Review: WordPress 3.0

I just installed WordPress 3.0 and everything went without a hitch. Well, almost. More on that later. I just clicked the Upgrade button and my WordPress blog was upgraded from 2.9.x to 3.0. This WordPress upgrade includes 2,700 changes and 1,200 bug fixes. Should you upgrade?

This upgrade includes several important features:

• Single and Multiple Blogs – Previously, there were two versions of WordPress: a single version and WordPress MU. You had to pick one or the other. Now, single and multiple have been combined and you can turn on multiple blogs in the configuration file. This should make the development process better for both versions.
• Multiple Post Types – Now you can create multiple post types. For example, you can create a special post type for a product, or for reviews. Or anything you want.
• New Default Template – I have not used this template, but it’s a nice, new look.

What is not included:

• The single and multiple blog in one version is nice, but you have to edit the configuration file. I spent 20 minutes looking for this setting in the dashboard, where I expected to find it. You have to edit the configuration file, but it should be in the Dashboard.
• The multiple post types is a nice feature, but it’s way too complicated for regular users. This is a programmer feature. It would be nice to see a Point-and-Click GUI for creating new post types.

Bottom Line:

This is a great upgrade, and if you need to run multiple blogs in one installation, this version is a must. There are very few obvious user interface features in this upgrade, so you might not notice anything different. Since the upgrade has been out for several weeks, I recommend upgrading to 3.0.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you create a complete backup of your WordPress blog before upgrading.

Also, upgrading to 3.0 might create conflicts with some of your plugins. When I upgraded, it broke my media manager. Fortunately, I found a post on the WordPress forum that explained the problem. The Headspace2 plugin interfered with the Media manager. I changed a setting in Headspace2 and everything worked again.

MacWorld said that with the multiple post types, WordPress is more appropriate for a regular website, meaning, I guess, that it’s more of a CMS. WordPress is a GREAT blog, perhaps the best, but it’s NOT A CMS. Joomla is a GREAT CMS, perhaps the best, but it is NOT A BLOG. If you need a blog, use WordPress. If you need a CMS, use Joomla.

I use both :)