Probably the biggest non-developer feature of Wordpress v2.1 now available for download is autosaving drafts. With all the over ecstatic and pointless uses of AJAX, this is one place where it actually makes good sense.

Just downloaded and upgraded to WP 2.1 from older 2.0.x versions on a few blogs. For those using my TD Word Count plugin, it is fully compatible with WP v2.1 (Update 5:10pm PST: Wordpress 2.1 plugin compatibility list) Good time to mention that I’m working on a different version that supports multiple authors, since that’s the scenario we have on our VTOReality.com group blog. Still not decided if that version will be a fork from the single author version or be supported in the same plugin (keep reading, this is relevant to my comments that follow).

“Major releases coming several times a year”
Put me in the group that views the following announcement skeptically.

Matt indicates a plan to become even more active with Wordpress updates over the next few years:

Based on everything we’ve learned in the past 3 years of doing WordPress, we’ve decided to shift to a more frequent release schedule like Ubuntu, with major releases coming several times a year. So, for the first time in WordPress’ history, I have an answer to when the next version is coming out: April 23rd.

Soon Wordpress will be able to get groceries, take your kids to school, do homework, etc.

All joking aside, I hope they use future major versions to add features that most publishers and readers actually want and need and not shoehorn features that the hardcore 5% are requesting. Bug fixes are a necessary part of software growth, but planned major new versions make me go hmm. Are these feature(s) really necessary? Is the new software adding something that the old version lacked?

Competition for Wordpress
Wordpress biggest competition isn’t Six Apart, it’s themselves. If they add too many features and make the software clumsy and inefficient — and some could argue that it’s that way already with too many database queries (yes, caching helps) — they need to be extremely careful going forward that every major feature has a purpose and place. That the core machine remains lean and mean.

To all publishers and readers of blogs using Wordpress, may the upgrade experience be as uneventful as possible. If something breaks, just blame on it on Ella, the name chosen to symbolize this version (another cheesy software practice).

Congratulations to the Wordpress team on the v2.1 launch.

Did this post make you go hmm?

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