Too many updates, slight rant

  • I’m starting to really dislike all these updates (as of today the latest one is 2.8.3). The problem is that with every update my theme files get over-written and I have to re-edit them by adding adsense, analytics code, etc, as well as other edits to get the pages to display the way I want. I suppose I could just copy and paste the theme files (such as footer.php, single.php etc) from the old version into the new, but my concern is that the latest theme files will have changes so I can’t just do that. And in fact I have noticed a few small changes in the theme files as the latest versions have come out.

    Now, I can do the edits fairly quickly, and I know there’s plugins to handle some of that, but that means having to stay on top of them and keeping them updated as well (not to mention dealing with bug fixes, compatibility with latest versions, etc.).

    So no matter what, it seems that to keep my wordpress blog “alive” and running well I have to always be prepared for the next update and do the housekeeping/fixing that follows; which is not so much of a problem except that it’s so OFTEN. It’s annoying, even though I can do the edits to the theme files fairly quickly. It’s like having to re-tune your car engine every few weeks because the manufacturer keeps finding things he would like to add, or things that went wrong and didn’t take the time the FIRST TIME to get all the issues sorted out BEFOREHAND.

    Funny thing is, with all these supposed great new features on WordPress I find that I only have use for a few of them, and what works great now might be compromised on a later version, so I might have to tweak one of the php files to get it working right (such as pictures in posts being horizontally compressed too much – so I have to tweak part of the code to fix that).

    The way I see it, the problem is this. Even though people vote democratically on what changes they would like to see in WordPress, it’s ONLY the power users which suggest changes; the guys who live and breathe this stuff and don’t mind devoting a significant chunk of their lives to maintaining their systems. But the vast majority of us only want the thing to work and look nice (myself included), but we are FORCED to play catch up when new releases come out, simply because of those power users who have the time, inclination, motivation, desire, technical know-how etc to recommend changes and basically steer the direction of WordPress. It’s unavoidable that a system like this skews in the favor of these users, even though technically speaking it is democratic and anyone can influence change just by participating – but the problem is that, to participate I need to know a lot more about how the thing works and devote time to it, which I don’t care to do – unavoidably this means I play catch up. So I end up getting frustrated when I have to go in yet again and make changes and check stuff because a new version is out a few weeks later because the developers missed something, and/or they wanted to add something cool (which I don’t need). Every few months is okay but lately it’s been every few weeks.

    I have a blog on blogger and I can tell you that it does almost everything I want and the few things it doesn’t have that WordPress does, is made up by the fact that I NEVER have to do any work to maintain it. That’s a big plus for me, and for anyone that has other stuff they’d rather be doing.

    I fear that WordPress is becoming more and more geared towards the power users, and average users (the majority) are being pushed off to the side due to the constant re-engineering and “improvement” that goes on. But it doesn’t have to be that way if the developers just take the time to make the new releases INFREQUENT, and DOUBLE CHECK that you don’t miss stuff which would require another new release to fix it, and have rules on how often new releases come out (no matter how much the power users might want it asap). I have a saying, the more you add in the way of complexity, the more you have to add in the way of complexity. Please try to keep it simple. There’s no reason why you can’t. But lately it seems that the quality checks have been sub-par and it’s getting bloated just to keep the power users happy.

    I appreciate what the developers have done and WordPress has come a long way, but it’s important to not forget about the average user as you’re making WordPress as good as it can be. We are the majority after all. Thanks

Viewing 6 replies - 16 through 21 (of 21 total)

  • Simple fix: use a different theme. I use Atahualpa, version 3.4.4, and it allows you to make custom edits to many functions, and those edits are kept safe from over-writing by WP updates, or even theme updates. It’s a marvel, and its user support forum is the best I’ve ever seen. It’s also the most configurable theme out there, all from a very easy to use interface.

    I’m a power user in the sense that I manage a lot of different websites, most of them using WP, but I’m not a PHP programmer or database guru, so like you, I dread having to do much under the hood and possibly break something. But I recognize the beauty of the code and the dedication of the WP developers and the army of plugin authors, and I certainly want to keep my sites safe from hacks (it happened to me already with WP 2.7.1). WP is a work in progress and always will be, and I’ll bet upgrading it and themes will become even easier in the future.

    Because of Atahualpa, when there is a WP upgrade, I can do it with the auto upgrade button, and unless a plugin I’m using hasn’t been updated yet, I have no problems. Get Atahualpa here: https://wordpress.bytesforall.com/?p=81

    And yet over night there’s been another update. Seriously WordPress, I love you to death but this is getting RIDICULOUS!! I can’t manage all of my sites anymore with all of these constant freakin updates.

    kaotik — you are not required to update. There’s plugins that disable the update notice.

    But in all fairness, please understand, if a security problem is found, developers feel it is the responsible thing to fix that problem and release an upgrade.

    I hate the upgrades.

    WordPress is always change for the sake of change. I install a new version, fix whatever is wrong with my database afterwards, (it’s usually something like the size of the database or something minor but annoying) and then 2 weeks later, another upgrade, more fixes, etc. What are all these upgrades gaining the user but more headaches? For about a year now I’ve wanted to stop upgrading but then the plugins stop working or something else. The users don’t need all these upgrades. The developers are drinking too much Red Bull or something is making them overly hyperactive. Please, please stop “improving” something that works and let us just USE it.

    I’m not upgrading any more. I’m sick of all these problems every single time!

    At the moment I can’t even use my admin panel and can’t find a way to fix it. Maybe I’ll just move to Typepad or something that isn’t upgraded so damn much.

    Again, you don’t *HAVE* to update every time there’s a new release. In fact, I don’t always update right away just so I’m not caught by something like what happened with 2.9/2.9.1, where there’s an almost immediate fix. It’s perfectly okay to set an upgrade schedule and keep to it, like, say only upgrading once a year, in the Spring. But, as has been already pointed out, there may be a good reason to upgrade, like a security vulnerability that’s only recently come to light.

    Trust me, as someone who’s maintained a lot of different kinds of servers over the years, it’s not always the best thing to be the first guy to apply the update! So, don’t feel rushed. Let suckers, er, I mean, “early adopters” run point and find all the stuff that might have gotten missed.

    Personally, I never upgrade until at least the .1 version of a major relese (2.8.1, 2.9.1, etc), unless a major security risk has been found.

    I love getting new features, and I use themes and plugins that are well-supported so that when there IS an upgrade to the core WP, those things are also upgraded.

    There are things you can do to make upgrading easier (such as not editing the default template, not installing all the plugins you come across, etc). If you are a serious WordPress user and/or maintain “many sites”, you should take the time to learn them. Especially if you set up sites on behalf of other people.

    If you find upgrading a pain in the ass, then you might consider using a wordpress.com hosted site (where they do it for you), hiring someone to maintain your WordPress install, or, yes, switching to some different software.

Viewing 6 replies - 16 through 21 (of 21 total)
  • The topic ‘Too many updates, slight rant’ is closed to new replies.