating learning.

In the tech industry, animation is being used in a multitude of ways. It’s used in user interfaces to make them more intuitive and engaging. It’s used in video games to create immersive environments and realistic characters. It’s used in virtual reality to create 3D experiences that are incredibly lifelike.

Moreover, animation is playing a crucial role in education and communication in the tech industry. It’s being used to create explainer videos that break down complex tech concepts into simple, understandable narratives. This ability of animation to simplify and visualize complex information is particularly valuable in the tech industry, where concepts can often be abstract and complex.

Understanding Blockchain Technology

Explanation of Blockchain Technology

Blockchain technology, often hailed as a revolutionary innovation, is a decentralized digital ledger that securely records transactions across a network of computers. This technology’s uniqueness lies in its structure – a chain of blocks, each containing data, a timestamp, and a cryptographic link to the previous block.

This structure ensures the integrity of data. Once a block is added to the chain, its data cannot be altered without changing all subsequent blocks and gaining the consensus of the majority of the network. This makes blockchain inherently secure and resistant to data tampering, a feature that is particularly valuable in an era where data breaches and cyber threats are prevalent.

Moreover, blockchain operates on a peer-to-peer network, eliminating the need for a central authority or intermediary. This decentralization enhances the efficiency and speed of transactions, as they are processed directly between parties.

The Impact of Blockchain on Various Industries

Blockchain’s potential extends far beyond its initial application in powering cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It’s causing a paradigm shift in a multitude of sectors, transforming the way transactions are conducted and data is managed.

In the financial sector, blockchain is streamlining processes, enhancing security, and reducing costs by eliminating the need for intermediaries. It’s enabling faster, more transparent transactions, and its immutable ledger provides a reliable record of financial transactions.

In healthcare, blockchain is enhancing data security, patient privacy, and interoperability. It provides a secure platform for sharing health records, ensuring data integrity, and enabling efficient collaboration among healthcare providers.

In supply chain management, blockchain is improving traceability and transparency. It provides real-time visibility into the movement of goods, from origin to destination, helping to prevent fraud and counterfeiting.

The potential applications of blockchain are vast and still being explored, promising a future where transactions of all kinds can be securely and efficiently managed on decentralized platforms.

The Emergence of Animation in the Tech Industry

The Evolution of Animation in Technology

The journey of animation in technology has been a remarkable one. It began in the 1800s with simple devices like magic lanterns and zoetropes, which used a series of static images to create the illusion of motion. As the years passed, animation techniques evolved, incorporating stop-motion and hand-drawn methods to bring characters and stories to life.

With the advent of the digital age, animation took a quantum leap. The introduction of computer-generated imagery (CGI) transformed the field, enabling the creation of intricate 3D models and environments. This led to groundbreaking works such as Pixar’s Toy Story, which set new standards for animated films.

Today, animation has permeated various aspects of technology. It’s used to create immersive virtual realities, design interactive user interfaces, and develop engaging educational content. The ability of animation to simplify and visualize complex concepts has made it an invaluable tool in the tech industry.

The Role of Animation in Simplifying Complex Tech Concepts

Animation has a unique ability to break down complex tech concepts into understandable visual narratives. This is particularly crucial in the tech industry, where many concepts can be abstract and challenging for the average person to grasp.

Take blockchain technology, for instance. It’s a complex system involving numerous processes that can be hard to comprehend. However, animation can simplify these processes, presenting them in a visual and engaging manner. This not only makes the concept more accessible to a broader audience but also enhances its appeal and memorability.

Animation and Blockchain: A Powerful Combination

How Animation is Used to Explain Blockchain Concepts

Animation has emerged as a powerful tool for explaining complex blockchain concepts. Blockchain, with its intricate processes and technical jargon, can be daunting for many. However, animation can simplify these complexities, making blockchain more accessible and understandable.

Animation can visually represent the decentralized nature of blockchain, the linking of blocks, and the concept of cryptographic hashing. It can illustrate how transactions are added to the blockchain, how the consensus mechanism works, and how blockchain ensures data integrity and security.

Through visual storytelling, animation can bring to life the abstract concepts of blockchain, making them tangible and relatable. It can show the flow of transactions, the verification process, and the addition of new blocks to the chain. By doing so, it can demystify blockchain, making it less intimidating and more engaging.

Case Studies of Successful Blockchain Animations

There are numerous examples of successful blockchain animations that have effectively explained blockchain concepts. These animations have used a variety of techniques, from 2D and 3D animation to motion graphics and infographics, to visually represent the workings of blockchain.

