WordPress 2.1: more than just a bugfix

WordPress 2.1 is going to be released today. This new version will not only address security issues and bug fixes, but it will include new functionality. If you think to upgrade your WordPress version, you better read the 10 things you should know about WordPress 2.1, published at Technosailor.

One of the things I find very useful is the new visual editor interface. The old one was not very handy to use, as switching from RTE to code view took too many steps. Sometimes I even encountered problems, instead of getting the code displayed, I got an empty page. Another issue was that it consumed too much of the web hosting server resources. I was repeatedly notified by the web hosting company that they would suspend my WordPress powered sites if I don’t fix the problem.

New Visual Editor Interface - A big problem (to many) in the WordPress 2.0 branch was the Rich Text Editor (RTE) powered by TinyMCE. I believe the RTE was a good idea but was before it’s time. Thankfully, the developers have heeded the concerns brought to bear on the RTE in WordPress 2.0 and have significantly improved it. Notably, there is now a tabbed interface in the Write screen that will allow bloggers to switch between the two views seamlessly.

Unfortunately, not all current plugins are compatible with the new version, so some bloggers will have a bit of trouble with that. Codex published a list of plugins that don’t work with WordPress 2.1.

I looked at the list and the biggest worry I see so far is the Ultimate Tag Warrior plugin compatibility. A lot of bloggers seem to be using this plugin.

Ultimate Tag Warrior (http://www.neato.co.nz/ultimate-tag-warrior/) 3.1415926 – Tags are wiped when a comment is approved.

I’ll install the new WordPress release when ready and I’ll write a review about its new features and the benefits for my blogging.