WordPress is a versatile and widely used open-source content management system (CMS) that allows users to create and manage websites easily without requiring extensive technical knowledge. Initially launched as a blogging platform in 2003, WordPress has evolved into a robust CMS supporting websites of all types, including blogs, e-commerce stores, portfolios, business sites, and more. It offers a user-friendly interface, thousands of customizable themes and plugins, and a large, active community for support and development. Built on PHP and MySQL, WordPress is highly flexible and can be extended with custom code to meet unique needs. Its ease of use, scalability, and search engine-friendly structure make it a popular choice for individuals, small businesses, and large enterprises worldwide.
WordPress users must manage plug-ins carefully to avoid overloading their site and harming SEO. Overuse of resource-intensive plug-ins like JetPack and Yoast can lead to… Read More »WordPress Plug-in Hell
I utilized a staging site provided by DreamHost to develop and try out new upgrades for their large financial site. Projects in progress include a… Read More »Staging Site for WordPress testing
I had no idea that Canadian Personal Finance was so interesting to our friends in the People’s Republic of China, but evidently, it is. Security… Read More »Importance of Security
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Facebook Pixel is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.