One such example is the animation that explains how Bitcoin works. This animation uses simple graphics and clear narration to explain the concept of Bitcoin, how transactions are processed, and how new bitcoins are mined.

Another example is the animation that illustrates the concept of smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. This animation uses a combination of graphics and text to explain what smart contracts are, how they work, and their potential applications.

These case studies demonstrate the power of animation in explaining complex blockchain concepts. They show how animation can make blockchain more accessible and engaging, fostering a better understanding and appreciation of this revolutionary technology.

The Role of Blockchain Animation in the Tech World

Blockchain Animation as a Tool for Education

Blockchain animation has emerged as a powerful educational tool in the tech world. It has the ability to simplify complex blockchain concepts and make them more accessible to a wider audience. By turning complicated abstract ideas into simple shapes and engaging visuals, blockchain animation ensures that the message is concise and better understood.

The use of dynamic visual presentations offers several advantages over traditional methods of communication. It can engage viewers, making the learning process more enjoyable and effective. It can also help to overcome language barriers, allowing the message to reach a global audience.

The Benefits and Challenges of Using Blockchain Animation

There are numerous benefits to using blockchain animation. It can boost conversion rates by providing a clear explanation of blockchain technology, encouraging more visitors to take action and become customers. It can also improve SEO, leading to increased website traffic and longer session durations. This can signal to search engines that the website is relevant and valuable to users, leading to improved search engine rankings and greater online visibility.

Blockchain animation can also increase brand awareness by using consistent elements and building a memorable identity. This can help businesses create a strong presence and ensure that viewers remember them. Additionally, it can build trust by presenting a transparent and informative animated video, establishing the brand as a thought leader in the industry.

However, there are also challenges associated with using blockchain animation. One of the main challenges is the need for a high level of technical expertise to create effective animations. This requires a deep understanding of both animation techniques and blockchain technology. Another challenge is the time and resources required to produce high-quality animations.

Despite these challenges, the benefits of blockchain animation far outweigh the drawbacks. It is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance the understanding and appreciation of blockchain technology.

The Future of Animation in Blockchain

Predictions for How Animation Will Continue to Shape Understanding of Blockchain

As we look to the future, it’s clear that animation will continue to play a crucial role in shaping our understanding of blockchain technology. The use of animation to explain complex concepts is not just a trend, but a necessity in an increasingly digital world. As blockchain technology continues to evolve and become more complex, the need for clear, engaging, and accessible explanations will only grow.

We can expect to see more innovative uses of animation in the blockchain space. For instance, we might see more interactive animations that allow users to engage with the content in a more hands-on way. This could include interactive diagrams that allow users to manipulate the elements to see how different parts of the blockchain work together, or gamified animations that make learning about blockchain fun and engaging.

The Potential Impact on Industries and Education

The impact of blockchain animation will be felt across various industries and in education. In industries like finance, healthcare, and supply chain management, where blockchain is already making significant inroads, animation can help stakeholders understand how blockchain can solve existing problems and create new opportunities.

In education, blockchain animation can be a powerful tool for teaching students about this cutting-edge technology. It can make learning about blockchain more engaging and accessible, helping to prepare the next generation of innovators and leaders in the blockchain space.

The future of animation in blockchain looks bright. As this technology continues to evolve and permeate various sectors, the role of animation in explaining, promoting, and teaching blockchain will only become more important.

Conclusion

Importance of Animation in Understanding Blockchain

As we’ve explored throughout this article, animation plays a pivotal role in understanding blockchain technology. The complex and technical nature of blockchain can be a barrier to comprehension for many. However, animation, with its ability to simplify and visualize abstract concepts, can break down these barriers, making blockchain more accessible and engaging.

From explaining the basic principles of blockchain to illustrating its application in various industries, animation has proven to be an effective tool for education and communication in the tech world. It has the power to transform complex information into easy-to-understand visual narratives, making learning about blockchain a more enjoyable and effective experience.

Looking ahead, the future of blockchain animation is promising. As blockchain technology continues to evolve and permeate various sectors, the demand for clear, engaging, and accessible explanations of this technology will only grow. Animation, with its ability to simplify complex concepts and engage viewers, is well-positioned to meet this demand.

Moreover, as more businesses and educational institutions recognize the value of animation in explaining and teaching blockchain, we can expect to see more innovative and engaging blockchain animations. These animations will not only enhance our understanding of blockchain but also promote its adoption across various sectors.

Blockchain animation is more than just a trend. It’s a powerful tool that can significantly enhance the understanding and appreciation of blockchain technology, making it more accessible and engaging for a wider audience. As we move forward, the role of animation in the blockchain space will only become more important, shaping the way we understand and interact with this revolutionary technology.

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