If you are upgrading your blog to the latest version of WordPress, and you end up corrupting your own database… You might be a douchebag.

See… I decided to upgrade to WordPress 2.5 last week, so I began the three step upgrade process with a sense of anticipation and unbridled enthusiasm for all of the fancy-schmancy bells and whistles the new platform would have to offer.

The thing is… The problem with getting swept up in a wave of enthusiasm is… Sometimes you can lose your proverbial boardshorts… In hindsight I probably should’ve backed up my database first.

Now don’t get me wrong… There is absolutely nothing wrong with the latest version of WordPress, or the upgrade process. I am running WordPress 2.5 now and I love it! So for any of you out there who are contemplating upgrading… By all means do so. But learn from my mistakes and heed the following advice:

1. Back up your database. Your database is your blog… Your posts, your comments, your trackbacks, your categories, your links… If you do nothing else, do this.
2. Make sure your back up is viable. Backing up your database doesn’t really matter if the data isn’t usable.
3. Copy your complete WordPress installation to your local computer via FTP. This way, if you need to roll back, that option will still be available to you.
4. Disable every plugin you have.
5. Now you are ready to begin the three step upgrade process.

If you follow the steps listed above you should have no problems with the upgrade, and if you do… At least you’ll have a backup!

I’m just sayin’…