Obviously, it depends on what the plug-ins actually do, but if their usage is spread across 800 posts, let alone the 60 pages, I can’t see just deleting most of the plug-ins without damaging a fair number of posts and pages. That leaves you with the idea of building a new WordPress site with links to the old. But then you are faced with keeping two WordPress installations up to date to avoid security issues.
Alternatively, I’ve seen other CMS software that lets you generate static HTML from your entire web site, but I haven’t heard of the equivalent for WordPress. But, if it existed, that would give you a nice way to preserve the old site, more or less frozen in time. You may want to search for plug-ins that do that.
On the other hand, if very few of your posts and pages use the plug-ins, you could try importing them to the default WordPress theme, Twenty Ten, to see how practical that would be.
No matter how you slice it, Retrofitting is a pack of trouble.
Is the original site using an old WP install or a different blogging system?
it is an original install.
I mirrored it on another server for now to try and figure out a solution. Why would anyone need 26 plugins, good grief.
After I wrote the above notes, I realized that another way to “freeze a web site in time” by capturing the HTML generated by WordPress is through the many “web site save” programs around. Admittedly, I’ve had less than ideal results in the few short tests I’ve done.
You’d have to Google to find all the possibilities, but Free Download Manager is an (Open Source?) product I’ve tried and “almost got working”.
These guys have a lot of stuff, too, but I haven’t tried any of it:
http://www.spidersoft.com/
here is the approach that seems to have possibilities.
1.) I moved the site to a new directory keeping the old one intact and running for current users.
2.) I activated the new theme, and basically have had to implement the new widgets etc etc, restyle some things etc. But the idea is to get this new theme working in additions to the bizzilion plugings.
3.) Let the user test this one out alittle and make sure it is all working savy.
4.) Move this one into new directory backing up and replacing current one.
ADAINt, gosh there are so many plugins and alot of seo, slugs blab blah it’s hard to tell which is not and which is relavant. Tehy are all active so I assume they do something or the other.
Has anyone used this approach, any pitfalls or better approaches?
