• Better Messages 2.4.24 –> 2.4.36
• CoBlocks 3.1.6 –> 3.1.8
• Contact Form 7 5.9 –> 5.9.3
• TablePress 2.2.5 –> 2.3
• Testimonial Slider and Showcase 2.3.8 –> 2.3.9
• W3 Total Cache 2.7.0 –> 2.7.1
• WP Crontrol 1.16.1 –> 1.16.2
• WP Recipe Maker 9.3.0 –> 9.3.1

• Better Messages 2.4.15 –> 2.4.24
• CoBlocks 3.1.5 –> 3.1.6
• Contact Form 7 5.8.6 –> 5.9
• Post Type Switcher 3.2.2 –> 3.3.1
• TablePress 2.2.4 –> 2.2.5
• Testimonial Slider and Showcase 2.3.5 –> 2.3.8
• Total Upkeep 1.15.9 –> 1.16.0
• User Registration 3.1.3 –> 3.1.5
• W3 Total Cache 2.6.1 –> 2.7.0
• WP Recipe Maker 9.1.2 –> 9.3.0
• Zotpress 7.3.7 –> 7.3.8

Updated themes:

• Blossom Recipe 1.2.6 –> 1.2.8
• Catch Sketch 2.0.3 –> 2.1
• Chique Music 1.1.2 –> 1.1.3
• Chique 1.6.4 –> 1.6.5
• Fotografie 2.4 –> 2.4.1

• Asgaros Forum version 2.7.2 –> 2.8.0
• Total Upkeep version 1.15.8 –> 1.15.9
• WordPress Importer version 0.8.1 –> 0.8.2
• WP Recipe Maker version 9.1.1 –> 9.1.2

Various things were suggested; so far, I have implemented the recommendations listed below.

Clean up themes

The following unused themes were deleted from the system: Astra, Book Publisher, Culinary, Digital Books, Dulcet, Fotografie Blog, Full Page, Hestia, Keenshot, Leftside, Minimalist Blogger, Minimalist Writer, Music, Music Lite, OceanWP, Publish, Publishers, Restaurant Zone, Totomo, Twenty Fifteen, Twenty Fourteen, Twenty Nineteen, Twenty Seventeen, Twenty Sixteen, Twenty Twenty, Twenty Twenty-one, Twenty Twenty-two, Verlex, Vilva, Writ, Yummy Recipes.

The following were then updated: Bloom Recipe, Unos.

Clean up plug-ins

The following unused plug-ins were deleted from the system: Akismet, bbp Style Pack, bbp Press, GD bbpress Tools, Image Upload for bbPress, KaTeX, weForms.

The following were then updated: Asgaros Forum, Coblocks, Contact Form 7, Front End PM, HootKit, TablePress, Testimonial Slider, Testimonial Slider Showcase, Updraft Plus, Word Press Importer, WP Recipe Maker, ZotPress.

The following was added, network activated, and auto-configured to improve performance: W3 Total Cache.

WordPress core

WordPress core (British English version) was updated to 6.3.

UpdraftPlus maintenance

Back-up frequency was checked to ensure it was running weekly.

All back-ups prior to the most recent six (6) were deleted to save space.

To be continued

More suggested configuration changes will be made soon.

WordPress was upgraded to 6.1.1.

Plug-ins and themes

All plug-ins were brought up-t0-date. Co-blocks was updated at the end of the process as a new PHP version was required.

All themes were brought up-to-date.

PHP

For security reasons, PHP was upgraded to 7.4. This update had been delayed since the ZotPress plug-in, which is used extensively on several sites here, was not upgraded for compatibility until recently.

This update made it possible to update the Co-Blocks plug-in as well.

The PHP update was required in order to keep certain plug-ins updated as well as for security reasons.

Site identity

Since at least one of the sites now hosts users who are not part of the actual family—and given the amused reaction I got from one new user when he received the welcome message asking for registration confirmation—it seemed best to change the title of this master website to something more meaningful!¹

Site theme

Finally, in the interest of improved aesthetics, the site theme was changed from TwentyNineteen to CatchySketch.

• Blossom Recipe 1.1.9
• Chique Music 1.0.1 (uses Chique 1.5)
• Culinary 1.4
• Music 1.5
• Music Lite 1.4.3
• Restaurant Zone 0.2.5
• Yummy Recipe 1.0.0

• plug-ins
  • Akismet Anti-Spam 4.2.1
  • CoBlocks 2.19.1
  • Contact Form 5.5.3
  • KaTeX 2.2.3
  • Postie 1.9.58
  • Testimonials Slider and Showcase 2.1.2
  • UpdraftPlus Backup/Restore 1.16.69
  • weForms 1.6.9
  • WP Recipe Maker 8.0.1
  • Yoast Duplicate Post 4.3
  • Zotpress 7.3
• themes
  • Astra 3.7.6
  • Catch Sketch 1.2.3
  • Dulcet 0.0.8
  • Hestia 3.0.20
  • Ocean WP 3.1.2
  • Vertex 1.1.8

The following plug-ins were updated:

• Akismet to 4.1.11
• CC Child Pages to 1.40
• CoBlocks to 2.16.0
• Contact Form 7 to 5.4.2
• Postie to 1.9.56
• Post Type Switcher to 3.2.1
• TablePress to 1.14
• Testimonials Slider and Showcase to 1.2.6.3
• UpdraftPlus to 1.16.60
• weForms to 1.6.8
• WP Recipe Maker to 7.5.0

The KaTeX plugin (version 2.2.1) was installed for the first time.

The following themes were updated:

• Astra to 3.6.8
• Hestia to 3.0.17
• LeftSide to 6.6
• OceanWP to 3.0.5
• Twenty Fifteen to 3.0
• Twenty Fourteen to 3.2
• Twenty Nineteen to 2.1
• Twenty Seventeen to 2.8
• Twenty Sixteen to 2.5
• Twenty Twenty to 1.8
• Twenty Twenty-One to 1.4.

The following themes were updated today: