• After a few years using WordPress and being happy with the whole thing, in my humble opinion is time start integrating important functionality provided by plugins onto the core, from content restriction to visual editors, from enhanced image galleries to more advanced post types.

    Right now I have twenty something plugins that do, some of them, tiny things to improve the workflow that arguably should be in the core toolset. This fragmentation can only be a recipe for disaster when things get complicated and you end up having to go down some very strong paths to control things that should be easy to do.

    For example, I use UNDSGN theme in combination with Restrict Content Pro, both really fantastic but, the workflow in RCP does not really take advantage of the theme and some bits are duplicated ending up in funny situations. Moreover, the look and feel on RCP needs to be hacked into submission to feel anything like the theme and I don’t expect a general solution coming from them but I do think this should be something WordPress should handle more gracefully.

    Same for statistics, multi-language, feature image control, tagging and categorising things in bulk, integration with Dropbox, etc.. everything is starting to look like Babels tower.

    SO… my request would be to rethink all this and make sure you do like Apple does, integrate features from developers into the core because the needs are changing and this is no longer just a blog game, but a CMS game and a very sophisticated one.

    I hope it makes sense… nevertheless I want to thank the WP team who do an amazing job, I am sure it is not easy.

    Thanks

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  • Yep,
    Trying to create a site, where all functions can be handled from FrontPage has been very challenged task. Managed so far about 90% functionality with correct plugins. My wish is that Admin-panel is for configuration and settings only. Admin resources are needed only for site management.
    Moving forward from blog game, to members game brings out more usability to WordPress.
    For example Ultimate Member and Suiteplugins are great examples for direction where to go.

    Thanks

    Moderator Samuel Wood (Otto)

    (@otto42)

    www.ads-software.com Admin

    FYI, WordPress 5.0 will be the version after WordPress 4.9. We don’t consider “major” versions in that way. Every version of WordPress is “major” and equally important. WordPress 5.0 will be just as important as 4.8 is.

    Thread Starter jordibares

    (@jordibares)

    I didn’t know that but now that you highlight it I do wonder why use point nomenclature then? seems you should call it v49 rather, don’t you think?

    Anyway, semantics apart, my interest is in seeing the beloved WP evolve, not only as an amazing engine, but a full feature set rather than a very fragmented environment. I hope it makes sense.

    jb

    Hi jordibares (@jordibares),

    I am inclined to agree with your thoughts on integrated plugins.
    I also like the ability for options, as it frees up the user to customize they way they want to do various tasks.

    Every time somebody new sets up their site, they are having to repeat similar decisions that many others have made. They look for features they don’t even know the names of. In the end they make choices.

    If the plugins are fully built into WP, then (guessing), that would make it difficult to have a range of alternatives.
    However, an easy way to achieve a close to satisfactory situation (in terms of getting the functions included), is to have kits of plugins available for installation in bunches, at once. (I have made suggestions on this to the “Plugin Manager” plugin, but I don’t know if they will advance on that.)
    Another option would be to have the WP installation, automatically install a collection of useful plugins at the start. This could possibly include similar options for the site admin to try out and compare.

    You mention “fragmentation“. I am not quite sure what you mean by this, other than “generally not held together”. There are several ways in which plugins can be accessed to adjust their settings and use them, and it seems largely up to the plugin creator to choose which way they want.

    Such methods of access to plugin functions include;

      Left Side Menu => Tools => Actual Plugin
      Left Side Menu => Settings => Actual Plugin
      Left Side Menu => Actual Plugin
      Top Bar => Actual Plugin
      Other Plugins and Admin sections get inserted in to by the Actual Plugin

    These are all useful, and some make more sense than others in some types of use, while other are more sensible in other types of use.
    But there seems to be no uniformity to how these methods are used.
    The main uniformity is that very few if any (I’ve not seen any yet), use all methods for the one plugin.

    Both yourself and Masimies, sound like you’re interested in “work flow” process, and easy/intuitiveness of use.
    There may be some way that workflow could be standardised to encourage the uniformity of menu access within groups of plugin types.
    The objective being ; to be able to incorporate plugins (as needed) into the system, using methods, that to the user, give a greater sense of an integrated workflow environment.

    For example
    Menu managers get put in a “Menu” holder on the left side.
    similarly for Performance, Maintenance, Media, Shop/Commerce, membership/community,
    and other holders as the user needs (possibly able to create and assign plugins to these holders).
    The top bar seems to be an ideal location for “process/work flow by the site”
    e.g. quick menus for Author’s tools, Admin Tools, Analytics and Reports, etc .

    I think you are right on the button about being “a CMS game”.
    It’s been an adaption process too.
    It’s the “ability to adapt”, which has got WP so far, that will prove to be a defining edge as the future gets ever closer (somehow tomorrow never actually gets to be today – except for the cusp of midnight).

    Things may seem a bit hotch potch at the moment, but at least things can be done, and more things added. With the plugin system, the system need not be any more complex that what the user wants.
    But we can aim for easier use.

    A quote attributed to Einstein goes something like

    “Everything should be as simple as it can be, but not simpler”

    WordPress 5, please think of coaches all over the world.
    First of all, thanks to WordPress I can manage my websites that well! Thanks WordPress Team!
    Wordpress 5 as CMS platform, yes that’s how I look at it. So, the world of coaching is very big. WordPress could solve a lot of problems all those coaches experience in communicating data with clients. As a coach I would like to have simple inbuild opportunity for a specific member to edit just his personal page, just by being logged in (and send to that page). On that page it should be possible to update certain values (weekly evaluations f.e.) and the status quo of (medicine) conditions, suggest or place video’s and so on. This page should be like a permanent form, readable and writeable for my and my client.
    Wow, what a CMS that would be!
    All the best to you all,
    Marc Scheffer (breath-therapist, Holland)

    • This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Marc2014.
    • This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Marc2014.
    • This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Marc2014.
Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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