First, what’s RIGHT with Wordpress: It’s free, powerful, actively updated and supported by a smart and responsible community of users. It’s a model of open source development and makes PHP seem like a real language! It left its peers (Remember Nuke? Moveble Type? Why would you?) in the dust long ago.
What’s wrong with it: Three main things:
1) They update TOO OFTEN. Good for their development schedule, bad for us users, who have to stop everything and backup, delete, upload to every single site where we’ve installed Wordpress. Not to mention the havoc wreaked on plugins. I tell my friends “Oh, there’s a new version of that blogging software I put on your site.” They say “What’s changed?” And I say “Nothing you’ll notice, except your flickr plugin doesn’t work anymore.”
2) Video. It is too hard to embed videos. By a longshot.
3) Themes. Too many, too hard to install. Widgets help, if you’ve installed a widget-compatible theme.
You say: well, for users who can’t handle Wordpress’ relatively simple install, they should just get an account on wordpress.com. I guess, but they still can’t embed videos easily. I tell people to use Tumblr. It works.
Were there unlimited resources, I’d want a slimmed down version of Wordpress. No plugins. Embed videos, images, music — 1 RSS feed. No categories. Comments, but no registered users. 4 themes where you can change the header graphic and maybe set text colors. Remember the way it felt when Apple started removing features from its computers, and it turns out that was a relief (I’m thinking of the original iMac that did not have a floppy drive, or how the iPod has never had an off button).
Easy for me to say, I know. I really do admire Wordpress and have long loved. I abhor Drupal and most alternatives to it. But still, the lean machine has become cumbersome and it’s a shame!
On my iTunes now:
surfin on a rock by Air from "Talkie Walkie"
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Apr 4th, 2008 at 10:15 am
I do agree. Wordpress is an upgrade nightmare, unless you have this plugin Wordpress Automatic Upgrade. It really simplifies the whole process and best of all, end users can upgrade their blogs themselves.
Video is also terrible without Viper’s Video Quicktags.
Why this functionality isn’t built in is beyond me. However the new system does update plugins with a click of a button.
Tumblr is awesome however and very fun to use… unfortunately it lacks import/export support which I’m sure will be added later on.
Apr 4th, 2008 at 10:22 am
MovableType’s actually gotten significantly better as of late, but it’s still overly complicated.
I, too, am recommending Tumblr to people who want dirt simple blogging.
Apr 4th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Abhor Drupal… that’s a strong word, but not strong enough.
Apr 5th, 2008 at 1:46 am
Good post, Will. I agree with most of your gripes. As someone who is not super savvy when it comes to code or hosting, I’m terrified every time I update my wordpress. I usually wait for the big ones, like the recent 2.5. There’s a new plugin called “automatic upgrade” that is definitely worth installing. It makes upgrading as easy as clicking a button, though it’s still terrifying, and you still have to deal with your theme and plugins. 2.5 did not work with k2 theme, so I had to go download a “nightly build” of k2 that solved the problem. It was scary.
Tumblr is the way to go for people who just want a blog and do not need much static content.
Who has problems embedding videos on wordpress? I’ve embedded from like a dozen different sites on IE with no trouble.
Apr 5th, 2008 at 1:47 am
PS: why haven’t you turned on Gravatars? One of the cool perks of 2.5! You should be looking at my face right now.
Apr 6th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
You know you don’t have to update every time another update is available, right?
Apr 7th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Another option, albeit probably not one you want to pursue, it to use Wordpress.com - or even Blogspot - let them do the backend hosting services, and you can concentrate on content.
I’m still on WP 2.2 - and going to stay there for a bit.