xbiz world
xbiz premiere

WP-Cumulus Animates Tag Clouds

One of the most common types of adult websites today is the blog. Whether powered by the ubiquitous WordPress software, or any number of other blogging apps and services, the usefulness and value of the site may be easily enhanced with content categorization and tagging to identify themes or niches that recur throughout the site. The problem then is that you have an unattractive collection of these links, known as a tag cloud, cluttering up your webpage.

According to its creator, WP-Cumulus allows users to display their website's tags, categories or both, using a Flash movie that rotates them with a 3D sphere effect. The plugin works the same as a standard tag cloud, but with a unique, visually appealing presentation. While clicking the tags may be somewhat difficult depending on the number of tags and speed setting, it will take a visitor to the designated page.

Setting up WP-Cumulus in WordPress is easy, although it requires that you run version 2.3 or better. After downloading the zip file and extracting the contents, you upload the 'wp-cumulus' folder to your plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/) and then activate the plugin through the 'plugins' page in WP. Selecting 'Options->WP Cumulus' allows you to adjust items like display size, etc.

Three display options are available for the tag cloud. You can either create a page or post and type [wp-cumulus] anywhere in the content, which is replaced by the flash movie when viewing the page. Users can place a snippet of code anywhere in their theme to display the cloud, such as in a sidebar, although many sidebars are not wide enough to keep the tags readable. A third option is to use the sidebar widget that comes with the plugin. This is accessed through 'Appearance'->'Widgets' to customize its own settings, such as background color, size, etc.

WP-Cumulus requires Flash Player 9 or better and JavaScript. In some cases, the WordPress Automatic Plugin Upgrade feature will corrupt the Flash movie. If this happens to you, disable the plugin and then reinstall it through FTP. Many users will prefer to install via FTP anyway, limiting the problem.

WP-Cumulus also outputs the tag cloud (and/or categories listing) for non-flash users, providing links for search engines as well. The links are hidden using CSS by default, but can be optionally made visible.

Finally, WP-Cumulus is not just for WordPress users, as a number of software ports are available, including versions for Blogger, Drupal, Joomla, Movable Type and other applications supporting tags.

If you want a way to jazz up your tag cloud, WP-Cumulus is it.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

How to Secure High-Risk Transactions With Network Tokenization

Ensuring the security of data as it moves through digital channels is the foundation of safe transactions, and crucial for your success. If your business can’t secure transactions, you’re exposed to myriad processing traumas.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

WIA Profile: Reba Rocket

As chief operating officer and chief marketing officer of Takedown Piracy, long at the forefront of intellectual property protection in adult entertainment, Rocket is dedicated to safeguarding the livelihoods of content creators and producers while fostering a more ethical and sustainable industry.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

Protecting Content Ownership Rights When Using AI

In today’s digital age, content producers have more tools at their disposal than ever before. Among these tools, artificial intelligence (AI) content generation has emerged as a game changer, enabling creators to produce high-quality content quickly and efficiently.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

How Payment Orchestration Can Help Your Business

An emerging payment solution is making waves in the merchant world: the payment orchestration platform (POP). It’s quickly gaining traction as a powerful tool for managing online payments — but questions abound.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Fine-Tuning Refund and Cancellation Policies

For adult websites, managing refunds and cancellations isn’t just about customer service. It’s a crucial factor in maintaining compliance with the regulations of payment processors and payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

WIA Profile: Laurel Bencomo

Born in Cambridge, England but raised in Spain, Laurel Bencomo initially chose to study business at the University of Barcelona simply because it felt familiar — both of her parents are entrepreneurs. She went on to earn a master’s degree in sales and marketing management at the EADA Business School, while working in events for a group of restaurants in Barcelona.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Gregory Dorcel on Building Upon His Brand's Signature Legacy

“Whether reflected in the storyline or the cast or even the locations, the entertainment we deliver is based on fantasy,” he elaborates. “Our business is not, and never has been, reality. People who are buying our content aren’t expecting reality, or direct contact with stars like you can have with OnlyFans,” he says.

Jeff Dana ·
opinion

How to Turn Card Brand Compliance Into Effective Marketing

In the adult sector, compliance is often treated as a gauntlet of mandatory checkboxes. While it’s true that those boxes need to be ticked and regulations must be followed, sites that view compliance strictly as a chore risk missing out on a bigger opportunity.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

A Look at the Latest AI Tools for Online Safety

One of the defining challenges for adult businesses is helping to combat the proliferation of illegal or nonconsensual content, as well as preventing minors from accessing inappropriate or harmful material — all the more so because companies or sites unable or unwilling to do so may expose themselves to significant penalties and put their users at risk.

Gavin Worrall ·
opinion

Know When to Drop Domains You Don't Need

Do you own too many domains? If so, you’re not alone. Like other things we accumulate, every registered domain means something to us. Sometimes a domain represents a dream project we have always wanted to do but have never quite gotten around to.

Juicy Jay ·
Show More