The latest version of WordPress is out, and with it comes a lot of changes. This is the first version of the program that I have seen a major change in the appearance of the backend of the interface. The all blue theme is now gone, and they have added some color (a burnt orange mostly) to the color scheme. Personally, being an Auburn Fan, I am all for this splash of color…it looks a bit like home!
Other than color changes, there are some major changes in the layout and functionality of this newest version of WordPress. Once I got used to the layout, I liked it a lot better than the old versions. The most used functions are easily accessible, and you can access some functions from your “Write Post” page now that were not available in older versions.
In recent versions of WordPress, you have been able to add pictures with a mere click of the mouse. Now, you can add pictures, video, audio files and other media with a click of the button. With these additions, you can insert various media files without having to know the HTML code that you may have needed in previous versions. This is a great help to those of us who are very limited in HTML coding knowledge, but it will also save a lot of time in inserting these things into posts.
I have read some posts around the web concerning the upgrading of WordPress, and how some are afraid to tackle it, for fear of ruining their blog, and losing everything they have already done. I found the upgrades very easy to do, and had no problems with messing anything up. You can see the upgrading instructions written by WordPress by clicking here. It really is a 3 step process. Simply download the new installation, and unzip it onto your hard drive. Then upload all the files EXCEPT for the “WP-content” file. This includes all your settings, plugins, and themes. WordPress suggests disabling your plugins before any upgrades. I chose not to do that, and didn’t have any problems, but you should decide for yourself which way you want to go. If your install messes up, don’t blame me! Finally, you will need to upgrade your databases, which is very simple to do. Simply type in: http://www.yourblogname.com/wp-admin/upgrade.php. A message will pop up telling you whether you need to upgrade your databases or not. If you need to upgrade (which I am pretty sure you will) you simply click the link, sit back, and wait for the process to end (which will only take a few seconds for most blogs).
There are a ton of great functions that have been added to this version. Rather than take the time to try and show you all of them (most of them I haven’t even had time to play with, or figure out if I want to use yet), I am just going to give you the link to the WordPress development blog. You can see all the functions of this version by clicking here.
I have posted before how much I like the WordPress platform. I think this is the best thing going for the time being. Check it out if you are ready to start a new blog, or if you aren’t really happy with the platform you are using now!
