At present, more than 60,000 programs with special functions (plugins) are available online and are meant to increase the functionality and performance of news portals, the Web design consultant Vitalie Harea said. However, there are a number of threats that should be avoided, so that not to disrupt the work of the websites. "When there is too much of something, it may hurt sometimes. If, for example, you have poor hosting, it is not recommended to install more than seven plugins, and if you have a powerful one, you may have up to maximum twenty. "Some programs may create collisions with others already installed, may significantly reduce the loading speed of the site, images, etc., and as a result may lead to site blocking. Before installing such a program, I recommend that you check it with Google when it was updated, how many users have downloaded it, its rating, and so on. If the plugin has not been updated for more than a year, know that you are already in a threatening area, so give it up from the start. A plugin with a rating of 4.5 or higher can be considered good. If after installation you notice that there are unwanted effects, quickly uninstall the program and look for alternative solutions," the consultant specified.

Vitalie Harea provided participants with a list of the most commonly used programs in the online environment, due to their efficiency and high degree of security. These are Yost SEO, Contact form, Akismet Anti-Spam, WP Safer Cache, Imagify. Some help search engines to better understand the structure of the site and promote it online, while others are for setting up and distributing content on social media or for sending messages on the site and to the email, but also settings against spam, to increase the working speed of the sites, etc.

The training participants were satisfied with the information presented, noting its practical usefulness. "These webinars help us to keep up to date with what's new and advanced in web design. We acquired the information as a list of steps we need to take to increase our site performance. Vitalie explained that the administrator of the portal is responsible for the installation and functionality of additional programs, so it is important to explain clearly to the director the threats and consequences of a hasty decision,” said Petru Dinu, web designer at Gazeta de Sud, Cimișlia. According to Gabriela Boxan, from the newspaper Expresul, Ungheni, the topics presented are of current interest and useful for the newsrooms. She also said that she would analyze the information acquired together with the outlet’s director, would make an evaluation of the special programs already installed on the site, and if necessary, would install the programs recommended by the consultant of the Consulting and Assistance Center.

Full workshop recording is available HERE.

In March, API held another workshop on "Electronic Signature: Opportunities and Benefits for Newsrooms and Journalists."

Since July 2020, when the Consulting and Assistance Center was relaunched and to date, API has held other 19 thematic online and offline trainings, attended by over 354 media staff.

API member newsrooms and regional media outlets that are not API members but meet the minimum criteria of editorial independence and professional integrity may request the services of the Center by accessing the application on the website www.api.md. 

Since July 2020, when the Consulting and Assistance Center was relaunched and to date, API has conducted other 19 thematic online and offline trainings, attended by over 354 media staff.

The project "Continuation of Assistance Program for Independent Regional Media" is implemented by the Association of Independent Press (API) and funded by the US Embassy to the Republic of Moldova. The views expressed within the project belong to the authors of the project and do not necessarily correspond to those of the US Embassy.