BuddyPress is a collection of WordPress MU plugins designed for social networking, it helps to extended profiles, private messaging, friends lists, groups, a messaging system and an activity stream similar to the status update facilities on sites such as Twitter and Facebook. BuddyPress can not be use in single-server version of WordPress.

Nowadays lots of developers experimenting and writing about BuddyPress. Today I am compiling a latest list of excellent Pluings (included in BuddyPress pack), hacks and Tutorials.

Hacks and Tutorials:

1. How to Customize YourBuddyPress URL

These are simple instructions on how to customize the slugs for BuddyPress, that will boost SEO and improve your site usability.

2. Adding Sign in With Twitter to a Buddypress Site

This is well explained tutorial on configuring BuddyPress to allow users to sign in using their Twitter usernames and passwords with the help of the Twit Connect plugin.

3. Enabling Twitter Avatars Within BuddyPress

By using the Twit Connect plugin help you to add a new function which enables Twitter avatars on regular WordPress blogs.

4. BuddyPresHack: Remove New Member Registration From Activity Stream

5. BuddyPress Hack: Disable Activity Stream Comments/Favorites For Certain Types

6. What Are Parent and Child Theme?

7. Simple BuddyPress Guide

BuddyPress plugins:

There are nine plugins in the base BuddyPress suite. Each one can be used to add a social feature to your Social Networking site. By default, all BuddyPress components are enabled. You can selectively disable any of the components by using the BuddyPress Component Setup page.

Extended Profiles:

This allows you to create extra profile fields, which can be filled in by the members.

Private Messaging:

This allows members to contact each other directly. There are private messaging plugins for WordPress and also for BuddyPress. Rather than confusing your users with multiple places to send/receive PMs, I recommend testing each plugin and using the one that you feel best suits your site.

Friends:

This allows members to maintain friend lists, as they would on sites such as Facebook or MySpace.

Groups:

This allows members to create groups where they can post images, links, and blog posts. For example, Wicca practitioners could create a group to share spells, and Slayers from Los Angeles could have a group where they would share tips and news.

The Wire:

This plugin works like walls on other social networking sites. You can add a wire to a page or component, and users will be able to post messages to that page.

Activity Streams:

This plugin tracks member activity across the site. A member’s activity stream will show new posts they have made, changes to their profile, and changes to their friends list. Members will also be able to keep up to date with their friends’ activities via their stream.

Blog Tracking:

This feature aggregates all of the blogs, blog posts, and comments created by a specific member, making it easier for people to keep up with the blogging activities of their friends.

Forums:

This component allows groups to create and manage their own forums, using the existing bbPress plugin.

Status Updates

Allow users to post status updates.

For Download visit The BuddyPress Community | Visit plugin site

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2. Plugins for Implementing a private messaging system
3. Document Sharing Plugins for WordPress 3.0
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WordPress is one of the best and very popular blogging platforms which is not only free but also released as a open source project.
On the other hand, WPMU (wordpress mu or multi-user) is another version of wordpress which uses the core wp with some modifications and convert any single user wordpress blog into a multi user blogging platform.

It is most famously used for WordPress.com where it serves tens of millions of hits on millions of blogs each day. Many bloggers interested in using WordPress MU already have a WordPress blog. Unfortunately, I think it is not possible to turn WordPress installs into WordPress MU installs directly uploading new files and upgrading. There is only one way to convert WordPress blog to WordPress MU is to export (Hope you know how to export, for quick reference “choose Tools ➪ Export in the WordPress Admin”) WordPress Blog and then import it into a new and different WordPress MU installation.

If you really want to convert your WordPress blog into WordPress MU, Then you must follow these steps:

1. Disable comments on your WordPress installed Blog. So no data arrives during migration process.

2. In admin panel, Under Tools, Select Export and save Your xml file which contains all your WordPress blog data

3. Create new folder, directory and install fresh WordPress MU with New database or install it on a different blog. Keep in mind all installation should be on same server so that file could move quickly.

4. Adjust PHP setting according to your file size and sure it allow file upload, or in case If your file is too large, break it into smaller pieces. Now start to import you saved file as go to Tools in admin panel and Click Import, select option WordPress. Don’t forget to select the Check box to import attachments as well.

