Prevent Password Reset is a very handy plugin from WordPress developer Justin Tadlock.

The settings for this plugin are under the “Personal Options” section of each user’s profile page. Simply use the checkbox to disable password reset for the user:

If used with the administrator user name, it can actually help to keep your WordPress site a little safer from hackers.

Download the Prevent Password Reset plugin for free from the repository.

The following method found at Vandweerd.com will automatically detect whether a user is logged in or not and put a login or a logout link right on your menu bar.

*** Please note, this method only works when you are using WordPress’ custom menus. (The menu function available in the admin section: Appearance > Menus.)

Add Code to Your Functions File

You will need to add a bit of code to your functions file for this. But after copying and pasting this code, you’re finished.

Go to Appearance > Editor > Theme Functions (functions.php). Place the following code in the bottom your functions file and hit “Update File.”

add_filter('wp_nav_menu_items', 'add_login_logout_link', 10, 2);
function add_login_logout_link($items, $args) {
        ob_start();
        wp_loginout('index.php');
        $loginoutlink = ob_get_contents();
        ob_end_clean();
        $items .= '<li>'. $loginoutlink .'</li>';
    return $items;
}

The Result

Keep in mind that these links will appear wherever you put your custom menus – be they at the top of your page, in your sidebar, or anywhere else.

Photo: login icon from BigStock

But here’s where everything falls down – the Codex’s search engine sucks. And let’s be honest; when you’re looking for help with WordPress, you’d much rather type your query into the search engine than wade through the Codex’s Table of Contents.

Here’s the problem – a search via the WordPress Codex homepage returns results from the support forums, as well as the Codex itself. And whilst the support forums are useful, they are packed full of “junk” posts that are either irrelevant to your query, hopelessly outdated, or simply uninformative. In terms of presenting the most relevant results up front, the Codex search engine simply fails.

For instance, check out this query for “editing images”:

Gah.

Whilst this isn’t actually that bad of an example (there are certainly much worse), you will quickly see the problem. The first two results returned are support forum topics, both of which address specific issues or bugs with editing images. I don’t want to read about someone’s specific issue with the image editor – I want to know how to edit images.

Whilst the Codex does return more relevant results in 3rd and 4th place, the most relevant result isn’t even on the first page.

The Solution

Here is a rule of thumb that if you follow, will leave forum moderators kneeling at your feet in respect and admiration (or something). If you have a problem in WordPress, follow this step-by-step guide:

1. Search the Codex
2. If you do not find your answer, search the support forums
3. If you do not find your answer, post your issue on the support forums

It is a simple process that allows you to resolve your query in the quickest time possible, and yet many people do not follow it.

So how do you obtain the most relevant results by searching the Codex only? Simple – use Google! (Isn’t that the answer to most questions these days?)

In a post I wrote not too long ago, I showed you how you can search your favorite blogs using Google to return far more relevant results. The same principle applies for the WordPress Codex. Just type the following into Google:

inurl:http://codex.wordpress.org/ + your search query

It’s that simple! Let’s see what Google found for our “image editing” query:

That's more like it!

The very first result is exactly what we want – it covers using the various editing features of the WordPress Media Uploader. And guess what – that page didn’t even feature on the first page of the Codex’s search engine results (which was made up of two Codex pages and an impressive eight support forum posts).

So do yourself a favor and find the most relevant information to address your query – use Google to search the WordPress Codex!

Creative Commons photos courtesy of IconEden and Mysitemyway

Show your support for keeping the web free and open by installing this and other anti-censorship plugins:

7 WordPress Plugins to Fight SOPA / PIPA

Fight Internet Censorship by Turning Your WordPress Site Into a Proxy

Your participation in the protests is making a huge difference worldwide and has caused the SOPA / PIPA bills to be postponed indefinitely. Let’s make sure these bills get defeated the as soon lawmakers decide to sneak them off the shelf.

Friday’s question was sent in to us by a reader named Bob. He asks:

Is there a way to give someone – a virtual assistant, for example – access to your WordPress site so they can do work on it (design, development etc.), but have the work queued, and not applied until it has been approved by an administrator? Much like comments or guest posts awaiting approval.

A screw up, whether accidental or malicious, is far easier to “fix” by not letting it happen in the first place, rather than having to go back and fix things.

-Bob

What are your thoughts, WordPressers? If you can give Bob any suggestions or ideas, we’d love to hear about them. Please leave a comment below this article and let us know.

Don’t forget to send us your own WordPress question – there’s nothing the WPMU community enjoys more than solving a tricky problem.

_{Image: Approved from Bigstockphoto.}