After upgrading about 25 of my client and personal sites to the recent WordPress 4.2 version(s), I can tell you that things are working better than they ever have for WordPress.
Though I have worked on every angle of WordPress from being a user, developing templates, creating and programming plugins to fixing WordPress bugs and installations, I can say now more than ever that WordPress is a great way to go if you don’t need a custom development project.
Saying all that, you would think I am a total WordPress lover. In fact, the biggest issues I have had to work on recently related to WordPress have more to do with either 1 of 2 user created issues.
Too Many Plugins
The first common problem for users is the user added so many plugins that WordPress is now either broken or has an error in the admin screens or you can’t open the admin. You can’t blame users for loading up these amazing plugins. There are about 15 I highly recommend. But just like your iPhone/Android Phone if you load up too many apps, eventually your cell phone will crash and burn. I was hired to consult on a WordPress implementation where there were at least 20 plugins. Once you do an upgrade the likelihood of a having a problem plugin increases exponentially, since all your plugin makes have to have a version that is tested against the new version of WordPress. So having your website on auto-upgrade WordPress versions can lead to one day opening up your URL and seeing a broken site.
The Dreaded WordPress, Server or Language Upgrades
What happens when you upgrade your version of WordPress is the potential for corrupt files, permission on file issues, database table upgrades and other small quirks. This the price you pay for being a user of WordPress. Remember, it is free. They are doing upgrades like every 30 days sometimes, so the introduction of bugs is very common. I don’t know a user of WordPress who has not had a small issue. It is all worth it though, for the value you are getting. Also just wanted to mention that a hosting company upgrade of some sort has caused me headaches over the years as well. It is possible that last night the hosting company went from PHP 5.5 to PHP 5.6. Not sure why, but there is a possible incompatibility with WordPress now, especially if you have custom plugin or template code.
What’s Next For WordPress
A couple years ago I read that WordPress was at 8 million downloads per version and 8% of the web. Now it has to be in the 25 to 50 million range and a good 25% of websites or greater. You can look this up. It is big. It is getting bigger. Just happens I developed some expertise with WordPress. It is here to stay and it is important. The next stages for WordPress look to me like a very similar path of Microsoft. Once you get to a level where the majority of users are using your system, you have power and the ability to make an impact with a small move. For instance, the paid side of WordPress coming soon. Everything that is free in life will eventually have a price. If you are looking for a WordPress consultant because your site is either locked up, showing a can not open, can not install or other issue feel free to contact me and ask me questions.
Dan Gudema [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]