5. Confirm that your data and Photos has been migrated properly, All the images will be stored in folders under wp-content/blogs.dir/. In this directory the numbers represent the blog ID so the first blog installed will be the main blog and its ID’s number will be 1.

6. Confirm your Permalink structure as your requirement, for detail info check out Using Permalinks. This setting is very importent in WordPress MU.
To change Permalink Structure, in Admin Panel Under Setting Select Permalinks , never forget to change the permission of .htaccess file to 777.

7. Now most important part, before downloading your “wp-content” folder, backup up your WordPress blog’s files and database so in case of any emergency you can roll back. Download wp-content folder.

8. Delete all files from your WordPress blog and Move or copy all WordPress MU files and folder from Temporary location to your domain space.

9. Upload your theme to wp-content/themes folder and plugins to wp-content/plugins.

10. Correct your Current URLs for WordPress MU under MySQL and you can do that via MySQL command line over SSH or via phpMyAdmin as follow:

a. Do Execute query: UPDATE wp_site SET domain=’muqadar.com’ WHERE id=1;

(where muqadar.com= you own domain name)

b. Do Execute query: UPDATE wp_blogs SET domain=’muqadar.com’ WHERE
blog_id=1;

c. Do Execute query: UPDATE wp_1_options SET option_value=’http://muqadar.com’
WHERE option_name in(‘siteurl’,’home’);


11. Check your w-config.php and update the defined constant DOMAIN_CURRENT_SITE if this is not set according to for your current domain.

12. Login to admin panel using same User Name and Password as you were used for WordPress blog.

13. Regenerate your Permalinks for WordPress MU. Go to Permalinks under Settings and change your structure as you did in Step# 6. Before pressing the Update button, never forget to change the permission of .htaccess file to 777.

14. To make themes available in “Appearance”, First you have to enable installed, Under Site Admin select “Themes” and enable the theme which you want to apply on your WordPress MU.

15. Now enabled themes would be available under “Appearance”, Activate the theme for your blog as you would normally do to activate themes in WordPress.

16. You have to activate all required plugins, Go to “Installed” under “Plugins” and activate your plugins.
Only the Admin has the right to access Plugins menu. Plugins Menu can be activated for a single blog and users under Options in Site Admin.

17. To reflect your Preference you have to update all options throughout WordPress MU.

Now your WordPress blog is transfered to WordPress MU, When you get login you will see resemblance as you see in WordPress Admin but it has key differences.
One of the major difference you can see the “Site Admin” on top of the left side navigation pane.

The Site Admin panel has 6 main  additional Admin Panels  and few more panels according to your installed plugins as follow:

1. Admin panel

You can search by users or by blogs as well as create a new blog or a new user.

2. Blogs panel

It contains a list of all blogs in WordPress MU, also you can create a new blog. This panel shows useful information about existing blogs, such as Blog ID, Assigned users and when blog was updated.
When you take you cursor on the blog, you will see following options:
Edit | Backend | Deactivate | Archive | Spam | Delete | Visit

3. Users panel

This Users panel is not same as Users of “Authors & Users” under Users. This Users Panel is used for modifying and assigning users in the entire WordPress MU system to specific blogs.
Keep in mind that spaces between user name are not allowed here.

4. Themes panel

This panel is used for making WordPress themes available to individual blogs and to your main Blog. Themes that are not enabled in this panel are not available, even to administrators under Appearance.

5. Options panel

The most important site configuration panel in all of WordPress MU. For tweaking and configuration follow the following table.

6. Upgrade panel

You can upgrade all the blogs on your site through this page. It works by calling the upgrade script of each blog automatically. Hit the link below to upgrade.

More Resources About WordPress MU:

1. Free WPMU, WordPress MU and BuddyPress Plugins and Themes

2. WordPress MU and BuddyPress plugins, themes, support, tips and how to..

3. All about WordPress Multi-user WordPress MU Plugin

4. WordPress And WordPress MU Will Merge: Good Or Bad?

5. WordPress in Your Language

6. Converting a WP.org Site To WPMU

7. Importing a single WP blog to a WPMu Installation

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1. Making your own social blog network By Using WordPress MU
2. WordPress MU Premium Plugins and Themes
3. How to Convert Blog Visitors into Subscribers and Readers
4. How to Troubleshoot Slow loading Site and WordPress blog
5. Useful Plugins for WordPress Theme Developers